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Tiger: Grand Slam Is Doable

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 24, 2008

TAMPA - Golf's Grand Slam: It's doable.

That's what Tiger Woods is saying.

And the PGA Tour season just got a bit more interesting.

Woods typically puts himself out on a limb about as often as Tom Brady sits at home dateless. So when Tiger, making his season debut today in the Buick Invitational in La Jolla, Calif., speculated on a sweep of the year's four major championships, "Say what?" was golf's immediate reaction.

Woods' exact words published on his Web site were, "I think it's easily within reason."

The fact only Ben Hogan (1953) and Woods (2000) have won three majors in a season suggests otherwise. Yet, the man with a talent for speaking eloquently for hours and saying almost nothing, kicked off his year by verbally upping the ante.

"I believe so," Mark O'Meara said of his longtime friend's chances. "I talked to Tiger a couple of times this winter, and I reckon he's as focused as ever and fired up and ready to go."

With 13 career major championships Woods begins the year five back of the record owned by Jack Nicklaus. He turned 32 in December. He and wife Elin welcomed their first child - daughter Sam Alexis - seven months ago. Time has helped Woods deal with the death of his father, Earl.

Word is Woods has never worked harder during an offseason. After taking a 10-week break after winning the Tour Championship, he came back in mid-December to win his own Target World Challenge by seven shots and has continued grinding since.

"When that guy comes to play, how can you bet against him?" O'Meara asked. "You just can't."

Woods' continued pursuit of Grand Slam titles will get a lot of attention this week, because the same Torrey Pines course where he is going for a fourth straight Buick Invitational title also hosts this year's U.S. Open in June.

Running Start?

It has long been conceded that Augusta National, where Woods has won four Masters, seems designed for his game. Now comes a season where the second major on the schedule will be on a course where he has won tournaments four of the last five years. He wins the year's first two majors, and you figure "Katie, bar the door."

It's easily within reason.

"I think it's the development of my game over the years," Woods said Wednesday during a news conference at Torrey Pines. "For most of my career I've won more than four tournaments per year, and all I have to do is win the right four, and I've done those a few times. I think if you put it all together, have luck on your side, all the stars will line up, and it certainly is possible. A couple of years ago I came within four shots of at least being in a playoff - winning or being in a playoff on all four, so yeah, I think it is possible.

"The venues this year, I like all the venues, but I've liked all the venues before in the past. It's just a matter of getting your game coming together at the right time and getting all the right breaks. You're going to have to get lucky every now and then, and hopefully you get lucky at the right times."

The PGA Tour can only hope.

Keep It Coming

What's good for Tiger Woods is good for the PGA Tour.

It's not a particularly appealing business plan if you happen to be a golfer not named Tiger Woods; nevertheless, everybody knows the big guy's appeal is the fuel that's powering Commissioner Tim Finchem's private jet.

"I've said this many, many times over the years," Finchem said. "The great thing about Tiger wanting to win more tournaments than Sam Snead, win more majors than Jack, is it takes decades to do that, and that's a good thing for everybody."

Like it or not.

Tour stops, Page 9

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