ESPN.com - Golf Online - Masters 2001 - Woods still savors hunt for glory

Reuters
Tuesday, April 3

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Tiger Woods has not lost his lust for the hunt and hopes his uncanny timing and insatiable appetite for competition will help him bag his greatest prize yet at this week's Masters.


	Tiger Woods got reaquainted with Augusta National during a practice round Tuesday.

A victory at The Masters, which starts Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club, would make Woods the first man in golf history to hold all four professional major titles at once.

"I enjoy getting out there competing and playing," Woods said on Tuesday. "The bigger the tournament the more excited you get."

Woods, coming off back-to-back wins on the tour, is facing his biggest tournament as a professional after sweeping the last three majors of 2000, winning the U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship with record scores.

Only The Masters trophy is currently out of his grasp, won last year by Vijay Singh.

Pressure and raised expectations do not faze the 25-year-old Woods, who is returning to the site of his spectacular first major championship triumph.

Woods, who set 20 scoring records in storming to a 12-stroke victory in the 1997 Masters, gets worked up just thinking about the chase for another victory.

"I absolutely enjoy coming out here and competing and playing," he said. "I love it. I love to do that. It's just such a big kick for me as a player. I love to be able to put myself in contention, coming down the stretch on the back nine and have to execute a golf shot.

"Your nerves are fluttering a little bit, your eyeballs are beating, palms are sweating, and it's fun to be able to experience that and somehow be able to control it and pull off a shot."

When Woods is at the height of his powers, the rest of the world's greatest players do not seem to have much hope.

At Pebble Beach last year he won the U.S. Open by 15 strokes. He was eight shots better than the field at the British Open at St. Andrews.

"I played really well at times last year, a couple of times just happened to be in majors," said Woods, with a heavy dose of understatement. He won nine PGA Tour titles in 2000.

Stung by suggestions that he was in a slump as he went eight tournaments over six months between PGA tour victories, Woods silenced the critics by winning at Bay Hill and in The Players Championship last month for back-to-back titles heading into The Masters.

Woods aims to win every tournament he plays, but understands that perfection is impossible in golf.

"It's the ebb and flow of the game," said Woods. "That's one of the reasons why we love to play is that challenge of it.

"The key is to keep putting yourself in contention. If I can keep putting myself there for the next 15, 20, 30 years, whatever it is, I'll win my share. And I will lose my share, too."

Woods said he believes he might be peaking at just the right time to make some more history this week in Augusta.

"I'll play four, five, nine, 12 holes like I did last year, and I'll have some off-holes," Woods admitted. "It's just not quite there, but it's good enough.

"Am I close to that?" he asked when questioned about cresting at The Masters. "Yeah, I am pretty close, and hopefully everything will come together."

Woods does not want to be drawn into the debate about whether he could lay claim to a golfing Grand Slam by completing his sweep of the majors despite stretching his brilliant run over two seasons. But he certainly appreciates the rare opportunity to achieve something special.

"I think if you can put all four trophies on your coffee table, I think you can make a pretty good case for that, too," he said.

ESPN.com: HELP | ADVERTISER INFO | CONTACT US | TOOLS | SITE MAP
Copyright ©2001 ESPN Internet Ventures.
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information are applicable to this site. Employment opportunities at ESPN.com.