Hungry Woods recalls his perfect season

MARANA, Arizona: Tiger Woods astounded reporters at Dove Mountain's Gallery Golf Club on Tuesday by revealing he had gone through an entire season without losing a tournament.

The chances of anyone achieving the feat in the professional game are minimal but Woods has triggered speculation by winning his first two events this year.

The American world No 1 was asked whether he ever thought about a perfect season.

"No," he replied matter-of-factly. "I've had one perfect season but it's been a while."

Most of the reporters gathered were stunned into silence before one asked him which year it was.

Woods answered with his trademark flashing smile.

"When I was 11," he said. "I won 36 tournaments that year."

The entire room erupted in laughter and a reporter asked Woods to confirm that he never lost during that season.

"No," Woods said. "I peaked at 11. It was just on the Cal Junior Golf."

The 32-year-old explained that he would play between four and five junior tournaments each week in Southern California during the summer months.

All of that is now a distant memory for Woods who has piled up 62 PGA Tour titles, including 13 majors, since turning professional in 1996.

He is back in action at this week's WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship where he bids for his eighth victory in nine starts worldwide and his sixth in a row.

However, Woods is well aware of the vagaries of the format used in the elite 64-man World Golf Championships (WGC) event.

"You can go out there and shoot six or seven under par and you're going home," the two-time champion said. "Other times, I remember in one of the matches, one of the guys shot 80 and advanced.

"It's just the way it is. It's match play. You just have to beat that one guy. It doesn't matter how you do it, you've just got to find a way."

Woods, who takes on big-hitting American J.B. Holmes in Wednesday's opening round, loves the immediacy of the format.

"It's right from the very first tee," he said. "It's that same feeling on the last round of the tournament on the first tee, every match you play. You just have to step up to the plate and hit shots.

"Here what your playing partner does dictates what you do, and vice-versa. You can force your opponent to try things that he doesn't really want to do."

Woods, back in action for the first time since winning the European Tour's Dubai Desert Classic 16 days ago, has experienced the highs and lows of the Accenture Match Play Championship since making his debut in 1999.

He triumphed in 2003 and 2004 but lost to Peter O'Malley at the first stage in 2002 and to another Australian, Nick O'Hern, in the second round in 2005.

Agencies

(China Daily 02/21/2008 page22)