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He hasn't played there, but that never stopped him from winning before.
By BOB HARIG, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published June 20, 2002
So much for local knowledge. Tiger Woods never had seen the Black Course at Bethpage State Park until two weeks before the U.S. Open. He called it the most difficult par-70 course he had seen. Then he was the only player to complete the 72-hole tournament under par.
Now it's on to another venue on which he has no experience. In fact, it is likely only a few dozen players, if that, will arrive at Muirfield in Scotland for next month's British Open having played the course.
The last time it was played at Muirfield, Nick Faldo was the best golfer in the world and won there for the second time. Woods was still in high school. Those who have played it believe Woods should have little trouble adapting.
"What course doesn't suit him?" said Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke, who quickly added that Muirfield would not be as accommodating to Woods as Bethpage.
"Muirfield is by no means short, but it's not as long as (Bethpage)," said Clarke, who played with Woods during the first two rounds of the U.S. Open, when he took the lead with rounds of 67 and 68. "He won't have as big of an advantage. At least I don't think so. Bethpage was a great course for him. The first two rounds, he was just flushing everything. He played fantastic. When Tiger plays his best, he's a very tough cat to catch. More so than anybody."
Why the fuss? Because Woods is the first player to win the Masters and U.S. Open since Jack Nicklaus 30 years ago. He also is the first with a shot at the Grand Slam since the Golden Bear went in 1972 to the same Muirfield course, where Lee Trevino edged him by a stroke.
Nicklaus went into that Open with experience at Muirfield, however. He won his first British title there in 1966. (In fact, he so loved the course that he named his first major design project, Muirfield Village in Ohio, after it.)
Woods, who in the past has gone to Ireland to prepare for the British Open, is unlikely to see the course until the week of the tournament.
"Both Muirfield and Hazeltine (site of the PGA Championship) are right up his alley," said Nick Price, who tied for eighth in 1987 at Muirfield and tied for 51st in 1992. "There isn't a course out there that he can't play. Tiger loves playing links golf. I think he will adjust to that course after one practice round. There is no stopping the guy when he is playing well."
Muirfield, which is near Edinburgh, is 7,034 yards and will play to par 71. It has been lengthened slightly since 1992, but the number of bunkers, 148, remains the same.
Clarke said the course doesn't have the same number of humps and bumps that are characteristic of links courses. That means bad breaks -- a perfect drive down the middle of the fairway that bounces into the rough over a bunker -- are less frequent.
"Muirfield hasn't changed," said Greg Norman, who tied for 35th in 1987 and was 18th in 1992. "That's the great thing about it, they've hardly changed the length of it. It depends on what the weather has to offer. I hope it's dry, wispy and fast. That opens up the level of play and brings in more players."
"He's going to love it," said John Daly, who finished 75th there in 1992. "But more players will be in (the tournament) because the course kind of sets up for everybody. He's going to be the odds-on favorite by far. He can just be average and win. That's why he separates himself. He's in a zone like Nicklaus and (Tom) Watson."
"I think it sets up well for him," Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal said. "I don't know how the golf course is going to be prepared. But it is a golf course he should feel comfortable on. It's not as long (as Bethpage), but it still has quite a few long holes. The kind of players who hit it long can still play well at Muirfield. But I think it will bring more players into the championship."
Then there's this from Trevino, the man who stopped the last shot at a Slam.
"He's the best shotmaker out there," Trevino said. "Name me a player who can hit more shots than Tiger Woods right now. He can hook it around trees and come out of the rough and hit high shots and low shots and chip shots and bunker shots.
"I don't think any golf course is difficult for Tiger, as strong as he is."