He mulls idea of coming to Chrysler Classic to break Byron Nelson's record for consecutive cuts made.
By BOB HARIG
Published October 1, 2003
WOODSTOCK, Ga. - If Tiger Woods comes to the Chrysler Championship this month, golf legend Byron Nelson might be a factor.
Of all the reasons Woods could cite to play in the Oct. 30-Nov. 2 event at the Westin Innisbrook Resort - the money title and player of the year races, the proximity to his Orlando home - the world's No.1 golfer apparently had not thought of this one.
At this week's American Express Championship here, Woods will move within one tournament of tying Nelson's once-thought-unapproachable record of 113 consecutive cuts made on the PGA Tour. The World Golf Championship event has no cut.
Woods is then scheduled to tie the record at his hometown Disney tournament, provided he survives the cut, something he has done at every tournament dating to the 1998 Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The season-ending Tour Championship also has no cut, so setting the record there would become a formality.
That's why he was asked if adding another tournament, perhaps the Chrysler Championship, which has a 36-hole cut, might be a consideration.
"I hadn't really thought about that," Woods said Tuesday after a practice round at Capital City Club Crabapple. "It's certainly one to think about. ... I didn't know what the number was. But, yeah, that's definitely one to think about."
Woods typically does not commit to tournaments until the week before and has remained mum about his schedule. But he never has missed the Disney tournament, now called the Funai Classic, since turning pro in 1996 and he also will be at the season-ending Tour Championship, which is only for the top 30 money winners on the PGA Tour. Woods is third with $5,228,746, trailing leader Vijay Singh by more than $400,000.
Nelson's streak, set in the 1940s, has not been approached since Jack Nicklaus made 105 cuts in a row from 1970 to 1976.
The American Express will be Woods' 111th in a row and one of 23 that does not have a 36-hole cut. (Players are credited with a made cut if they earn official money.)
"We would be honored if it was our tournament where he broke the streak record," said Chrysler Championship tournament director Gerald Goodman. "To have Byron Nelson and Tiger Woods wrapped up in one package sounds pretty good."
TIGER SWITCHES DRIVERS: Woods has changed drivers for the third time this year, returning to a Nike that will be the largest he has ever used in competition.
Woods switched to his old Titleist 975D model two months ago in search of more control. He has been using the Nike Igniter prototype the last few weeks.
The driver is 335cc, dwarfing the 265cc head of his Titleist and the 300cc head of his previous Nike driver. A Nike official said engineers have been working on the club for six months.
- Information from Times wires was used in this report.
