In action for the first time since the British Open, where he missed the cut in a major for only the second time as a professional, Woods appeared to be suffering from a major hangover when he arrived at Warwick Hills. After an erratic opening round, he hit back in spectacular style to win the Buick Open.
The businesslike nature of Tiger Woods’ Buick Open win on August 2 signalled the world No. 1 has come to terms with his big British Open letdown and got his game back on track for the PGA Championship.
Almost overlooked in the outpouring of emotion that surrounded what might have been the final Buick Open was a superb week of steadily improving play from Woods, establishing him as the odds-on-favourite going into the year’s final major at Haze ltine Golf Club later this month.
For the first time in his career, Woods will play back-to-back events before heading into a major. He moves on to Akron, Ohio, for the World Golf Championship event at Firestone Golf Club where he has won six times.
“I know what I’m doing wrong,” Woods told reporters after collecting his fourth win of the season and 69th of his career. “It’s just a matter of getting enough reps in. Next few days I’ll be able to do that and hopefully solidify come Thursday.”
“Firestone’s always a difficult track. If we don’t get any rain down there, it’ll be hard and fast.”
In action for the first time since the British Open, where he missed the cut in a major for only the second time as a professional, Woods appeared to be suffering from a major hangover when he arrived at Warwick Hills. After an erratic opening round 71 left him eight shots off the pace, sparking suggestions he might even miss consecutive cuts for the first time as a pro, Woods hit back in spectacular style with a 63 — his low round of the year — on July 31 followed by a 65 and a bogey free 69 on August 2.
* * *It’s a recordThe Limca Book of Records has recognised the BSNL Sports Quiz, which is aired on the Doordarshan Podhigai channel, as the longest running weekly quiz show in the country. Anchored by the ebullient Sumanth Raman (in pic), the show has completed 373 episodes as on July 18, 2009.
Sumanth, a paediatrician by training, has been anchoring the show right from its inception in June 2002, when it tapped into the popularity of the FIFA World Cup. The show soon proved to be a major hit with viewers calling in from as far away as China, the Middle-East and Europe. In its early years, the programme was supported by IndianOil Corporation, Cricinfo and Higginbothams among others until BSNL Tamil Nadu Telecom Circle adopted it in 2003.
At a function organised to felicitate Sumanth, P. S. Parameswaran, the man behind the show, said that the team’s next target was the 1000-episode mark. Sumanth paid tribute to the people looking after the technical, software and engineering aspects of the show, saying that the achievement would not have been possible without their diligence.
Raakesh Natraj
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