Woods locked in for Memorial

Tiger focused as Open approaches

Associated Press

DUBLIN, Ohio (May 30) -- Greg Norman celebrated his election to the World Golf Hall of Fame, while Jack Nicklaus kept busy being a good host and working on his new swing. Others gathered at the Memorial to remember Payne Stewart once again.

Tiger Woods, meanwhile, casually offered this thought to anyone that doesn't think he will win a third straight Memorial or a fifth straight major -- his game might be as frighteningly good as ever.

"I really feel like I'm swinging the club the way I know I can," Woods said. "It's kind of fun to be able to step up there and hit shots that I haven't hit in a while."

In a tournament conceived by Nicklaus to remember the best of golf, Wednesday was a day for reminiscing by Norman about his career and by those who knew Stewart best about his life.

The talk seldom strayed far from Woods, though, who tees off Thursday morning with a chance to do something even he hasn't done before on the PGA Tour -- win a tournament for a third year in a row.

He also has an opportunity to fine tune his game for an unprecedented fifth straight major at the U.S. Open at Southern Hills in two weeks, a feat that would far outshadow three in a row in this Columbus, Ohio, suburb.

"My goal is not to make a cut or just show up and play halfway decent," Woods said. "My goal is to win."

That goal was accomplished easily enough last year, when Woods won his second straight Memorial by taking command with a second-round 63 and cruising to a rain-delayed win.

There aren't many who think he can't do it once again in a limited field missing the likes of Phil Mickelson, Davis Love and David Duval.

"He's going to steamroll anybody until he gets to where he really wants to go, and nobody knows where that is," Norman said.

Woods didn't win here until Monday last year after play was suspended for a day because of rain. It's a common problem for the Memorial, which has been plagued by rain over the years. Things don't look much better this year, with the forecast for heavy rain Thursday and Friday and a chance of rain on the weekend.

Woods won in Germany two weeks ago in his last time out, then took a few days off before going out and beating balls to get his swing into major championship shape.

He's feeling good about his chances.

"You have to be realistic. Obviously, you're not going to win every time you tee it up. But that's my goal and it's disappointing when that doesn't happen," Woods said.

Woods, like Nicklaus in his prime, doesn't worry much about who else might be playing in any particular tournament. Still, it was hard not to notice those missing in a tournament that ranks just a notch or two below a major on the scorecards of many players.

Mickelson is taking the week off to avoid playing too much before the Open, while Love is trying to recuperate from back problems. Duval went to a friend's wedding.

"I don't think that in any way, shape or form that is going to hurt this tournament because it still has a great field and a wonderful track," Woods said.

Indeed, the lush Muirfield Village layout designed by Nicklaus a quarter century ago is a main attraction for the players, as is the individualized attention that Nicklaus and his tournament operators give to the field.

Woods actually struggled his first two years here, playing the course a total of 3 over par. But in the last two years he is 34 under, including last year's 19 under that won by five shots over Ernie Els and Justin Leonard.

"Obviously the golf course suits his strengths, but then again I guess any course does," Bob Tway said.

That used to be the way players talked about Nicklaus, who started this tournament in 1976 and won it twice while he was still competitive on the PGA Tour.

Now, though, it is the 61-year-old Nicklaus talking about Woods, even though Nicklaus is excited about playing again after a major swing change.

"His likelihood of winning a third is always pretty good," Nicklaus said. "He likes the golf course and he plays it well."

Nicklaus presided Wednesday at an 18th green ceremony honoring Stewart, who nearly won here in 1993 but was beaten in a memorable bunker shot into the hole on the 18th green by Paul Azinger.

At the ceremony, it was announced that Stewart, who died in a 1999 private jet crash, had been elected into the World Golf Hall of Fame, along with Norman.

Norman, who won here in 1990 and 1995 but has not won on tour in four years, said he was happy about getting into the Hall of Fame but believes he can still compete. He spent Memorial Day practicing and playing instead of having a barbecue at his Florida home.

"I still believe I can win because I know how good I can hit the golf ball and how well I'm hitting the golf ball now," he said. "With that in mind I know I have to work on it a little stronger mentally."