[Everyone else had come to see Tiger. He was twenty-one years old, a multi-multi-millionaire, and already a one-name athlete, as in Michael or Shaq, Deion or The Shark. Only, at that moment Tiger was bigger than all of them. Even Michael. He was nine weeks removed from one of the most stunning performances in the history of sports, a twelve-shot victory in the Masters that had left people in golf groping for words to describe what they had seen. And what they had seen was impossible.] He's a boy among men, ... And he's teaching the men a lesson. |
[Isao Aoki] is one of the three best players in the world from 100yards. Maybe the best. |
[The last time he spoke with Bruce face-to-face was a few weeks ago at Bay Hill.] We talked about death and the fear of death, ... He said he was not afraid to die. And I said, you know, I'm not afraid, either. I believe there are other dimensions beyond the dimensions in which we live. |
[Watson laughed, or tried to, with his eyes still red. It was much the same way Edwards dealt with his fatal illness when he first learned about it in a visit to the Mayo Clinic.] I was on the phone with Marsha, who said the doctor had diagnosed him with ALS, ... I said, 'Gosh, my fears are realized.' When Bruce got on the phone, he said, 'Well, I just made a quad.' You guys know what that means. That's how he just kind of brushed it off. I said, 'Yeah, but we're going to get back to even par.' Whenever somebody came up to put their arm around him and say they were sorry, Bruce would say, 'Don't be sorry, I can deal with it,' and then put them off with some sort of joke about the Eagles or how bad the Cowboys were. |
[Watson quoted himself to the writers, telling them what he writes in notes of bereavement to others.] May the memories of the one who has passed on fill the void that they left, ... There's another poem, by St. Augustine, that says, 'Don't cry for me but remember the most important things of my life and what I represented in my life and make that your memory of me, not my death.' I think that's important. We have grief. I'm sure I'll cry. I'll cry a lot before it's over. |
[Woods sees himself as an icon, one for the ages. That was evident in the stone-cold way that he went about winning his first U.S. Open and third major title, with the most dominating four-round performance in the history of major-championship golf. His winning margin was 15 strokes -- two better than the record for a major set by Old Tom Morris at the 1862 British Open against a field of about a dozen -- and his manner of winning was intimidating. Woods hit longer, straighter drives than anyone else. He flew iron shots that held on Pebble's small, firm greens. He never three-putted. This made even the most accomplished players look uncomfortable and unworthy.] Tiger has raised the bar, ... and it seems that he's the only guy who can jump over that bar. |
A guy said Hilary was at the door, |
A lot of guys who have never choked have never been in the position to do so. |
A putt cannot go in the hole if it's short. I'd rather face a four-footer coming back than leave the ball on the front lip. |
As many years experience as I have, I've been able to see a lot of different conditions and have been able to deal with them. Right now my swing feels pretty good, so I'm trusting it and I guess it doesn't matter what type of condition I'm [playing] under. I feel as if I can compete. |
Bruce has been a good friend, a good companion and we've been a good team. He's also got a great sense of humor. |
Confidence in golf means being able to concentrate on the problem at hand with no outside interference. |
Damn this disease. Damn it. |
Golf will grow so long as it's fun. |
Hale has dominated this tour. Probably the only reason I came out of last year as Player of the Year was because Irwin's back went out on him at the U.S. open and he couldn't play for a while. He's the cream of the crop out here. |