The Associated Press

ST.

Monday, July 24, 2000

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – Tiger Woods had barely completed his romp through golf’s most hallowed ground. He hardly had a chance for a loving glance at his name on the silver claret jug.

Already he was looking forward. And so was the rest of the world of golf.

Woods was so dominating in a British Open played beneath the gray skyline of the old town of St. Andrews, the only question that comes to mind:

What can he possibly do next?

”He’s always had his own goals,” Woods’ father, Earl, said. ”I would say the next one is winning all four of them in one year – soon.”

That, of course, has never been done before. And it won’t be done this year, although it’s tantalizing to wonder what might have been had Woods made a few more putts at Augusta National.

He’s already got the career Grand Slam at age 24, joining a select group that includes Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus.

Perhaps the single-season Grand Slam IS in the near future.

”I had a wonderful chance at Augusta, and then I’ve won the last two,” Woods said. ”I’ve one more, and hopefully my game will be ready by the PGA.”

If it is, it might be time to start engraving Woods’ name on the Wannamaker trophy right now. It’s hard to imagine Woods could play any better than he did at Pebble Beach, where he won by 15 shots, or at St. Andrews, where he won by eight.

Hard for anyone but Woods that is.

”No, no, no, no,” Woods responded when asked if his game was as good as it could be. ”Definitely not. I’m going to keep working trying to get better. There are things I can improve on.”

Scary words for his fellow players, who are finally abandoning their brave fronts and admitting this guy may be too good for them.

”It’s almost as though now guys will pick events to play in and play the Tigerless tour to have a chance to win,” three-time British Open champion Nick Faldo said.

”He has raised the bar to a level that only he can jump,” five-time winner Tom Watson said.

The only jumping going on Sunday on the Old Course was being done by hundreds of fans trying to leap across the Swilken Burn on the 18th hole to follow Woods’ march to history.

The Open title had been decided long before that, and the only question now was whether Woods would par the 18th and finish 19 under to break the record for most under par in a major championship.

He did, sinking a 3-footer for a final round 69 and breaking into a huge grin as he took his hat off in victory.

”I couldn’t care less about the record, all I wanted was four straight rounds in the 60s,” Woods said. ”That was something I did not do at Pebble Beach and I did not do it at Augusta. And to finally get the job done with four straight rounds in the 60s in a major championship is very special.”

Woods had started the day paired with David Duval for the first time in the last round of a major championship. Duval was six shots back, but relished the opportunity to attack the course in full view of Woods and try to put some pressure on.

Woods was so focused he didn’t even notice the claret jug that goes to the winner sitting on a wooden table on the first tee.

He did notice Duval a few holes later, firing at pins and making four birdies in the first seven holes to pull to within three shots of the lead.

”There were only three shots separating us at the time, which isn’t much considering all the trouble that’s lurking out there and the holes we have to play,” Woods said. ”If David would have continued to make a few birdies then things might have been a little bit different.”

Duval didn’t, though, and his brief momentum came to an abrupt halt when Duval left a 12-footer on the lip of the hole on No. 10 and Woods followed by making his 10-footer for birdie.

By the time Duval three-putted 12 for bogey and then bogeyed No. 13, the tournament was long over. The indignity of having to take four shots out of the bunker on the Road Hole simply drove the point in.

Woods wouldn’t have known about the sand. He was never in any of the 112 bunkers that litter the Old Course.

”It was a spectacular performance to say the least,” Duval said of Woods. ”He simply didn’t make mistakes and he capitalized on the holes you’d expect him to capitalize on. He played very efficiently.”

Duval ended up with a fat 43 on the back nine, and also lost his spot as No. 2 in the world golf rankings behind Woods. Taking his place was Ernie Els, who tied for second with Thomas Bjorn. Els earned the dubious distinction of being the first player to finish second in three majors in a row.

”We don’t all have his ability, so it’s tough at times,” Els said.

Not for Woods, who seems to know not only how to win, but how to win big in the biggest of moments.

”I’ve made my share of mistakes and I’ve learned,” Woods said. ”I guess there’s no substitute for understanding what it takes to win a tournament.”