Leading caddie Steve Williams has revealed some fascinating insights into his current boss Tiger Woods compared to former boss and friend Greg Norman.

In an interview with Peter Stone, published on smh.com.au, Williams says Norman was as good a player as Woods and could have been equal to the best of what Tiger has done. But his fatal flaw was in dwelling on bad shots and not being able to get over them. Tiger, on the other hand he says, explodes but then “plays a miraculous shot straight afterwards”.

“I certainly wouldn’t have got to where I am today without caddying for Greg, because I learned an awful lot,” Williams told Stone. “Greg had a great understanding of the mechanics of the golf swing. He didn’t require a lot of coaching, and it was great working with him. But Greg had his faults. His greatest weakness was his inability to shake off a bad shot, or something he didn’t like. He just couldn’t get over it.”

Woods lets his fury hang out and erupts and it is said he is the most fined player on the US PGA Tour for swearing and club abuse. That every shot he plays is scrutinised to the nth degree and televised makes him an easy target for golfing officials.

“The thing a lot of people don’t like about Tiger is his temperament is obviously not ideal, but he has that knack of being able to get over it very quickly,” Williams told the Herald.

“He likes to take the frustration out and get on with the job. Call it controlled aggression. Tiger lets it all hang out, and plays a miraculous shot straight afterwards.

“That was something Greg could never do. He’d dwell on it. That was his downfall. Greg didn’t have the personality type of Tiger. If he did, I think he would have been equal to the best of what Tiger has done. In my eyes, Greg was certainly as good a player as Tiger.”

See the full Peter Stone interview here.

Many people have long suspected Tiger Woods could walk on water and now there is a video to “prove” it. The first look at a long-rumoured “Jesus Shot” has been posted on YouTube, showing Woods hitting a wedge from the middle of a water hazard. Problem is, he does break Rule 13-4 in the process.

The video is expected to be part of a new promotion for the EA Sports’ Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 Video game and comes about because of a glitch in previous editions allowing Woods, or at least his digital persona, to hit shots while walking on water.

In the new video, filmed at Woods’ Orlando, Florida compound, when his ball lands on a lily pad in a water hazard, Woods nonchalantly takes off his shoes and socks, grabs a wedge and walks across the surface of the water and hits the ball in the hole.

Keen eyed observers have already pointed out that when Woods dips his club into the water prior to his shot he clearly violates Rule 13-5.

According to the rule a player must not “touch the ground in the hazard or water in the water hazard with his hand or a club.”

Though he can violate the laws of physics by walking barefoot across the surface of a lake, breaking the laws of golf is a much more serious matter.

For violating Rule 13-5 he would incur a penalty of two strokes in stroke play or loss of hole in match play.

If Woods really can work miracles, he should do something about his knee.

Australian veteran golfer Greg Norman is odds on to return to the scene of the crime and resume his troubled relationship with the US Masters in April next year.

Norman qualified for Augusta National when he turned back the clock to finish tied third at the British Open last month.

But he turned down an invitation to this year’s final major, the US PGA Championship next week, and had kept tight lipped about Augusta.

But lining up for the US Senior Open in Colorado Springs this week and with the competitive juices flowing, he said: “I feel great that I’ve played my way into Augusta….so I can look forward to that come April, play myself into [shape].”

Settling in to married life with new bride Chris Evert, Norman must feel confident about taking on the old dear again.

He will be forever remembered for his infamous final-round meltdown in 1996 when he blew a six-stroke lead to finish second behind his long-time nemesis Nick Faldo.

Norman, having played the British Open, Senior British Open and now in the midst of the US Senior Open, says he has realised this month that his competitive nature is as strong as ever.

“I have been disappointed in my two finishes the past two weeks, which is a very good sign,” he said.

“It’s is one of the toughest decisions I’ve had to make in golf, turning down the PGA,” the 53 year old said.

Meanwhile, Norman has confirmed he will play in the Johnnie Walker Classic at The Vines course in Perth next February.

Tiger Woods for Australian Open? 

But Norman won’t be a starter at the Australian Open at Royal Sydney this year because of a clash with his own event, the Shark Shootout in the US.

However, he will remain in the sights of Golf Australia, with the big announcement this week that the Aussie Open will remain in Sydney till 2015.

Golf Australia has already begun moves to lure a number of internationals - including  Rocco Mediate, Mike Weir and Retief Goosen - to join the likes of Adam Scott, Geoff Ogilvy and defending champion Craig Parry to the event this year.
Golf Australia’s tournament boss Trever Herden said that while several of the world’s leading players would be approached to play this year, even Tiger Woods remained a possibility in the future despite a $4 million appearance fee.
“Tiger cannot play this year because of his injury but I’m sure he’d love to return to Australia and play the Open,” Herden said.
“We now have substantial backing and we are seeing the Open as an investment so it’s not out of the question we would invite him to play.
“We will now be chasing players like Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia  and Vijay Singh.”

Scott Strange leads Aussies at World Golf Championship

 First timer Scott Strange leads a solid Aussie contingent after the first round of the WGC Bridgestone Invitational in Akron Ohio, just two shots behind leader Retief Goosen.

Strange, playing in his first ever World Golf Championship event finished the day at the top of the Aussie pile with a solid two under par 68 and is tied for sixth place in a group of 14 players including Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk and Rocco Mediate.

“I played great,” said a delighted Strange after the round.  “I struck the ball nicely after about the third hole on. The golf course is there to be played a certain way and I just played it the way I could. I could have holed a few more putts and had a couple less but at the end of the day two under is a good score.”

One shot behind Strange is fellow first timer Brendan Jones, Rod Pampling, Peter Lonard and Adam Scott who are in a tie for 20th place.

2002 Champion Craig Parry, Nick O’Hern and Stuart Appleby all finished their rounds at even par with Appleby making an incredible comeback after blowing out to five over at the turn.

Two time World Golf Championship winner Geoff Ogilvy was satisfied with his one over par but could have finished even, except for missing a short putt for birdie at the last.

Forty five year old US golfer Rocco Mediate lived the fairytale for 19 play off holes at the US Open at Torrey Pines before being eaten up by big bad Tiger Woods.

“Oh, my God, that was ridiculous,” Rocco, World No 157, said of his slightly better known opponent. “He’s hard to beat. I threw everything I had, the kitchen sink, everything right at him.”

Throughout the five days of a remarkable tournament, Rocco laughed and joked his way into being a crowd and viewer favorite.

Whatever happed on the course itself, it was remarkable that there were people sitting in the 18th hole grandstand at 6am, when the two players weren’t due to pass by there themselves, just once, till after one in the afternoon.

All the people in grandstands on the way – it was like going to the motor races when two cars were only going to do the circuit once. There was an estimated crowd of some 25,000.

When talking about Rocco, it is hard not to compare him to an animated character. He says all that smiling, chatter and pacing is nervous energy coming out.

When things started getting really serious in the playoff, -  particularly after the 10th and when Rocco came back and birdied 13, 14 and 15 and pulled one stroke ahead – it seemed when he wasn’t smiling he was sweating.  He looked like he was hyper sweating like some exaggerated cartoon character.

It should not be forgotten that Rocco is a 20 year tour veteran who has battled a bad back for a number of years. He would have been the youngest ever US Open winner and the youngest ever first time major winner.

Rocco knew he was living a golfing dream and was determined to enjoy every minute of it.

“It was a blast. I’ve never had more fun and more insanity. It’s just amazing,” he said after his fourth round tie with Woods forced the playoff.

“Oh, my God, I get to play for the National Open against the best player on earth, that maybe has ever played. How much more could you ask for?”

Tiger Woods V Rocco Mediate

Earlier US Open Reports

Update  19/6/08

Just days after winning his 14th major, Tiger Woods announced he will have reconstructive surgery on his left knee that will sideline him for the rest of the 2008 season.

Woods will have reconstructive surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament and will require time off to rehabilitate a double stress fracture of his left tibia that was found last month.

Doctors say the long term prognosis for the 32 year old is good, but Woods is expected to limit the number of tournaments he plays annually in future.

Rocco Mediate is in Seventh Heaven and laughing all the way to his US Open playoff with Tiger Woods

And the winner is……a bit of a letdown. All that drama and tension on the last few holes and the final result is a delayed 18 hole playoff between Tiger Woods and World No 158 Rocco Mediate.

For Australian viewers the playoff will start at the ungodly hour of 2am (EST) Tuesday. It’s a matchup that could be memorable, or could quickly become a lopsided affair.

Once the Australians were out of contention - Geoff Ogilvy being the last - it was a bit of a tough decision about who to barrack for.

There was the great Tiger Woods going for his 14th major. His back nine on the third round was amazing - five behind with six holes to play and he sinks a bomb putt to eagle the 18th and start the final day in the lead.

He starts the final day badly, double bogeying the first and grimacing in pain from his dodgy knee after every full shot.

Asked later if it was the knee that contributed to some uncharacteristic fluffed shots, he had a one word answer: “No,” he said, and refused to be drawn further, though he did admit at another point to “taking some stuff” to help with the pain.

Whatever he took, it seemed to help with the pain as his round progressed, but maybe it was also that killer instinct adrenaline coming out in the final stages of a major he wants so dearly to win.

Then there’s the happy-go-lucky Rocco Mediate. Not much more than a name to me (and I suspect many others) before the tournament, but with an attitude that made him a crowd favourite, laughing and joking and engaging with the galleries as others around him grumbled and groaned and kicked bags in frustration.

Interviewed, with his one stroke lead still intact, as Tiger Woods and Brit Lee Westwood came up the 18th fairway, a birdie from either to force a playoff, everyone else biting their fingernails, Mediate,  wearing more US Open pins than just about any of the Torrey Pines tourists, said: “It’s the most fun I could ever dream it would be.”

At 45, Mediate would be the oldest ever first time major winner. He had to qualify to gain entry, was well out of the world top 100 golfers. It was all a fairytale waiting to happen - and it still is.

Rocco had been hugely disappointed he did not get in the final pairing with Woods for the final round. Now he will get his wish.

“It was a blast. I’ve never had more fun and more insanity. It’s just amazing,” he said of his final day, admitting the infectious smiling and chatter comes from nervous energy.

Tomorrow, he pledged, the show will continue.

“Absolutely. Oh, my God, I get to play for the National Open against the best player on earth, that maybe has ever played. How much more could you ask for?”

Woods, he said, would have no choice but to respsond.

Woods knows what he is in for, but was just a touch more measured.

“I’m sure I will talk a little bit,” he said. “Roc is………..he’s one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. He’s been a friend of mine ever since I’ve been out here on Tour. We’ll talk. But we’ll also understand we’re trying to win a U.S. Open. And we’ll have our moments where we’ll go our separate ways and be focused for each and every shot.”

Maybe it will be worth a 2am start after all.

Round One

Australian golfers Geoff Ogilvy and Stuart Appleby are just one behind the leaders after the first round of the US Open Golf at Torrey Pines in southern California.

Ogilvy and Appleby were two under par at 69 behind the joint leaders, little known Americans Kevin Streelman and Justin Hicks.

Ogilvy, the 2006 champion, recovered from two bogeys in his opening three holes, to finish with five birdies.

Robert Allenby, who finished just one stroke further back, was earlier threatening the leaders and at one stage had five birdies in six holes.

It was also good to see two time champion Ernie Els back in contention. He finished one under along with Allenby, Vijay Singh and Crazy Phil Mickelson, who left his driver at home in favour of a three wood and an extra wedge.

World Number 3 Adam Scott was the next best Australian at two over, with Aaron Baddeley and Rod Pampling a further shot back at three-over.

The much hyped teaming of Tiger Woods-Crazy Phil-Adam Scott attracted huge galleries in the sell-out crowd (and the sort of blanket US network hyperventilating we predicted below).

The Woods-Crazy Phil-Scott show will be much better for free to air Australian television audiences Saturday morning, with the threesome scheduled to tee off 36 minutes after the Channel 10 coverage begins at 6am (EST).

That will be just after lunch San Diego time and the beverage fuelled afternoon crowd might not be as polite and cultured as they were for the group’s morning tee off today (Fri).

Galleries up to five deep surrounded every hole, producing a repeated chorus of “Lets go, Tiger” and “C’mon Phil.”

 ”I thought it was great,” Mickelson, who lives nearby, said of his home town crowd. “There were not any derogatory remarks. Whether they pulled for any of the three of us, everybody was really cool today. I was very proud to be from here.”

Mickelson acknowledged that there was not as much banter between the three competitors.

“I know it’s a big pairing,” Adam Scott admitted after the round. “There’s a lot of hoopla about it. But … I played with Phil a lot in majors. It seems like I get drawn with him a lot. But I enjoy playing with Tiger, as well. I find it is a lot easier to focus, because I think I’ve got to be a lot more disciplined.”

Scott - who corrected that it was a bone in his hand broken in a car door recently, not his little finger - was overall happy with his game. He just wanted to sink a few more putts.

That little finger, undamaged as it was, had a fair bit of media attention, but nothing like Tiger Wood’s knee.

Coming back after surgery, Woods hit his first competition shot - and his first shot of the US Open - into the rough, leading to a double-bogey first hole. He had another double bogey on the back nine and three putted the par five final hole to finish one over at 72.

“To make two double-bogeys and a three-putt and be only four back, that’s a great position to be in,” Woods said. “Because I know I can clean that up tomorrow.”

US Open first round scores:
-3: Justin Hicks 68, Kevin Streelman 68
-2: Stuart Appelby (Australia) 69, Eric Axley 69, Rocco Mediate 69, Geoff Ogilvy (Australia) 69
-1: Robert Allenby (Australia) 70, Ernie Els 70, Ricki Fowler 70, Robert Karlsson 70, Lee Westwood
E: Patrick Sheehan 71, Joe Ogilvie 71, Phil Mickelson 71, Carl Pettersson 71, Andres Romero 71, Vijay Singh 71, Luke Donald 71

Others:
+2: Adam Scott (Australia) 73
+3: Rod Pampling (Australia) 74, Aaron Baddeley (Australia) 74
+4: Craig Parry (Australia) 75, Jarrod Lyle (Australia) 75
+6: Mathew Goggin (Australia) 77
+7: Michael Campbell (New Zealand) 78

Preview

Our prediction for the US Open is that the American television networks will be in an ecstatic frenzy of self pleasuring over the opportunity of having Tiger Woods and Crazy Phil Mickelson paired together for the two opening rounds.

Even some US commentators are suggesting there has already been too much hype about the coupling, especially considering Tiger’s dodgy knee and Crazy Phil’s form at the event, even though it is virtually a home town course for him.

Still, it will be fun to watch and the other good thing about the pairing is that it is actually a threesome, with World No 3 Aussie golfer Adam Scott intruding on the party.

Even the US networks won’t be able to ignore Scott completely in their frenzied focus on the Woods-Mickelson juggernaut, and we should at least get some passing glimpses of Adam - at least by accident.

Scott, nursing a broken right pinkie finger, (good opportunity for a non Woods-Mickelson close-up there) is one of nine Australian golfers competing at this year’s Open, to take place at Torrey Pines, San Diego, starting early Friday morning (EST).

It is a measure of the health of Australian golf that as a nation it has the third most starters behind the US (too many to count) and the UK (11 starters). Sweden has eight, Canada seven and South Africa six.

As well as Scott - still waiting to win his first major but at 27 has plenty of time - a number of Aussies have been mentioned as possible winners.

(And as for the experts’ picks, as one US golf writer suggested, hands up all those who predicted Argentinean Angel Cabrera would win the 2007 US Open at Oakmont, Aussie Geoff Ogilvy at Winged Foot in ‘06 or Kiwi Michael Campbell at Pinehurst in ‘05?)

As a former champion with a long game that is said will suit the punishing Torrey Pines south course, Ogilvy has been pushed as a contender.

Then there is Aaron Baddeley, who don’t forget was leading into the final round last year before imploding on the first few holes. He learnt a lot from that experience and is back with renewed confidence.

“I feel like my game is at that level,” Baddeley said this week.

“If I can play my game I definitely have a chance to win. You have to drive it straight. I can do that. I know I can putt well,” he said.

“Last year it was one of the hardest, if not the hardest, golf course in America. I was leading after 54 holes.”

Robert Allenby is another entering the tournament in a positive frame of mind after finishing equal second behind American Justin Leonard at the Stanford St Jude Championship.

Tasmanian Matthew Goggin is a 300/1 longshot, despite his recent hot form, and isn’t phased by the fact that at 6988m, Torrey Pines will be the longest ever US Open course by more than 300m. Goggin was surprised during his first practice round to encounter playable rough and soft greens.

“They’re obviously trying not to have the rough unplayable, to try to tempt you to go for the greens if you miss fairways,” Goggin said.

“I wouldn’t say this is the toughest course in America, but I guess we’ll find out. As a par 71, it’s going to be long and demanding but Oakmont (site of last year’s Open), I’ve never seen a course that hard.”

The other Australian entrants are Stuart Appleby, Jarrod Lyle, Rod Pampling and Craig Parry.

At 42, “Popeye” Parry is an ASG favourite. We are not saying he is going to win, but he does boast the best ever US Open round of any of the Australians competing this year - a 66 at Baltusrol in 1993. And, as well as bolting to win the Australian Open last year, he does have the added advantage of definitely not having been picked by any of the US pundits this week.

Note: Australian free to air television coverage of the US Open begins on Friday 6am - Midday (EST) on Channel Ten. By our (suspect) international time conversion calculations, that’s about five hours after the Woods-Crazy Phil-Adam Scott tee off.

We predict you can catch them teeing off for the second round at 6.36am on 10 on Saturday morning. Daily Foxtel coverage begins at Midday.