April 4, 2007

Course of Tiger's life has taken a new path
Woods has adjustments to make going from son to a father

By J. BRADY McCOLLOUGH
The Kansas City Star

AUGUSTA, Ga. | When Tiger Woods talks about his family's new dog, he rolls his eyes. It's a "Labradoodle," an absurd cross between a Labrador retriever and a poodle.

Woods already has a border collie named Taz, an athletic dog that can run for miles and never tire. If Woods were a canine, he'd be Taz. So he doesn't exactly hide the fact that the fluffy new addition to the family wasn't his idea.

Oh, for those bachelor days.

"My wife went out and got another dog," Woods explained. "I have mine already. She wanted her dog, and I guess a Labradoodle is what she wanted."

Just 10 years after winning the Masters as a man-child brimming with potential, Tiger Woods is talking about the wife, the dogs and ... the little one on the way. His wife, former Swedish supermodel Elin Nordegren, is due sometime this summer between the U.S. Open and the British Open.

The Labrawhatever is only one of many sacrifices he'll have to make as he changes from son to father. Yes, the guy who has kept the entire PGA Tour up at night for years is about to see how it feels to have droopy eyes.

"Sleepless nights," Woods said. "Obviously, our whole priority is to raise our child."

Listening to Woods, you realize just how fast time can fly. You realize that, at some point in the last 10 years, Tiger grew up. He stopped being a cute little whiz kid who sure could use those big clubs and started being a man, a provider for his family.

You realize that, as much as Woods is different this year than he was last season grieving the death of his father, the contrast will be even more stark in April 2008. You realize that's why this Masters is important.

Woods, with four green jackets, is two away from tying Jack Nicklaus' record of six Masters wins. With 12 major championships, he is six away from tying Nicklaus' record of 18. Of course, Woods is only 31. Given his career trajectory and obscene talent, he should break those records. But you never know. Things are about to change.

"Certainly, it will be more difficult to try and prepare," Woods said. "Because obviously we're going to have a little one, and it's our responsibility to try and raise it as best we possibly can. That's going to require a lot of energy and, I don't know, because I've never gone through it before."

Woods was in a totally different place last year at this time. His father and best friend, Earl Woods, was dying of cancer, and Tiger knew that the Masters probably would be the last golf tournament Earl would see. Tiger wanted to win it for Earl, but he couldn't deliver, finishing tied for third behind champion Phil Mickelson.

"Last year," Woods said, "was a lot more difficult than I was letting on."

Earl Woods died on May 3, 2006. After missing the cut at the U.S. Open, Woods won the British Open. He sobbed uncontrollably after the 18th hole that day, letting his guard down.

"Probably one of the reasons why you saw the emotions so apparent at the British Open," Woods said, "is because I wanted (to win one) when he was alive, just one last time, and I didn't get it done."

Woods went on to win the PGA Championship and now comes to Augusta National with the chance to become the first player in history to win three majors in a row twice.

While Woods may be different this year, the hysteria surrounding his every move on the course hasn't changed. As he approached the 18th hole at the end of his practice round Tuesday, the crowd was on its collective tippytoes. Grown men squinted their eyes, simply hoping for a glimpse.

"There he is, right there," one man said, pointing to the 17th fairway.

"Yeah, coming through the trees!" another joined in.

When Tiger finally arrived at the 18th tee, and his driver connected with the ball, the crowd gasped.

"Perfect!" one man exclaimed.

Woods has always been a perfectionist. It will be interesting to see how Tiger balances his fanatical approach to golf with being a dad. His own father had it down pat. Earl Woods seemed pretty fanatical about both.

"I'm pretty lucky to have had him in my life," Tiger said. "It's amazing that, here I am 31 years old, and my father is getting smarter every year. It's just amazing.

"Hopefully, my child, down the road a little bit, will say the same thing."

Woods has said that if there's a chance Elin will deliver during the British Open, he will not board the plane to Scotland. Funny, but the opposite happened when golf legend Arnold Palmer had his first child. Palmer says that having his first daughter forced him to get on a plane. Lots of them, in fact.

"It certainly affected me," Palmer said. "It all relates to the fact that I was scared to death to fly. This was 1955, and I decided that if I was going to play the Tour, I was going to have to fly. I could go in the morning, do my job, and then I could be home to be with my family."

Most of the great golfers have gone through the same thing Tiger will. Nicklaus won all of his majors after having children.

As for Tiger, it doesn't seem hard to imagine him as a dad. Asked if he would be the softy or the disciplinarian, he didn't hesitate.

"Disciplinarian," Woods said. "Trust me."

To reach J. Brady McCollough, sports reporter for The Star, e-mail jmccollough@kcstar.com

J. Brady McCollough - jbrady@coveringsports.com (email) - 816-868-2621 (cell)