Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 28, 1992 TAG: 9202280026
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES LENGTH: Medium
TIGER NO SLOUCH IN 1ST PGA ROUND
Young Tiger held his own.Eldrick "Tiger" Woods, a 16-year-old high school sophomore, shot a 1-over-par 72 Thursday at the Los Angeles Open and became the youngest golfer ever to play in a PGA Tour event.
While his round left him seven shots off the early lead - Buddy Gardner and Keith Clearwater shot 65s - Woods' round was quite respectable.
He shot a 1-over-par 36 on the front nine, with a birdie and two bogeys, and he had all pars on the back nine.
"Right now, I'm proud of myself because I hit the ball terrible and somehow I still scraped around and shot a 72," said Woods, who was invited to play in the tournament because of his excellent record as a junior golfer.
"I didn't hit the ball very good; I had to scramble for pars all day long. My goal was to shoot 69, so I'm not happy," he said.
Despite feeling nervous at the start, Woods began with a birdie on the first hole and didn't bogey until No. 6.
A large gallery for an opening round followed Woods and playing partners Robert Friend and Dicky Thompson, and many reporters and camera crews surrounded the youngster when he finished at No. 18.
Thompson shot a 69, and Friend matched Woods' 72.
On the final hole, Woods hit his approach shot to 10 feet of the pin, then walked up the fairway to loud of cheers, holding his 7-iron triumphantly over his head with both hands.
He barely missed the birdie putt, then tapped in for par.
"The only thing that was really different was the gallery," Woods said of his first tour experience. "I'm trying to stay unemotional about it all."
Woods' round also was marked by a problem that usually hits older golfers - a stiff back.
"I hurt it on No. 11 when I hit out of the trap," he explained. "Then it stiffened up when I had to wait for a few minutes on the last hole."
Woods, who has had trouble with his back before, headed for the PGA fitness trailer after his round to have his back examined.
His accomplishments so far include a U.S. Junior Amateur title, three American Junior Golf Association titles and six Optimist International Junior World titles.
Bob May also played in the Los Angeles Open when he was 16, but he was 16 years, 3 months and 18 days old. Woods 16 on Dec. 30.
After this tournament, Woods has another event coming up on Monday: His school, Western High in Anaheim, Calif., plays its season-opening match.