“Tiger’s coming across as bigger than the game. You must have respect for the game, respect for other players.” – Stephen Ames, April 2000
“Anything can happen, especially where he’s hitting the ball.” – Ames, Feb. 21, 2006
“As I said, 9 and 8.” – Tiger Woods, Feb. 22, 2006
Carlsbad, Calif. – Suffice to say it hasn’t been a good week for Stephen Ames. A week ago, the PGA Tour veteran was forced to withdraw from the Nissan Open when his caddie called in sick the morning of the opening round. Then, as a late addition to this week’s World Golf Championships Match Play event at LaCosta, he had the misfortune of drawing none other than Tiger Woods, who apparently has a very long memory.
Birdieing the opening six holes en route to shooting a 29 on the front nine, Woods made very short work of Ames, winning a 9 and 8 rout Wednesday, the largest margin of victory in the tournament’s eight-year history. Afterward, Woods said his play was the result of a good practice session Tuesday. However, he readily admitted he was aware of the things Ames had said.
“It’s not physical, where you go up there and put a shoulder in somebody and take them out, it’s not like that,” Woods said. “It’s about the ability to bear down and pull out quality golf shots on your own and you go and put an inordinate amount of pressure on your opponent.
“That’s the only thing you can do in our sport. The physicality is just not there, so you have to do it in a different way.”
By the (quick) end of the (abbreviated) match, Ames probably would have rather been hit with a two-by-four.
Ames’ comments Tuesday weren’t entirely inaccurate. Woods has struggled off the tee this year, finding the fairway less than half the time. But Ames was guilty of being impolitic, giving Woods – whose killer instinct is usually unerring anyway – a reason to wax him.
Others certainly took note. Unlike stroke play, where looking at leaderboards to gauge how other contenders scattered around the course are faring, in match play the idea is to focus solely on the opponent beside you. However, Woods’ play Wednesday made that a virtual impossibility. Throughout the grounds, the buzz was palpable, particularly given the gauntlet Ames had laid down.
“I don’t know if you want to give the best player in the world any extra incentive to want to beat you,” defending champion David Toms said.
“I don’t care who I play next, as long as I don’t have that guy who was up 8 through eight holes,” Zach Johnson added.
Woods had had his own issues recently. After winning his first two tournaments of the year, he withdrew after the second round of the Nissan because of the flu, losing 5 pounds in the process. However, if there were a place for him to get well, it’s LaCosta. Woods beat Tom Lehman here in a playoff to win the 1997 Mercedes Championship. He’s also won the Match Play twice, in 2003 and 2004.
Both of Woods’ victories this season have come in match-play scenarios. He won the Buick Invitational and Dubai Desert Classic in playoffs. During his professional career, Woods is 9-1 in playoffs; entering this week, Woods was 21-4 in the Match Play.
Now Woods has a 22nd notch on that belt, one he was only too happy to display.
“It’s a fair comment, I understand,” Woods said. “I just don’t do it.”
In the future, Ames may be wise to take the same approach.
Staff writer Anthony Cotton can be reached at 303-820-1292 or acotton@denverpost.com.
