Tiger Woods Brimming With Regained Confidence Entering PGA Championship
12 August 2004 - 6:26AM
PR Newswire (US)
Tiger Woods Brimming With Regained Confidence Entering PGA
Championship Nike's Ignite Averaging More Money Per Start Than Any
Driver on Tour This Year Nike Golf Tour Staff Notes, Week of 2004
PGA Championship BEAVERTON, Ore., Aug. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
It's been a season of change for Tiger Woods. Unlike 1998 when a
prescribed swing change was in the works, the microscope under
which he lives today is arguably much keener than it has ever been
before and the expectations are unprecedented. (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020719/NKGOLFLOGO ) While
preparing for this week's PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in
Kohler, Wisc., Woods addressed (compiled from a variety of wire
reports) some of the changes he's made this year and how things are
beginning to gel in time before the final Major championship of the
year. "I'm very excited about the prospects of what's happening,"
said Woods about the work on his game. He has also gone to a
graphite-shafted 410cc Ignite driver since the Western Open, up
considerably in size from the 340cc Ignite he had been playing
since last October. The larger head Ignite has been proven in
testing to provide greater distance and forgiveness off the tee.
Coincidentally, the Ignite has averaged more money per start on
Tour than any other driver in 2004, according to the Darrell
Survey. Woods has expressed marked improvement and confidence since
switching to the 410 Ignite at the same time he has been settling
into the tweaks in his mechanics. Since the Western, he has
finished consistently in the Top 10, including a tie for third at
the recent Buick Open, with an average score nearly 10-under par
during the six-week stretch. "The driver has been great for me. I
feel very comfortable and confident with it," said Woods whose
confidence off the tee has obviously extended to the rest of his
golf game. Woods went through a well-publicized swing change in
1998. This season, his change of coaches has overshadowed the work
he has been conducting on-course. Nonetheless, Woods has remained
patient and undaunted. "Have I ever second-guessed it?" he said.
"No. Because I knew that this is the direction I wanted to go in
order to become better." "It feels very similar to that (the change
process in 1998), and the things that are starting to come
together," Woods added. "It's very exciting, just like it was back
in '98 and '99 where they were starting to gel towards the end of
'98 and the beginning of '99. That part of it is very similar."
Woods joins a dozen more members of Nike Golf's Tour Staff teeing
off tomorrow at Whistling Straits. Nike Golf Tour Staff Notes Week
of the PGA Championship on the PGA and European Tour Playing at the
PGA Championship this week ... Nike Golf's Tour Staff at the PGA
Championship this week consists of Stephen Ames, Paul Azinger,
Stewart Cink, Tim Clark, Jeff Coston, David Duval, Nick Faldo, John
Huston, Trevor Immelman, Shingo Katayama, Carl Pettersson, Jeff
Roth, Rory Sabbatini, Alan Schulte, Bo Van Pelt and Tiger Woods.
Club Qualifiers ... Roth (Knollwood CC in Flushing, Mich.), Schulte
(Hawthornes Golf Club in Fishers, Ind.), and Coston (Semiahmoo
Resort in Blaine, Wash.) each qualified for the 2004 PGA
Championship through the 37th PGA Club Professional Championship
held in June at the Longaberger Golf Club in Nashport, Ohio. They
are among just 25 club professionals who qualified. Longest Ball on
Tour ... Ames, Sabbatini, Roth, Schulte and Woods will be using the
four-piece/three-cover Nike One Gold for added feel and spin around
the greens while Azinger, Cink, Duval, Faldo, Roth, Immelman,
Katayama, Pettersson and Van Pelt are playing the new One Black,
the Longest Ball on Tour, to take on Whistling Straits with the
longest layout in major-championship history. Long Drive ... Ames
(410cc), Cink (410cc), Coston (410cc), Duval (410cc), Faldo
(410cc), Immelman (410cc), Katayama (460cc), Pettersson (410cc),
Roth (410cc), Sabbatini (410cc), Schulte (410cc), Van Pelt (460cc)
and Woods (410cc) are each playing the Ignite driver this week.
Chip In ... Ames (55- and 60-degree), Cink (54- and 60-degree),
Duval (53- and 58-degree), Faldo (53-degree), Huston (54- and
60-degree), Immelman (56- and 60-degree), Katayama (58-degree),
Pettersson (50-, 55- and 59-degree), Roth (53- and 56-degree),
Sabbatini (56- and 60-degree), Schulte (53-degree), Van Pelt (54-
and 58-degree) and Woods (56- and 60-degree) have Nike Golf's
Forged Wedges in their bags. Iron Men ... Ames, Cink, Coston,
Duval, Faldo, Huston, Pettersson, Roth, Schulte, Sabbatini and Van
Pelt are each playing combinations of Nike Golf's Forged Pro Combo
irons while Immelman and Woods are using Nike Golf's Forged Blade
irons. Slingin' It ... Nike Golf's award winning Slingshot Irons
are in the golf bags of Faldo (#2 iron), Immelman (#2 iron) and
Roth (#2, #3 and #4 iron) this week. Best Dressed ... Duval,
Huston, Immelman, Katayma, Pettersson, Sabbatini, Van Pelt and
Woods will be looking their best as usual in Fall/Holiday '04
apparel from Nike Golf. Gentlemen Stepping Up ... The following men
are sporting footwear from Nike Golf's Sport Performance line at
the PGA Championship: Ames, Azinger, Cink, Clark, Duval, Faldo,
Huston, Immelman, Pettersson, Sabbatini and Woods. Nike Golf,
located in Beaverton, Oregon, is passionately dedicated to honoring
and respecting the traditions and heritage of the game, and to
providing committed golfers with the absolute best equipment in the
game in every product category. For more information on Nike Golf,
visit our Web site at http://www.nikegolf.com/. Editors and
journalists seeking editorial information and downloadable images,
visit http://www.nikegolf.com/presscenter.
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020719/NKGOLFLOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: NIKE, Inc. CONTACT: Dean
Stoyer of Nike Golf, +1-503-532-6018, or Web site:
http://www.nikebiz.com/
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