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Tiger in drive for five at Bay Hill

The drive for five at the Bay Hill Invitational starts today, when world number one Tiger Woods tries to become the only player…

Thu Mar 18 2004 - 00:00

The drive for five at the Bay Hill Invitational starts today, when world number one Tiger Woods tries to become the only player in PGA Tour history to win the same event five consecutive times.

Woods, playing in his ninth Bay Hill, is already in heady company. Only Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Young Tom Morris and Laura Davies have won a tournament four straight times.

Woods won his fourth Bay Hill last year by 11 strokes while suffering from a stomach virus. "Well, I've done it different ways too, that's the weird thing about it," Woods said. "I've done it with great ball striking, I've done it with great putting, not playing well, managing my game well, last year I wasn't feeling well."

Davies won the Standard Register Ping on the LPGA Tour from 1994 to 1997, Sarazen won the Miami Open from 1926 to 1930 (no tournament was held in 1927), Hagen won the PGA Championship when it was a match play format from 1924 to 1927 and Young Tom Morris won the British Open from 1868 to 1872 (there was no event in 1871).

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In mid-2002, Arnold Palmer changed the Bay Hill layout significantly when he supervised the redesign of all 18 greens and made them less receptive to all but the best approach shots.

The course could be playing a little easier because of rain that cancelled the Tuesday pro-am. "It's definitely softened, no doubt about that, especially after this rain," Woods said. "It's just one of those things where this golf course, if the rough is up and the greens are firm, it's brutal to play."

With his towering iron shots, Woods has had more success than any player at holding the greens, and he has putted very well at Bay Hill. In last year's blow-out win, Woods played the last 44 holes in 14-under-par and was without a bogey.

Woods said he thinks there is some truth to the fact that some courses suit individual players better than others. "It does set my eye. I don't feel uncomfortable on a lot of the shots. I'm very comfortable here. On top of that, I've won here five times, going back to my junior days. It just breeds confidence. The more you win, the more it breeds confidence."