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CNN Live Today

PGA Mater's Tournament Begins Tomorrow

Aired April 10, 2002 - 14:46   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the world's greatest golfers are set to tee it up at Augusta National tomorrow for round one of the Master's Tournament. Among them, of course, is a man named Woods, who's gunning for his third green jacket.

CNN "Sports Illustrated" Tom Rinaldi is among the many reporters on Tiger Watch, including my dad and my husband are out there, too. He joins us now with the latest. What can you tell us?

TOM RINALDI, CNN "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED": Well, let's not assume anything, Kyra. It is considered to be the toughest ticket in the United States. I certainly hope they were able to get into the grounds. And if they did, they experienced some rain on and off this day, which has had the predicted affect on the Augusta National course.

It softened things up. That includes the greens, which were very hard and fast Monday and Tuesday for player practice rounds. It's also made the rest of the course softer, favoring the longest hitters, including one you just mentioned, Tiger Woods.

In fact, the defending champion gets set to try to claim the green jacket all over again. But as he does so, he'll find himself on a different course, in many ways.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): A dream tailored in green, and a smile that spelled history. Winning his second Masters last year, Tiger Woods became the sole owner of golf's four major championships -- a modern feat, unprecedented and overwhelming. But history isn't easy. It's exhausting.

Woods' best finish in the years' three remaining majors, a tie for 12th at the U.S. Open. If a letdown was inevitable, is Augusta the perfect pick-me-up?

TIGER WOODS, 2-TIME MASTERS CHAMPION: After I won, it just -- I felt like I won the Masters. I didn't feel like I won four in a row. I focused so hard on winning this one tournament. When I won last year, on Monday, I had 104 temperature, just kind of laying in bed, trying to recover.

RINALDI: As Woods practiced here this week, he returned to a course radically different. Nine holes have been altered, nearly 300 yards added. Much has been made of the changes as a means to prevent Woods from dominating the tournament, a theory he rejects, with new challenges he embraces.

WOODS: The golf course definitely favors the guy who hits the ball further, but you have to hit the ball straight, too. You can't just bomb it away with the intent that any drive you can make, birdie or par from, like you used to in the past.

I think placing the golf ball becomes more of a premium again. In the greens, and but more importantly off the tee. You have to hit the ball in the fairway in order to control the ball on the greens.

RINALDI: Woods has always kept his goals private. But the best player in the world, who won the first of his six majors here at Augusta in 1997, is quite open about his desire to write history each spring in this, golf's most storied setting.

WOODS: I think it's special for anyone to play here, not only myself. What I've done in the past, this golf course just felt really nice. It felt really comfortable when I got here and played.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RINALDI: And Woods begins his title defense, set to tee off in a threesome at 10:53 Thursday. If you're wondering just how dominant Woods' performance has been here, remember back to 1997, when he claimed his first title. He set 20 tournament records in that performance -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Tom Rinaldi, thanks so much, live from the Masters there.

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