Tiger woos followers at Nelson
by Mary Barrera, south news editor

    “Fore!”

   A faint warning came from over 150 yards away. Some spectators near the fairway scrambled for cover. One man stood petrified, guarding his head with his hands, the golf ball falling hard to the ground next to him.

   It was the opening stroke for PGA veteran Jesper Parnevik in the championship round of the Verizon Byron Nelson Golf Classic. Parnevik, who won the tournament in 2000, tied for 17th, earning him $67,000.

   Golfers had been playing all morning, but at 11:30 a.m. the floodgates opened. Tiger Woods took the course, transforming the quiet pools of spectators into an ocean of raging fans.

   Enormous waves of applause followed his every move. Fans sprinted from one hole to another, just to watch him play.

   Woods started the tournament with a score of 71. He shot a 65 in the second round, but then stumbled with a 69 in the third round, which tied him in 14th place. In a valiant effort, he shot a 65 in the championship round earning him a third-place victory and $326,000.

   Woods commented on the showing by leader Shigeki Maruyama.

   “He’s been playing well for a while now, and it’s just a matter of time before he gets the good breaks, gets things going and makes a few putts. And from what I’ve seen in the highlights, he’s made some 30-, 40-footers, and that doesn’t hurt,” he said.

   Maruyama of Japan held a consistent lead from the second round. His friendly demeanor and comical conduct made him a favorite with the spectators.

   He compared this victory with his Milwaukee victory last year.

   “In the Milwaukee tournament, I was more like coming back and became a leader later on. This time it was completely different,” he said.

   “This time I felt like my effort and my talent and power finally came out,” he said.

   Maruyama earned $864,000 and became the first Asian-born player to record multiple victories on the PGA Tour.

   “Ever since Tiger came out, everybody started to look at Tiger as our goal and our dream, and I always wanted to be like him,” he said.