He's been mugged, X-rayed, operated on, honored, criticized and adored. So much for Tiger Woods' freshman year at Stanford.
"It's been an extraordinary year," said Cardinal coach Wally Goodwin. "I don't think the average guy could have gotten through it."After Woods won the U.S. Amateur last August, becoming the youngest champion in history, many expected him to win every tournament he entered.
He almost did.
Before Woods checked into his dorm room or registered for a class, he won the Tucker Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M., his first collegiate event. Woods barely had time to unpack his bags at Stanford before flying to France, where he helped the U.S. win the World Amateur Championship.
In October, he won the Jerry Pate Invitational at Shoal Creek Golf Club in Birmingham, Ala., site of the controversial 1990 PGA Championship. Despite intense scrutiny, Woods captivated the galleries with closing rounds of 68-67.
And so it went. Despite juggling a heavy academic load and missing several weeks of school, he still maintained a B average and wound up leading the Cards with a 71.37 scoring average.
Woods lived up to his hype by earning first-team All-America honors and being voted Pac-10 Player of the Year. He was also a finalist for the 1995 Sullivan Award as the leading U.S. amateur athlete and was recently named recipient of the Block "S" Award as the top male freshman athlete at Stanford.
And the year isn't over.
Woods will compete in the U.S. Open this week at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y. Woods won a record three straight U.S. Junior Amateur Championships (1991-1993).
"The U.S. Open has always been special to me," Woods said.
Goodwin sees no flaws in his game, other than an occasional stray tee shot. That could be a factor at Shinnecock, where conditions - nasty rough - will place a premium on driving accuracy.
"It's going to be tough for him," Goodwin said. "He's going to be hitting a lot of 1-irons."