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Woods romps to sixth win at PGA Grand Slam of Golf
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-11-24 10:06 "There's an old saying, `Beware of the ailing golfer,'" Mickelson said. "And
whenever he's complaining, we know we're in trouble."
Woods was visibly affected by a virus that forced him to go on antibiotics
and miss Monday's pro-am. But, he somehow found his form in muggy conditions
with temperatures in the 80s at the oceanside Poipu Bay Golf Course.
"I knew, Phil knew, Vijay (Singh) knew, that once he gets over the stomach
bug or whatever he's got, he's going to come out and play well, and he did,"
said Michael Campbell, the U.S. Open champion who carded a 73.
Woods had an up-and-down start, but got stronger as the round went on. He had
a bogey-free back nine that included four birdies and punctuated his round with
an 8-foot birdie putt at the 18th.
He birdied Nos. 10 and 11 with long putts to tie Mickelson, and took the lead
on the par-4, 501-yard 16th when Mickelson hit his second shot, a 3-wood from
235-yards, left into a heiau — or sacred worship grounds built by ancient
Hawaiians.
"I just had to do my best and somehow got the ship turned around and made a
couple of putts there on 10 and 11 to really get things going," said Woods, who
began the day sweating profusely and dealing with nausea.
However, the ankle he twisted last weekend while defending his title at
Phoenix Dunlop in Japan didn't seem to bother him.
But Woods had a rough start. His drive on the opening hole found a fairway
bunker, and his second shot caught the lip of the trap and traveled only 6 feet.
He then found the bushes — on purpose.
"Once I threw up in the bushes behind the first green, I felt a lot better,"
Woods said.
He was rushed to a restroom in a golf cart after teeing off on the uphill,
524-yard No. 2, which was birdied by all four players.
Woods, who earned an invite to Kauai with his wins in the Masters and British
Open, had four birdies and three bogeys on the front nine and made the turn at
35 with Campbell and Singh, two strokes behind Mickelson.
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