The U.S. Open is a formality at this point; Tiger Woods is winning it -- just like he did in 2002, the first time the tournament came to Bethpage Black -- because, well, Shane Bacon says so. Alright, maybe that's overstating it, but Tiger now has two wins this season, which, historically, is like giving him a four-stroke lead before he steps on the first tee. It doesn't help the field. On Monday, hours after going to town on Muirfield Village, Woods headed to Farmington, NY to play a practice round at Bethpage Black. That's not atypical -- players routinely check out the major venues weeks, and sometimes months, before the tournament.
Tiger's caddie, Stevie Williams, didn't make the trip, which meant the world's best player needed somebody to carry his bag. Hello, Billy Schwafel, who scored the gig because, according to the New York Post, "he's a longtime friend of Bethpage superintendent Craig Currier." And he couldn't have sounded happier after the round:
"When I picked the bag up it almost went airborne; it felt so light," Schwafel told The Post yesterday after his dream 18. "You just soak it all in. You think you're watching it on TV but realize you're not looking at a flat screen. That's when you know how lucky you are."And just in case there was any doubt, it looks like Woods has fixed his issues off the tee. After hitting 84 percent of the fairways at Memorial -- including 14 of 14 on Sunday -- Tiger hit all 14 during his practice round, too.
Not news: Tiger's really good. News: he actually tipped somebody*. Hey, it's a start.
Also worth noting: Hank Haney, who still has a job despite rumors and, more damning, The Haney Project, joined Woods on the course.
* Glamorati put Woods on a list so it must be true.
