Tiger Woods, too, knew he had hit a solid drive on the ninth hole at Chambers Bay Golf Course.
Less than three weeks from the start of the U.S. Open, Woods stopped by the University Place course Monday. The crowd of onlookers standing among various media representatives near the Chambers Bay restaurant got their best view of the 14-time major championship winner — braving intermittent rain in true Northwest fashion — from the tee box at the ninth hole.
Staring straight at Puget Sound with Fox Island to his right, Woods’ shot from the ninth tee Monday was a beauty. It sailed over some waste bunkers and landed about 10 feet from the cup.
The crowd cheered and clapped. Woods acknowledged them with a wave before heading toward the green.
Woods arrived at the course in a dark SUV early Monday and took about 3½ hours to play nine holes alongside caddie Joe LaCava and swing coach Chris Como before taking a lunch break around noon.
Woods is the second star golfer to visit Chambers Bay in the past week. Phil Mickelson played Thursday on the course that will host the U.S. Open from June 18-21.
A group of six mostly University-Place mothers met for breakfast and sat at the course restaurant’s covered outdoor patio. They didn’t know their meal would come with the Tiger show and the accompanying media frenzy.
“We decided this was better than the U.S. Open,” said Renae Cooper of University Place.
Woods has fallen to the 172nd-ranked golfer in the world. His last major victory came at the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, California.
Woods could pull to within three major championships of Jack Nicklaus — who has won more than anybody in the history of golf with 18 — if he wins at Chambers Bay.
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