Woods using old school friend as caddie at Funai Classic
IN: News | US PGA | Funai Classic (2003) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 23 Oct 2003
With Steve Williams taking a break to compete in a car racing series in New Zealand where he races super saloon cars, he will be replaced for this week's event at Disney World Resort near Orlando, by Woods' close friend, Byron Bell.
Woods and Bell played on the junior high and high school golf teams together in Southern California, and have remained good friends since with Bell now working with the Tiger Woods Foundation.
Bell caddied for Woods when he won the 1996 U.S. Amateur, and the 1998 Buick Invitational. He also caddied for him in the 1999 WGC-Match Play Championship and the 2000 Buick Invitational.
"The caddying part is pretty straight-forward," said Bell on www.tigerwoods.com "You're always a little nervous about the other players in the group. I don't want to step in their line or affect their game."
Williams has already received advice from Steve Williams and we will see the New Zealander back on the bag at the Tour Championship in two weeks time. It perhaps reflects the nature of the relationship between Woods and Williams that both are comfortable to have a break from each other for a week.
The tournament is being played over the two of the courses at the Walt Disney World Resort, namely the Magnolia which is the host course and the Palm course. Magnolia at 7200 yards, measures some 250 yards longer than the Palm and the course on which three of the four rounds will be played. Both courses were designed by Joe lee in 1971 and while they have undergone remodelling in recent times, especially the Magnolia, the actual yardage has changed little over the 32 years. The greens have been changed from the original Tifgreen 328, to Tifdwarf.
Tiger Woods has been a two time winner of the event and last year was third to surprise winner Bob Burns. In 2001, Jose Coceres was the winner and in 2000, Duffy Waldorf.
Two-time runner up in recent years, Davis Love III, is in the field alongside Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk, K.J. Choi, Retief Goosen, Chris DiMarco, Phil Mickelson and last week's hero Shigeki Maruyama.
Australasians entered are Peter Lonard, Aaron Baddeley, Geoff Ogilvy, John Senden, Greg Chalmers, Steve Alker, Mathew Goggin, Anthony Painter, Craig Perks and Gavin Coles.
The event carries prizemoney of $US4 million.
