a

high-profile

=oo;ts

o

;,iotso

vnost awdaciouslayowt in a special

event orgdnisedby MarinaBay

Sands at LagunaI'{ational's World

Classic cot/trse.

JuK.Tex

lnTheforuner world

nwvnber one,TigerWoods,

finally arrivesspons orship. Yet every golfer, whether they're fans

in Singapore. or not, were left wondering, and wishing.

oryears now golffans in Singapore haveasked rhetorically when Tiger Woodswill ever tee it up on our 1itt1e island.Reasons forhis absence have rangedfrom conflicts with schedules to lack of

needed to get their acts together. Butjustas impor-tantly, it mayhave been Patrick

Bowers, General Manager ofLaguna Na-

tional, who tipped the scales.

"It was a unique combination of the

contacts and network ofMarina Bay Sands

(MBS) and my past working relationship

with TigerWoods and his company," Bow-

ers said. "It was a private outing on the golfcourse ln which (invited guests and Tiger)

played together, and which also consisted

ofsome up close and personal meet-and-

greet events with Tiger hosted by MBS."

For several reasons, Tiger and Laguna's

World Classicwas the ideal match. Both

are new ln Singapore; both attract pola-

rising feelings; and both will never fail tocatch anyone's eye. It would be the world's

(former) best golferversus Singapore's

(current) toughest course.

For one thing, Bowers could also learn

from what Tiger had to say about making

World Classic even better.

"We are hoping to develop the WorldClassic into the unique jewel in the La-

guna crown," Bowers adds. "It is different,

courts controversy and discussion, and

]ANUARY 2012 / GOLF DIGESTSINGAPORE / 59

Golf s ?nost

golfer Tneets

Singapore's

We1l, the day arrived in October last

year, when Tiger made an appearance

courtesy of an invitation by Marina Bay

Sands in an exclusive event held at Laguna

National's World Classic course. Though

the event was a quiet and oh-so-privateaffair, there was little doubt that the 1oca1

papers would get a hold ofit. They did and

leaked his presence in the press.

Whatever you do, you can't keep a good

man down, or at least away from the media.

Tiger is probablynot the same golfer as

you'd expect two years ago, pre-scandal,

and when he won a tournament out ofany three he played. The fickleness ofthegame, the uncertainty of performance,

and the stress from personal life probably

weighs on him today. But in Singapore at

least, he's probably one golfer that anyone

and everyone would love to watch.

Watch they did. At least, the ones who

were fortunate enough to get an invite tothe special clinic set up on the first tee ofthe equallyprivate and exclusiveWorld

Classic course at Laguna National Golfand

Country Club. For this to happen, stars

needed to a1ign, and interested paniesTeports.

stimulates strong feelings among golfers.

"We wanted to seek Tigcr's opinionand input and also to have the chance forhim to see the course. With regards to the'clinic'portion, it afforded us the abilityto have him hit many different shots from75yd wedges to a tough pin placement,to driving the front ofthe flrst green ifhewanted. He didn't disappoint."

He certainly didn't. Tiger u,as relaxed,cordial, friendly, and down right funny,having the thirty or so lucky people inattendance in laughter at times. Ifyoucould redeem the number ofoohs and aahs

from the crowd at the clinic for beers, youwouldn't have been able to make it out ofLaguna's carpark.

Tiger's clinic was a casual one, and heinvited people to throw questions at him."I'd like this to be a casual session," Tigersaid. "You can ask me anyth ing ) ou want...just not on my downswing." (Laughterfrom the crowd.) That pretry much set thetone for the next halfand hour or so.

Clad informally in a Nike (of course)white tee and Bermudas, Tiger began thesession explaining his rvarm .up routinebefore a tournament round. "I'11 start

with my sand rvedge, then 8-iron, 4-iron,5-wood, 3-wood, driver, then back to my8-iron and 6o-degree wcdgc," he provided"Then I finish offrvith whatevcr I'm goingto hit on the first tce that day."

"Some days I tend to hit a drau,, somcu,ith a fade; some days I hit it high, somc1ow. I tryto flnd a pattern in mvwarm-up,so when I get to the course, I kind ofknos'what my miss will be that day. N{ostl}', I tn'to keep relaxed and light-hearted.

I remember one year in Germanr', I hadthe best rvarm up session ever. At the i5o,zoo, z5o, 3ooyd markcrs, T hit even'one.Then I go out and start offboge),, doublebogey." (Laughter.)

Tiger lets one rip ctt the World Classicfirst hole ttlrct'e the clittic t as set up.

What lns Se an Foley beenuorking onu,itltyott,'Iigcr?

"He actually got me to go back to swingingthe way I did when I rvas a junior golfer,"the man answered. "I'"vasn't getting myclub at in-rpact to be in the correct positionbefore. He's been trying to get me there butin a different rvay. I't e also been rvorkingr,vith the Trackman launch monitor a lot. Itsholvs vou all the numbers and has helpedme understand mvgolf srving more.

Do yottreU, rnosc on-fecl ot'ntechanics?

"When I'm plaling, it's 95 per cent feelprobab11.. Butu,hen I'm practicing, it's a

totirllv different thing. I'il try to get mymechanics right there."

1

€.

;6P-x;rru

rlrn,ncrl lo,r,.s ln thc bag?

"l got this neri' Nike \rll Cil'itt, Bzrck z-iror-r

in preprration fbr thc ,\ustrrrliirn Opc.n rnd'fhe Prcsident's Cup. It allows rne to hitthc ball los-. (l ic tees orrc up rnd smircks rr

linc drivc that flcrv about 5r'r.r off thc grotrnrlinto thc distar-rcc.) imrrgine r{rcn thrt hitsa hard, cln, fairri'ir1,, hon,far it's going to eo.llut hcrc's ti-rc cool thing, bccirusc of thcpcrimctcr rre ightins, I cru-r :r1so do this...(l-re hits one r-rp high ir-r the rtir as if he jList

tcr'd up ir.s-\\'ood)." (Oohs rnd aahs fl on-r

thc crorvd again.)

1,1,'hat'.s l/rc l;cst7 )Llt't of yt1711 9,1 1,r17

"l rlrirrk tlre hr'.t p:'ril (,l nr\ I.rnrc i:thc ahilitl lo Ji*sect il t()lf((,lric,ju:tplirnning holr'to plar,it. \1r-clrtd used to tell

mc thirt thc numbcr onc gorl is to beat thccour-sc. You har.c thcse obstirclcs oLlt thcrcancl tou nccd to knou,hou,to go about

gctting irroLulci th0n1."

IVft rt I tio.t,o ii tlt iitl: o.l-ritc \\/ot'11 C1o.s.src

cr-rzil sc?

"This onc:'l'hi-s onc ought to bc tor-rgh 1br'

]ioLL gri)'s."

\o kiddine. But hc dicl nrorc ihrlrliustplav rr ferv holcs s,jth thc iuvitcci gLrests

aticr his clinic."llc ollbrcd both 1-rositivc conmrcnts

ilnrl :,)'tc'-t(':rl li'.,iblrcll Io' i't,ir',,\J-nl\'ttl," Br,\\CI i s.ri.l :iboLLl lli5 1llLulinS

rvith 'i'igcr lbout thc,\nch, Dle cicsigrr. "l Ictoc>k pictur.-s of sonte of thc bolcs rrncl se ntthcnr imrnccliatclv to his chief clcsigner inthc L.S. \Vhcn hc plrlcd 1'ro1c 3 hc just irari

to t4.it fi'om thc bi,rcli tcc (3or yards)...and pron-rpth' h it his 3 s'ood to 15 f'cct...

rnd mrdc the putt. So hc liked that hoic."Borvcrs is prob:rbll' onc person rvho

undcrstrrnds u,hat f iqcr is likc as a coursc

dcsigncr, l'ravins rr orkcd at tirc Tigcr\Voods DLrbrr project prior to his arrivalbrck to Singapore as thc gencral mirn-

rger irt Legunr National. "Whilc Tigcris first ancl forcmost kno\\m ils a plirycr,

his unclcrstanding oftbc design busincss

and his attentior-r to clctiril is impressive,"Ilos.cls rcvcals. "It is iirntastic to hcarhis in-s jeht on not onh'str-.ltcq\', but thchistorl of coursc desi{.an rnd hurv certainintlucr.rccs anci designcrs appcal to 1-ris

stylc ancltl-rirt hc dr;nvs fiom circh or.rc.

I Ie plrce s a hith premium on the'ap-proach shot' rrnd his grcen sitc designs

r-cflcct that."'l'houeh'i'igcr dicl pley r8 holes u'itl'r all

the gr.Lcsts thlrt 1i11,, his st-u,'rs too shortfbr most of us, and prrrticularlr,thoscu'ho ncvcr got to sec him tee it up. I Iis

solid pcrfbrmrurce ir.r i.roth thc r\ustraiianOpen rnd at Thc Prcsiclent's Cup hints at

rr pos-siirlc conrcbirck bv the rvorld's mostlirllon ccl golf'cr'.

Tigcr'\\roods tbr thc llrrrclavs

Sinerporc Opcn in:.or:.? \or,that's ltl.ror-rght u,orth rclishing. e

v t oEo \.ir'il il LI rr'.-3o17, /iq,':/srrlrqrori .r'orl

lo rrirrc/r oiil c.r'c1rr.slt' r,rrlco of 'l'iger Woods'

!-.)1fc1i;r1c al thc Logzrntr Nlrlionrtl Gr$ttuLlCotLitl i'y Clttb Wotld Clossic cotu'se. Dott't;;u.i.r /:is l; rrrlci;rrlr'/r ".s/rol"ot t/zc cna'.

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YEARIilREVIEW0ur annual quiz will yietd a fewtaugh's at 2011 gaffes.By Dan Jenkins

RUTESThe latest rutes revisions, whichgo into effect in 2012

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TIGERwooDsATWORLDcLASStCWhowouldhavethought we'd finallysee the former numberone golfer in the worldin Singapore. Well, hedid finally come, albeitunder an exclusiveinvitation from MarinaBay Sands for a selectgroup ofguests. GolfDigest Singaporewasfortunatelythere tobringyou this video ofhis clinic.

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I6 ,/ GOLF DIGEST SINGAPORE ,/ ],ANUARY 2O]2