(Photo by Tristan Jones/LET)
Cheyenne Woods can’t avoid the inevitable association with Uncle Tiger but can control her own story and intends making this week’s chapter memorable.
By Kent Gray
It’s not easy living in the colossal shadow cast by arguably the greatest golfer that ever lived. Which is exactly why Cheyenne Woods doesn’t attempt to despite the unavoidable association where and whenever she tees it up.
Like the rest of us, the Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic drawcard will forever remember where she was when Tiger Woods captured his 15th and perhaps most impressive major title at Augusta National last month. Unlike the rest of us, her story speaks volumes of the determination to make her own mark in professional golf.
“I was actually in Hawaii playing a qualifier [for the LPGA Tour’s Lotte Championship in Oahu]. I teed off while he was still playing so I missed everything,” the 28-year-old old revealed on the eve of the $285,000 Ladies European Tour event at Emirates Golf Club.
Cheyenne Woods, like most of the rest of the sporting world, was thrilled for her uncle, catching a replay of Tiger’s march up 18 at Augusta and the immediate, emotional aftermath soon after she had finished her own round. “But I was playing my own event…”
Just like Tiger, Cheyenne also likes to win. She mightn’t be anywhere near as prolific as Uncle Big Cat but has arrived in Dubai with a simple mission despite limited golf given her conditional status in the U.S. – after missing the cut in two events in Australia in February her next start on the LPGA Tour will likely not be before next month’s the ShopRite Classic.
“Definitely another win,” was the Arizona native’s succinct response when asked her ambition for this week’s new-look Pro-Am on the Faldo course.
“A goal of mine is to win on the LPGA Tour. My first win was on the European Tour so if I can get another win, whether it is on this tour or wherever, it just encourages and helps build confidence overall.”
Winning the world’s first day-night professional tournament to go with her maiden LET win at the 2014 Australian Ladies Masters is easier said than achieved of course. Quite aside from being undercooked in terms of tournament play (her only other main tour start this year was at the LET’s Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open in January where she finished 15th), Woods will be confronted by some in-form competition this week.
Spaniard Nuria Iturrios has just gone to No.1 in the Order-of-Merit standings after claiming her second LET title at last week’s Lalla Meryem Cup. Norway’s Marianne Skarpnord won her fourth LET crown in Australia in February and was tied 4th in Rabat, while 23-year-old Englishwoman Meghan MacLaren successfully defended her NSW Open title in March and went close to upstaging the men with a runner-up finish at the new Jordan Mixed Open.
Throw in the likes of Caroline Hedwall – the highest ranked player in the field at No.128 – 2017 Solheim Cuppers Emily Kristine Pedersen and Florentyna Parker, former money list winners Beth Allen and Becky Brewerton and LET life-member Trish Johnson, the 53-year-old, 18-time LET winner from Bristol, and the test for Woods is crystal clear.
And just like you know who, Woods is talking positively.
“With my status on LPGA, I’ve been doing a lot of Monday qualifiers so I haven’t played as much as I would have liked. But I’ve had a lot of time to work on my game and I’m just really excited for the year and this, for me, is a kind of kick start to get back into a more consistent schedule and playing more tournament golf.
“I feel like I’m playing really well, just putting the pieces together. I feel like mentally, physically, I’m in a really good place to play some really great golf so the more I play, the closer I think I’ll get to where I want to be.”
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#tbt Looking forward to heading back to Dubai next week! @emiratesgc @omegagolfdubai
Woods has played Dubai twice before, earning shares of 20th and 10th place at the then Omega Dubai Ladies Masters in 2014 and 2016 respectively. But that was on the Majlis course and there were no excited Pro-Am partners or night holes to contemplate.
“It will be a very new challenge but I’m excited. I think it’s a great event for golf. I think these formats keep the fans interested and it’s good for us too just having a different experience playing.“
With that, Woods set off for a practice round on the Faldo. But not before the inevitable questions about Tiger. Sorry to ask, but you must have been excited?
“We’ve seen Tiger at his best and Tiger at his worst and to see him come full circle and win again at the highest level, it’s not something you see very often, or ever in the sports world at that level. So it was just a very special moment to see him on the course and then you see the personal side behind the scenes with the emotion.
“Yeah, it was just so exciting to see, so exciting the whole world came together and cheered for him knowing how far he’s come.”
A very, very long way indeed. But for the other Woods, it’s not an epic comeback, rather the journey ahead that’s more exciting, starting from the Faldo’s first tee at 8.30am today.
