Woods feeling blue as he looks to defend ZOZO golf crown
Big Dodgers fan excited that the team from L.A. is back in World Series
LOS ANGELES — Tiger Woods wears his heart on his neck sleeve.
The legendary golfer pulled up his Dodgers face covering on a video call Tuesday to reveal that familiar intertwined LA logo.
“You see where my heart’s at,” Woods said, talking through the mask. “So, yes, I like where we’re at, and the fact we’ve got (Clayton) Kershaw on the bump. Look forward to it.”
It’s no wonder Woods is feeling especially nostalgic this week about his Southern California roots. He’s defending his ZOZO Championship title at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, which debuted last year in Japan but was moved because of the pandemic.
Talk about a home-course advantage. Sherwood is where Woods has hosted the Hero World Challenge from 2000 to ’13, finishing first five times and second five more in the unofficial money event.
“The shape of the golf course hasn’t changed, but the greens have changed since the last time I’ve played,” said Woods, who practised on the back nine Tuesday. “They’re a little bit flatter, a little bit bigger. Some of the contours are gone, so it’s a bit different.”
The dramatic undulations of 2020, however, are unmatched. For instance, Woods has been Masters champion for 18 months, and will return to Augusta National next month to defend that ’19 title at a completely different and unfamiliar time of year.
“This whole year’s been different for all of us,” he said. “The fact that the Masters will be held in November, it’s unprece
dented, never been done before. I can’t simulate the rampup that I normally have, and I don’t think anyone else can either. It will be different for all of us.”
The ZOZO field includes 25 of the top 30 players in the official world rankings, including John Rahm (No. 2), Justin Thomas (3), Collin Morikawa (4), Rory Mcilroy (5), Xander Schauffele (7), Webb Simpson (8), Tyrrell Hatton (9) and Patrick Reed (10).
Dustin Johnson, the world’s No. 1 player, withdrew from the tournament this week because of a positive COVID-19 test. He’s the son-in-law of National Hockey League great Wayne Gretzky, a Sherwood member.
Sherwood has a rich history beyond the golf world. A halfcentury before Jack Nicklaus designed the course, the Thousand Oaks site was a filming location for the 1938 movie “The Adventures of Robin Hood,” starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. Subsequently, the area became known as “Sherwood Forest” and “Maid Marian Park.” Recently, several scenes from the movie “Bridesmaids” were shot at the course
and in the clubhouse.
Morikawa, who grew up in nearby La Canada-flintridge, has played the course twice, once during his senior year at the University of California and once as a guest. So he won’t be drawing from a deep well of experience at the place.
“I came out here when I was really young to watch Tiger’s event,” he said. “But I couldn’t tell you anything about that day other than I remember waiting underneath one of the balconies for signatures. Never got one.”
This year’s field includes eight Japanese players, including five-time PGA Tour winner Hideki Matsuyama and Takumi Kanaya, the former top-ranked amateur.
When Woods won this tournament last year, it was his 82nd Tour victory, tying him with Sam Snead for the most ever. He noted that reaching 83 this week will be more difficult than it might have been in years past.
“Let’s just say that the field is a lot bigger than normally when I have played here,” he said. “I only had to beat 11 guys, so that’s very different.”