Eye of the Tigress is coming along nicely
FOR one afternoon only, it became the London Eye of the Tigress. Cheyenne Woods, niece of Tiger, shot 67 on her professional debut in England at the ISPS Handa European Masters yesterday, and then took herself off to the capital for a little sightseeing.
From a skilful dismantling of The Buckinghamshire course in the morning to an awestruck glimpse of Buckingham Palace after lunch, Cheyenne, who turned 23 on Thursday, is determined to make the most of her European adventure.
‘On the course, I feel my game i s starting to come around; off it, I try to see as much of the local area as I can,’ she said. ‘I loved walking around Madrid last week, for example, and a chance to appreciate the architecture. Everywhere is just so different to the States!’
The game’s history books are not exactly littered with relatives who have gone on to become great players in their own right, and bearing the Woods name might be the most difficult task of all.
Yet Cheyenne, as personable as her uncle is reticent, as accommodating as Tiger is unforthcoming, has the right approach.
‘I was 10 when I played in my first national competition and so have learned that having the name of Woods brings a lot of attention,’ she said.
‘Even as a rookie, there is expectation and pressure that goes with the territory. But when I get on the golf course, I don’t think about Tiger or the fact my name is Woods. I think about achieving my own goals and playing my own game.’
With no playing rights to compete in her home country, she decided to throw her lot in with the Ladies European Tour, and is so glad she did.
‘It was a tough decision, and one I had long talks with my family about because of the length of time I would be spending away,’ she conceded. ‘But it has proven the right one. It’s lovely to go to different places and see how welcoming everyone is both to the tour and to me.
‘Even if I get some status to play in America next year, I’ll come back and play in Europe as well. I love it here,’ she added.
Cheyenne cannot remember anything of the first time she saw Tiger play competitive golf, which is hardly surprising given she was a baby at the time. She was wheeled around fabled Rivera in Los Angeles by her mother, Susan — married to Tiger’s older half- brother Earl Dennison Jnr — as her uncle, then 16, made his PGA Tour debut.
‘It was definitely an inspiration growing up to see him on television,’ she said.
‘It was exciting to go into school and have everyone tell me that they had been watching my uncle. And Tiger always keeps up now with how I’m doing.
‘He phoned me after I shot 64 in Madrid last week, which was really nice of him given he had only just finished his first round in the Open. He’s there for advice if I need it.’
Cheyenne could not build on that opening 64, but there are distinct signs she is coming to grips with playing here. Her score yesterday left her four shots off the lead and in a tie for sixth.
This weekend, she needs to finish in the top three who are not already qualified to make it into the field for the Ricoh Women’s British Open at St Andrews next week — a place where her uncle won twice.
‘Do you know I can’t remember anything of either win off the top of my head,’ she giggles. ‘Is that bad? I just don’t have a good memory. But I really want to play the Old Course.
‘And if I don’t make it here, I’ll try to qualify at Kingsbarns on Monday.’
No doubt there will be plenty at The Buckinghamshire course this weekend who will turn up out of curiosity. But quite a few are hanging around now to see a golfer who was an all-American college player in her own right, and progressing well at her own pace.
And so off she went for her early evening trip on the London Eye. A girl on the way up, in every sense.