ESPN Golf Online: 1999 U.S. Open: Woods happy with his position

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Tiger Woods' goal for Friday was to stay close to the leaders.
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Friday, Jun. 18
Woods happy with his position

By Larry Fine
Reuters
PINEHURST, N.C. -- It is doubtful that Tiger Woods has ever been much more relieved with an over-par round than Friday at Pinehurst No. 2.

Woods had just two birdies on his Friday scorecard.
"I'm very pleased," Woods said after posting a second-round 1-over 71 that left him at 1-under at the halfway mark of the U.S. Open.
With bright sunshine and brisk breezes drying up the famed Donald Ross layout, scores were soaring and getting in under par was proving to be harder than the rapidly-firming crowned greens of Pinehurst.
"I'm very pleased just to be under par," said Woods. "I know how difficult it is out there, and everyone else does as well. But you have to hang in there. You have to keep grinding it out and making the pars."
In Thursday's opening round, after days of rain softened the ground on the pine tree-lined layout, 23 players broke par. On Friday, only Payne Stewart, Jeff Maggert and John Huston managed the trick, all with 69s.
Woods, one of the hottest players in the world coming off victories in his last two events, is making his best run yet in a U.S. Open, which rewards the sort of patience he is practicing at Pinehurst.
Woods says the Pinehurst approach is merely an outgrowth of his maturation process.
"I was not as experienced as people might think," Woods said about the expectations placed on him after the immediate success he achieved and the Tigermania it produced on the professional tour.
"When I turned pro I was only 20, and I was put into a situation where Arnold Palmer told me he never had to go through that," Woods said.
"It took me a while to get adjusted to life on tour, and that's new to me. I'm still getting adjusted to that. There are things that my life is just starting to evolve and I'm starting to gel and it feels good. Basically, all it is is, I'm growing up."
Woods said he will continue to play his game and leave the scoreboard watching to others.
"To be honest, I don't really care what they're doing, because I can't afford to," he said of his fellow players. "I need to play my own game and get myself into contention and keep executing my golf shots."