Playing with Woods 'easy, fun'

AUGUSTA, Ga. - Matt Kuchar felt nervous the first time he played with Tiger Woods at the Masters, the reigning U.S. Amateur champion paired with the man who shattered tournament records for scoring and victory margin the previous year.

But Kuchar, a Georgia Tech student at the time, found his 1998 partnership with Woods not to be scary at all.

"Tiger was great to play with," Kuchar said Tuesday after learning he would be part of Woods' group for Thursday's opening round of the Masters, the first tournament for the world's No. 1 player since a November automobile accident and subsequent revelations about his personal life.

"I was nervous - nervous to be an amateur here, nervous to be a first-timer out here, and then nervous to play with Tiger. But I've only been paired with him twice and he's been great to play with both times. I always anticipate him being really intense and not really talkative. But he's easy to play with and fun to play with."

K.J. Choi, who won the first AT&T National hosted by Woods in 2007, will be the third member of the group, which will tee off at 1:42 p.m., the next-to-last threesome of the day. The three also will play together at 10:35 a.m. in Friday's second round.

ESPN said it would show Woods' first tee shot live on Thursday, then pick up his round when it begins full coverage at 4 p.m.

The announcement of the groupings Tuesday was the most anticipated in recent memory, perhaps ever. Woods has drawn massive galleries for each of his two practice rounds, and the crowds have been respectful and encouraging.

A crowd that large is going to make noise, but Kuchar, 31, whose U.S. Amateur championship in 1997 succeeded the three-year run of Woods, said he's used to it at Augusta.

"I think if there's any place to be paired with him with a great crowd, it's here," said Kuchar, playing in his first Masters since 2002. "In '98, he had huge crowds; he was defending champion. I think it's easier to play in front of a huge crowd than a crowd of 12.

"When there are 12 people, you can see each individual. With a huge crowd, it blends into one big crowd. People can make noise, murmurs, whatever, it all kind of gets drowned out."

Woods won his first of four Masters in 1997, setting a 72-hole record of 18-under-par 270 and winning by 12 strokes, the most in tournament history. The next year, he finished tied for eighth while Kuchar, who made the 36-hole cut in his two rounds with Woods, finished as low amateur and tied for 21st place overall.

Kuchar said he heard of the grouping as he walked off the first tee at the start of his practice round. Choi, 39, got the news when he came off the 15th green.

"I've played with Tiger a few times," said Choi, playing in his eighth consecutive Masters. "Actually, I like to play in front of big crowds. The atmosphere is very different. I know what that feels like."

So does Kuchar, who agrees with the school of thought that says you don't want to play in the group in front of him.

"It's easier to play with him than in front of him," he said. "I played one year at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst in the group in front of him and it was a lot more commotion. People were jockeying for position more."

In this case, Steve Stricker, the world's No. 2 player, is in the threesome directly ahead of him. But he said that won't be an issue.

"There are a lot of strict policies here," he said. "There's no running up and down the fairways. It's pretty calm. Typically, each green is loaded with people anyway. So there will be a lot of people around. If there is anywhere you want to be paired ahead of him, this would probably be it."

It should be a wild day as Woods plays his first competitive round of golf since mid-November. Because of that, the amount of anticipation at the start of the year's first major is overflowing.

"Ah, there's anticipation every time he returns, particularly to Augusta," Kuchar said. "Let's say none of this [scandal] ever happened. There'd be a lot of hype. I probably wouldn't have a bunch of guys interviewing me like this. But no, I don't see this being a whole lot different."

West Chester's Sean O'Hair will tee off Thursday with Vijay Singh and Jason Dufner at 12:14 p.m.

Site: Augusta, Ga.

Schedule: Thursday to Sunday.

Course: Augusta National Golf Club (7,435 yards, par 72).

Television: ESPN (Thursday-Friday, 4-7:30 p.m., 8-11 p.m.) and CBS (Saturday, 3:30-7 p.m.; Sunday, 2-7 p.m.).

Last year: Angel Cabrera became the first Argentine winner in tournament history, beating Kenny Perry with a 2-putt par on the second hole of a playoff. Cabrera, the 2007 U.S. Open champion, closed with a 71 to match Perry and Chad Campbell at 12 under. Campbell dropped out with a bogey on the first extra hole.

Last week: Anthony Kim won the Houston Open for his third career PGA Tour title, finishing off Vaughn Taylor with a par on the first hole of a playoff.

Notes: Phil Mickelson, the 2004 and 2006 champion, is winless in seven starts this season. . . . Fred Couples, the 1992 winner, has won his last three Champions Tour starts. He tied for 55th last week in Houston. . . . The Verizon Heritage is next week at Hilton Head Island, S.C., followed by the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

On the Net: http://www.masters.org

PGA Tour site: http://www.pgatour.com

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