FARMINGDALE, N.Y. ' Pat Tiger Woods on the shoulder upon greeting him and its like hitting granite.
His body fat is well below the number on which hes laser focused ' 18, Jack Nicklaus major championship record.
Woods is built like a defensive back
The eyes are locked as if hes about to blow up a wide receiver; his intent when he tees it up just as brutal.
And Woods understands far better than anyone here that there will come a point in this U.S. Open when the game plan calls for three yards and a cloud of dust, when its a Lawrence Taylor-Mark Bavaro-old school-grindem-out test of wills.
Woods can go vertical, too, stretch the field when its time and bury you with the lightning bolt game changer. Remember, he uncorked what for most players would have been a careers worth of highlights on Saturday alone at Torrey Pines a year ago.
This Sunday when the clock winds down, with Woods a heavy favorite for a second straight U.S. Open triumph, the crowd will not be his alone if...if...his primary competition turns out to be Phil Mickelson.
Then it will be Giants Stadium in late December and Phil will be the Giants and Tiger the Eagles or the Cowboys or the Redskins.
It will reach a level of frenzied mayhem that could make last years Rocco/Tiger epic by the Pacific seem like a quiet Sunday in church.
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