Little Rapids, N.L.  – The final CN Future Links event of the 2014 season wrapped up at Humber Valley Resort today, with champions being crowned after 36-holes of play due to the cancellation of the third round because of inclement weather.  Myles Creighton, 18, of Digby, N.S. and Rachel Cormier, 18, of Rothesay, N.B. earned the 2014 CN Future Links Atlantic champion titles in their respective divisions.

Creighton grabbed the lead in the Junior Boys division in Tuesday’s second round, shooting a 1-over 73 to lead by one stroke over the first round leader, 18-year-old Ian Lewis of Fall River, N.S.

“The toughest part for me was hitting it onto the green, because as soon as I’d swing the wind would grab the ball and really affect it,” said Creighton at the Wednesday afternoon award ceremony. “I would have liked to play all three days, but it’s a good feeling to win.”

Creighton finished the tournament with a final score of 4-over 148. Lewis and Tyler Erb, 17, of Toronto finished in a tie for second at 5-over 149 after two rounds of play. Blair Bursey of Gander, N.L. and Andrew Brown of Calgary, Alta., both 17, shot 6-over 150 to follow in a tie for fourth.

Cormier led the Junior Girls division since Monday’s opening round, shooting rounds of 79-80 to finish the championship with a total score of 15-over 159.

“The wind, the bunkers, and the narrow fairways were all challenging this week,” Cormier said of the challenging Humber Valley River Course. “I didn’t pull out the driver a lot; I took irons off the tee sometimes just to keep the ball in play. I just wanted to play it safe instead of trying to go for it and ending up in trouble.”

Following Cormier in second was 15-year-old Laura Jones, of Berry Mills, N.B. Jones finished the championship with 172 for the championship, followed by Claire Konning, 16, of Indian Mountain, N.B. in third.

The top six competitors in the Junior Boys division of each CN Future Links Championship will earn exemptions into the 2014 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, which will be contested July 28 – August 1 on the Legends on the Niagara’s Battlefield course in Niagara Falls, Ont. The Junior Girls champion from each CN Future Links Championship will earn an exemption into the 2014 Canadian Junior Girls Championship which runs July 28 – August 1 at the Thornhill Golf and Country Club in Thornhill, Ont.

HOYLAKE, England – Old Tom Morris would barely recognize the British Open these days.

It’s one thing for golf to evolve from gutta percha to polyurethane, from niblicks to hybrids, from hickory to graphite. Now the British Open is all about LED screens, apps and routers. Yes, there are wireless routers affixed to every grandstand at Royal Liverpool.

Leave it to the Royal & Ancient to be on the cutting edge of digital technology among major championships.

The British Open is believed to be the first major golf event to offer wireless in every grandstand, allowing spectators with mobile phone and tablets to watch the BBC coverage, track their favorite player through GPS, and get details through up-to-the minute scoring updates.

“The experience for our spectators will, I believe, be the best they have ever received,” said Peter Unsworth, chairman of the R&A’s championship committee. “Using their own smartphones and tablets, and our groundbreaking Wi-Fi network which is available in every grandstand, they will be able to enjoy live BBC television and radio coverage, live scoring and get news and updates without leaving their seat.

“The information available to our spectators has never been so readily available.”

And to think this major only three years ago banned cellphones from the golf course. Now they’re telling spectators they’re missing out if they don’t have them.

The R&A last year installed wireless signals as an experiment, with the source of streaming capabilities coming from London. It was so pleased with the result that it now has installed its own fiber optic network at most of the links courses where it holds The Open, starting with Hoylake.

Malcolm Booth, the R&A’s communications director, said the signal is strong enough for as many as 20,000 fans to stream video at the same time.

A popular theme at the R&A over the last two decades has been finding a balance between tradition and technology. R&A chief executive Peter Dawson always thought that would involve only equipment. Now he is trying to grasp a world of live streaming and second-screen channels.

“What it will be 10 years from now I can scarcely imagine,” Dawson said.

Traditions die hard at the oldest golf championship in the world, which dates to 1860. Tom Watson, a five-time champion who played his first British Open before Tiger Woods was even born, couldn’t help notice some of the changes during a practice round Monday.

“What happened to the yellow scoreboards?” he said.

For starters, the scoreboards changed from yellow to green years ago, but point taken. For the longest time, there was a manual scoreboard behind each green that showed the cumulative score of the players on that hole, and the scores of the group next to play.

Those are gone, replaced by LED screens that now give scores, news updates on the championship, and even a rules quiz during the practice rounds.

“They’re in the modern age,” Watson said.

Dawson said former championship committee chairman Jim McArthur was a strong advocate for getting up to speed with digital technology, and it then was turned over to Booth and the communications department.

Booth said it wasn’t a hard sell to the Royal & Ancient, though “there was a lot of explaining to do.”

“There was a need to explain how this could impact on the experience for spectators,” he said. “Having a radio at the Open is not new. People have been doing it for decades. Having a television picture on a hand-held device has been pretty common at big events like the PGA Championship and Ryder Cup. They were aware of these devices. What they weren’t sure about was how easy it was to take that technology and have it on each person’s phones.”

Oddly enough, it was at Royal Liverpool in 2006 when spectators took so many pictures with their phones that mobile devices were banned the following year. The R&A finally relented on that strict policy in 2012 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

Now it has Wi-Fi networks, routers, live streaming, geofencing. Is there anything still ancient about the Royal & Ancient?

“Me,” Dawson said with a smile.

He retires next year after 16 years as chief executive, the last few years filled with technology changes he never imagined. He still likes the balance between old and new. The Open still is played on the same turf where Old Tom Morris and Willie Park Sr. vied for championships. The claret jug has been passed around for 86 years.

“But I think in the modern era,” Dawson said, “the way that people now embrace this technology is something that golf also has to embrace.”

CN Future Links, Canada’s national junior golf program, is set to host the second of three national stops at the 2014 RBC Canadian Open in Montreal from July 21-27 as part of the interactive, safety-inspired Community Tour.

Together, CN and Golf Canada host the Community Tour events to provide the opportunity for juniors to engage in friendly putting, chipping and driving activities while continuing to practice a safety-first mentality.

The first stop on the Tour took place last month at the Sarnia Kids Fun Fest, in Sarnia, Ont. Attendees included Mike Bradley (mayor of Sarnia), CN and Golf Canada staff, as well as hundreds of local juniors and parents. Among the juniors were students from 15 local schools which CN recently adopted into the Golf in Schools program to coincide with the Community Tour launch.

“The success of the first Community Tour event goes a long way in showing CN’s support and commitment to getting golf into communities and exposed to Canada’s youth,” said Jeff Thompson, Chief Sport Officer at Golf Canada. “We are looking forward to extending our shared values once more at next week’s Community Tour stop.”

The CN Future Links Community Tour is also open to adults to test out their skills and earn a chance to win unique prizing courtesy of CN.

Claude Mongeau, President and CEO of CN, is thankful for the opportunities CN Future Links and junior golf have provided.

“Youth golf has provided us a valuable platform to make a significant impact in the communities in which we operate,” he said. “We are pleased to take an active role in helping Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada grow junior golf across the country.”

The third and final stop on tour this season will take place at the Saskatoon Exhibition from Aug 5-10.

Click here to learn more about CN Future Links Community Tour.

HOYLAKE, England – Brendan Steele played in the final group at a major three years ago. Brendon de Jonge played in the Presidents Cup last year. They will be among 36 players making their debuts Thursday in golf’s oldest championship.

Is it too much to ask for them to go home with the claret jug?

Royal Liverpool is the least known of the links courses on the rotation – this is only its second time to host the Open since 1967 – though all links golf can be a mystery. Winning for the first time is not as unusual as it would be at Augusta National, where a first-timer has not won since 1979.

Even so, examples are rare.

Willie Park Sr. was the first to win on his debut, but only because 1860 was the first championship. Ben Curtis was the most recent in 2003 at Royal St. George’s. Among the candidates might be Patrick Reed, who at No. 30 is the highest-ranked player in the British Open for the first time.

Here are the five best debuts in Open history:

5. SAM SNEAD

Sam Snead was one of only three Americans who journeyed across the Atlantic in 1946 when the British Open was staged for the first time after World War II. Back then, Americans lost money playing the Open because first place paid only 150 pounds.

It’s safe to say the Slammer wasn’t terribly impressed when the train pulled in the home of golf.

“Say, what abandoned course is this?” he said to the man next to him.

That would be the Old Course at St. Andrews, and Snead quickly learned to respect the ancient ground. He opened with rounds of 71-70, pulled into a share of the lead with Johnny Bulla and Dai Reis with a 74, and then closed with a 75 to win by four shots over Bulla, a fellow American.

He did not return the next year.

4. TONY LEMA

Arnold Palmer gets credit for invigorating the Open when he came across in 1960 as part of his quest to win the Grand Slam. Since then, more Americans began playing golf’s oldest championship. His influence was a little more direct on Tony Lema.

The Bay Area native known as “Champagne” Tony wasn’t sure he wanted to play at St. Andrews in the 1964 British Open. Palmer talked him into it, though Lema asked if he could borrow Palmer’s putter and his caddie, Tip Anderson.

It was a winning combination.

Lema shot a 68 in the second round to take the lead, shot another 68 to stretch the lead and won by five shots over Jack Nicklaus. It was his fourth victory in a six-week span. Two years later, the rising American star died in a plane crash.

3. TOM WATSON

Tom Watson wasn’t a complete stranger to major championships when he showed up at Carnoustie in 1975, but he didn’t know much about links golf. A year earlier, Watson was 24 when he took the 54-hole lead at Winged Foot in the 1974 U.S. Open, only to close with a 79 and tie for fifth. A month earlier, Watson was the 36-hole leader at Medinah in the U.S. Open until a 78-77 weekend.

That changed in Scotland. Watson overcame a three-shot deficit to Bobby Cole in the final round and made a 25-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 72 to tie Jack Newton, one shot ahead of Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller. In the playoff, Watson shot 71 for a one-shot victory over Newton.

That made him the third American to win the Open on his first try.

2. BEN CURTIS

Ben Curtis remains the longest of the long shots to win the British Open, accomplishing the feat in 2003. He was a 26-year-old rookie from Ohio who tied for 13th at the Western Open in Chicago. Back then, that was a primary avenue for Americans to qualify for the British Open.

No one really paid any attention to him all week, even though Curtis was never far from the lead. He was three behind going into the weekend, and two shots back of Thomas Bjorn going into the last round. Against an All-Star leaderboard that featured Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Davis Love III and Sergio Garcia, Curtis closed with a 69 by making an 8-foot par putt on the last hole.

Then, he waited. The Open appeared to belong to Thomas Bjorn until he took three shots to get out of a bunker on the 16th hole. Curtis won by one shot, becoming the first player since Francis Ouimet in the 1913 U.S. Open to win a major on his first try.

1. BEN HOGAN

Ben Curtis was the long shot. For Ben Hogan, this was his only shot.

Hogan played a limited schedule since nearly losing his life in a car accident in 1949. But he was on top of his game in 1953, winning the Masters by five shots and the U.S. Open at Oakmont by six shots over Sam Snead.

Everyone had to qualify for the British Open in 1953, and Hogan was no exception.

He opened with rounds of 73-71 at Carnoustie, and then pulled into a tie for the lead with Robert de Vicenzo after a 70 in the third round. Completing a perfect year in the majors, Hogan closed with a 68 for a four-shot victory. He played in only three majors that year and won them all. Hogan could not play the PGA Championship because his battered legs would not allow him 36-hole matches; besides, British Open qualifying was the same time as the PGA that year.

In his one shot at the Claret Jug, Hogan won to complete the Grand Slam. It was the last major championship he won.

Little Rapids, N.L. – CN Future Links Atlantic continued today at Humber Valley Resort in Little Rapids, N.L., and competition remained tough in the second round.

Myles Creighton, 18, of Digby, N.S. grabbed the first place spot from yesterday’s leader, 18-year-old Ian Lewis of Fall River, NS. Creighton shot a 1-over-par 73 today to lead Lewis by one stroke, sitting at a total score of 4-over 148. Lewis now shares second place with Tyler Erb, 17, of Toronto – the pair has shot 5-over-149 over two rounds of play.

18-year-old Rachel Cormier of Rothesay, N.B. continued yesterday’s strong play to retain her lead in the Junior Girls division. Cormier shot an 8-over-par 80 on Tuesday to lead by 13 strokes over Laura Jones, 15, of Berry Mills, N.B. Jones has shot 28-over-172 over two rounds and is followed by 16-year-old Claire Konning of Indian Mountain, N.B. in third with a total score of 30-over-par 174.

The Junior Boys champions of 2014 CN Future Links events earn exemptions into the 2014 Canadian Junior Boys Championship to be contested July 28 – August 1 at the Legends on the Niagara’s Battlefield Course in Niagara Falls, Ont.

The Junior Girls champion from each 2014 CN Future Links Championship earns an exemption into the 2014 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, which runs July 28 – August 1 at Thornhill Golf and Country Club in Thornhill, Ont.

The final round of CN Future Links Atlantic begins tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. UTC. For complete scoring and information, click here.

Talk about a double-double.

Canada’s David Hearn was added to the British Open field Tuesday after former champion Mark Calcavecchia withdrew. No official reason was given. However, Calcavecchia, who is also a past RBC Canadian Open champion, has been battling back problems for some time. He won the 1989 Open at Royal Troon, his only major.

Hearn, who was a first alternate and would almost certainly secure a spot in the field, headed to England after a tie for 45th at last week’s John Deere Classic.

About to board the charter to The Open as 1st alternate. Could be a long trip to drink some beers w/royalty! Wish me luck. #RBCHearn

— David Hearn (@HearnDavid) July 13, 2014

Making his first appearance at the British Open, the Brantford, Ont. native will join fellow Canadian Graham DeLaet at Royal Liverpool.

Hearn has made two previous appearances at golf’s majors. He finished tied for 21st at the 2013 U.S. Open and tied for 47th at last year’s PGA Championship.

Hearn will tee off at 10:10 am local time and play the first two rounds with three-time champion Nick Faldo and American Todd Hamilton, who won at Royal Troon in 2004.

DeLaet has a 12:54 pm local tee time and will tip-it-up with reigning RBC Canadian Open champion Brandt Snedeker and former number one ranked amateur Cheng-tsung Pan.

CARLSBAD, Calif. – Earlier this year TaylorMade Golf Company introduced the SLDR Mini Driver, a club designed for use off the tee that is designed to be more accurate and longer off the tee than a 3-wood. Now, the they are introducing a club designed to deliver incredible distance on tee shots and performance never before seen in a long iron. Meet the Tour Preferred UDI (Ultimate Driving Iron).

“We designed the Tour Preferred UDI for players seeking a versatile club that delivers incredible distance off the tee and a high-performance alternative from the fairway,” said TaylorMade’s Director of Iron Creation, Tomo Bystedt. “The clean, traditional look at address inspires confidence and the Speed Pocket technology provides amazing distance and consistency.”

TaylorMade Tour Staff Professional Justin Rose has played the UDI in his two recent wins (Quicken Loans National at Congressional and the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open) and is among the favourites this week in Hoylake.

Like Rose, TaylorMade Tour Staff Professionals expressed a specific desire for a club that combines distance and playability with accuracy and shot shaping capabilities. Enter UDI: The hollow construction allowed engineers to move weight lower and more forward, resulting in faster ball speeds and a higher launch angle than traditional driving irons. By increasing the launch angle, TaylorMade engineers have effectively made driving irons more playable than past models – making it easier to hit high towering shots with low lofted irons.

A 455 Carpenter Steel material, which generates more ball speed, along with milled score lines across the face also gives golfers tremendous control with the UDI – allowing them to flight shots lower and manipulate trajectory if they choose to. The lightweight KBS C-Taper Lite shaft comes stock in the UDI. The shaft promotes a mid to high trajectory and controlled spin.

Available in 1-iron (16°), 2-iron (18°) and 3-iron (20°) options, the UDI features TaylorMade’s renowned Speed Pocket Technology. This tour-proven technology allows the face to flex more efficiently for better distance and greater consistency. In addition, this key design element is instrumental to creating the high launch conditions golfers experience with UDI. Other features include an advanced sound dampening system for a soft feel and a crisp sound that appeals to low handicappers.

UDI was first introduced on the PGA Tour during the Quicken Loans National at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, where eventual champion Justin Rose elected to put the UDI in the bag. Firm and fast course conditions, which rivaled those of the 2010 U.S. Open at Congressional, made UDI a popular choice off the tee for Rose. TaylorMade is anticipating more golfers to put the UDI in play this week at the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.

With a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $229.99 CDN, the UDI will be available at retail in Canada starting August 1, 2014.

Oakville, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada and RBC are pleased to extend three players exemptions into the 2014 RBC Canadian Open at The Royal Montreal Golf Club through Canada’s National Amateur Team program.

Among those extended tournament invites are Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C. and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont.

Pendrith, 23, is currently Canada’s highest ranked male amateur on the World Amateur Golf Rankings at No. 18. A recent graduate of Kent State University, Pendrith will make his first start at Canada’s National Open Championship after recently claiming the prestigious Monroe Invitational title and finishing tied for second at the Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship.

At No. 27 on the WAGR, Svensson will make his second start at the RBC Canadian Open fresh off an outstanding sophomore year at Barry University. Last season in NCAA action the 20-year-old captured seven tournament titles and was awarded Jack Nicklaus Award as the most outstanding Division II men’s golfer.

Rounding out the list of exemptions at No. 39 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings is Conners, 22, who recently reached the finals at the North and South Amateur Championship earlier in July.

In addition to their title sponsorship of Canada’s National Open Championship, RBC is also a proud supporter of Canada’s National Amateur Golf Team program (Team Canada) as well as Golf Canada’s National Amateur Championships, assisting in the development of this country’s up and coming golf talents.

With the addition of Pendrith, Svensson and Conners a 15-player Canadian contingent (to date) will compete at The Royal Montreal Golf Club looking to become the first Canadian since Pat Fletcher in 1954 to win Canada’s National Open title.

Leading the charge for the Canadian contingent are PGA TOUR players Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., Brad Fritsch of Manotick, Ont., Stephen Ames of Calgary and Mike Weir of Bright’s Grove, Ont. Other Canadians set to compete include the Web.com Tour’s Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C. and Roger Sloan of Merrit, B.C. who both earned exemptions. In addition, recently crowned 2014 PGA Championship of Canada winner Dave Levesque of Montreal and PGA of Canada Player Rankings leader Billy Walsh of Markham, Ont. will also join the field alongside the 2013 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion, Kevin Carrigan of Victoria. PGA TOUR Canada’s Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont. and Beon Yeong Lee of Montreal are also set to compete after winning the their regional qualifying sites.

The Canucks will join a field that includes PGA TOUR stars such as Matt Kuchar, Dustin Johnson, Luke Donald, Jim Furyk, Hunter Mahan, Ernie Els, Charl Schwartzel, Chris Kirk and recent French Open champion Graeme McDowell as well as defending RBC Canadian Open champion Brandt Snedeker.

In addition, three exemptions will be awarded to the Top-3 finishers on PGA Tour Canada’s Order of Merit following the Stall Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel on Sunday, July 20th.

The final four exemptions into Canada’s National Open Championship will be determined following the Final Monday Qualifier for the RBC Canadian Open on July 21^st at Golf Saint-Raphaël in L’Île-Bizard, Que where four exemptions will be handed out to the Top-4 finishers.

Grounds tickets for all days of Canada’s National Open Championship as well as a limited number of premium ticket packages are still available. A full list of ticket packages and pricing, including the new Family Day package, is available online at www.rbccanadianopen.com. Golf Canada and RBC are also please to offer free admission to children 17 year and younger who are accompanied by a ticketed adult.

HOYLAKE, England – Two down, one to go. And for Justin Rose, it’s the biggest one of all.

Rose heads into the British Open as probably the hottest player in golf after winning back-to-back titles for the first time in his career, at the Quicken Loans National at Congressional and the Scottish Open over at the links at Royal Aberdeen.

Back at his career-high ranking of No. 3, he is playing as well as he ever has, and the experience of being a major champion – at the U.S. Open at Merion in 2013 – makes his case even more persuasive at Hoylake.

But he has failed to crack the top 10 at his home major since memorably finishing tied for fourth as a 17-year-old amateur in 1998, when he chipped in at the 18th at Birkdale. Rose missed the cut at three of the last four British Opens.

“Thousands of times I have won the Open Championship, in my mind,” Rose said. “This is probably the one I’ve dreamed about the most.”

For dreams to finally turn into a reality, Rose said he just has to stay in “the zone” and not get carried away with the expectations that predictably have been placed on him by a British public desperate for a triumph in an otherwise miserable sporting summer.

He doesn’t think that will be a problem – and he puts that down to winning at Merion.

“If I had been coming off a couple of wins and not won a major championship, I would be thinking, `Is this my opportunity to get it done?'” he said on Tuesday, appearing completely at home in his role as one of the big British Open favorites.

“It takes that little bit of pressure off me, the fact that it’s been done. I have one under my belt. The monkey is off my back … and I now have a model that works.”

Putting problems were once Rose’s weakness but if ever there was a demonstration to prove that is no longer an issue, it was on the front nine in the final round at the Scottish Open on Sunday.

Rose rolled in five birdies, from lengths varying from six to 25 feet, to pull away from the field and ease to his first victory in Europe in seven years. Playing partner Marc Warren said he watched on in awe.

“Justin has always been a great ball striker,” fellow Englishman Luke Donald said. “The only thing that has ever held him back is his putting, but he seems to be doing that a lot better now. He is a solid, solid player. World class.”

Rose was in the French holiday resort of St. Tropez the last time the British Open was staged at Hoylake, in 2006, when Tiger Woods claimed his third and most recent claret jug. Rose had failed to qualify for the third year in a row and was struggling to live up his promise.

It means the build-up to Thursday’s first round will be as much about familiarizing himself with the course than keeping his swing in shape.

Rose believes picking up shots on the par-fives will be one of the keys to success. But also just trusting the game that is closing him in on the No. 1 ranking.

“I was always trying to improve a part of my game to fit the golf course, where now I just build my strategy around what I’m good at,” Rose said.

“I am assuming if I did win this week, I’d go to No. 1. I’ve always said, for me, I’ve always focused more on winning major championships than chasing No. 1. That’s just a really nice by-product of your process.”

HOYLAKE, England – Tiger Woods was an early arrival to the British Open with hopes of avoiding an early departure.

Woods has played only two competitive rounds in the last four months because of back pain that led to surgery. That’s why he chose to get to England a day earlier than usual – Saturday – to get acclimated to links golf at Royal Liverpool.

It’s nothing like he remembers from his two-shot victory in 2006.

Hoylake was brown and dusty that year, and the ball was bouncing along at such speed that Woods hit only one driver the entire week. That was on the 16th hole, and the shot wound up on the 17th fairway. He still made birdie.

“The golf course is a little bit softer than what it was in `06,” Woods said on Tuesday. “I’ve played three practice rounds now and have had three different winds. So that’s been helpful to be able to see the golf course in different conditions.”

As an example of the change, Woods pulled out a driver on the par-5 fifth hole with the wind in his face. His tee shot landed in the fairway.

That he already has played three practice rounds has been encouraging.

Woods missed the cut at Congressional in his return to competition three weeks ago, though he was pleased that he felt no pain from March 31 back surgery. He even has been to the gym twice in the last couple of days.

Woods played 12 holes on Saturday and a full 18 on Sunday and Tuesday, taking a break Monday to work out and then go to the practice range.

“It’s one of the reasons why I came over a little earlier,” he said. ” I went to Geneva for a day with Rolex, but I came here a day earlier than I normally would to have an extra day in there, as well as possibly taking a day off, if need be. And it worked out.”

As for his goals? They haven’t changed.

When asked what would be a reasonable result in his first major of the year, Woods replied, “First.

“That’s always the case.”

The back surgery forced him to miss the Masters for the first time, and then the U.S. Open. The last time Woods had this much time off with so little competition before a major was in 2010 when he returned from the chaos in his personal life. He tied for fourth at the Masters.

It might help that he at least has won at Royal Liverpool, even if the course has changed dramatically.

Woods has changed, too.

His victory eight years ago produced more raw emotion than ever for Woods. It was his first major since the death of his father, Earl, two months earlier. He sobbed on the shoulders of his caddie and then his wife. Woods now has a different caddie and he is divorced.

“My life has certainly changed a lot since then,” Woods said. “That was a very emotional week. As you all know, I pressed pretty hard at Augusta that year, trying to win it, because it was the last time my dad was ever going to see me play a major championship. And then I didn’t play well at the (U.S.) Open – missed the cut there miserably. And then came here and just felt at peace. I really, really played well. On Sunday, I really felt calm out there.

“It was surreal at the time. I’ve had a few moments like that in majors where I’ve felt that way on a Sunday. And that was certainly one of them.”

The others were at the 1997 Masters, which he won by 12 shots; the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, which he won by 15 shots; and 2000 British Open at St. Andrews, which he won by eight shots to complete the career Grand Slam.

Woods has won the career slam twice more since then, running his total to 14 majors by winning the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in 2008 despite not having played in two months because of torn ligaments in his left knee and a double stress fracture in his left leg.

He said that victory, with the odds against him, should be a reminder not to count him out.

And he’s not ruling out his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus and his 18 majors. Woods, who is 38, was asked if he would play well into his 40s and even his early 50s if it meant a chance to break the Nicklaus benchmark.

“Hopefully, I have it done by then. But I’m really looking forward to that cart,” he said, referring to Champions Tour players being allowed to ride in a cart.