THE TIMES’ ALL-COUNTY TEAMS : GOLF : Woods Gets It Going When It Gets Tougher

ANAHEIM —  It took an entire season of high school golf for Tiger Woods to feel challenged. Woods, a freshman at Western High School and one of the best junior golfers in the nation, says it wasn’t until the Southern Section individual championship May 20 that the level of competition got him going.

“It forces me to focus and that’s the only time I play good,” Woods said. “And I guess I did play good--for nine holes.”

It was more than good enough for the title. He finished at four-under-par 68, after shooting a five-under 32 for his first nine holes, to beat runner-up Richard Son of Sunny Hills by three strokes at Canyon Country Club in Palm Springs.

For Woods, The Times’ golfer of the year, adjusting to high school competition has been something of a chore. He enjoys the fast pace of high school matches but said many of the courses on which Western plays have sub-par greens that hamper his putting.

“I had to change my stroke,” Woods said. “You can’t use that stroke on good greens--you’d be hitting it off the green.”

Woods has also had to adjust to the added burden of doing homework after playing golf. Woods, who had a 3.7 grade-point average last semester, is taking as many honors courses as he can fit into his schedule in hopes they will help to lighten his load in college.

Despite these potential roadblocks, Woods had quite an amazing year. He fell short of his goal to finish at least par for the season--by a single stroke. Woods was under par in 14 nine-hole matches and was medalist in 27 of Western’s 29 matches. He won the Orange League championship and led the Pioneers to a share of their first league team championship.

Woods continued his success in the postseason, shooting two-under 70 at the Southern Regionals at Mesa Verde Country Club, six strokes ahead of his nearest competitor. Monday, high school golfers will have their final chance of the season to defeat Woods at the CIF-Southern California Golf Assn. championship at Marbella Golf and Country Club in San Juan Capistrano.

But the CIF-SCGA competition is just a brief stop on Woods’ grueling summer schedule that has already begun. This week he is in New Orleans at the USF&G; Junior Golf Classic, a four-day tournament that is considered one of the “junior majors.” He’ll return to California on Saturday to team with 1990 Southern Section individual champion Eddy Lee of Corona High in a two-man junior tournament in Oceanside.

Tiger’s father, Earl Woods, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, says he will spend about $20,000 to take his son to tournaments this summer. Tiger, 15, who narrowly missed qualifying for the Los Angeles Open this past winter, will attempt to qualify for the U.S. Amateur this summer. The winner of the U.S. Amateur qualifies for the U.S. Open, and the top four finishers there qualify for The Masters in Augusta, Ga.

With that kind of goal to shoot for, it’s no wonder Woods says high school competition isn’t too challenging.

Said Western Coach Don Crosby: “When he plays some of the tournaments against some of the best kids from all around the country, that’s the big time. Not to downplay our events, but that’s what it is.”

Times’ All-County Golf

FIRST TEAM

Golfer: Ryan Davis School: Estancia Year: Senior Comment: Medalist at Southern Section team championships. Averaged 78. Golfer: Vern Edler School: Dana Hills Year: Senior Comment: South Coast League runner-up, low scorer for Dana Hills in postseason. Averaged 79. Golfer: Paul Hinkle School: Estancia Year: Junior Comment: Helped Estancia to third consecutive section title. Averaged 75. Golfer: Richard Son School: Sunny Hills Year: Senior Comment: Southern Section individual runner-up. Will play for North Carolina next year. Averaged 73. Golfer: Erik Wolf School: El Dorado Year: Senior Comment: Two-time Empire League champion and fifth in county at section individuals. Averaged 76. Golfer: Tiger Woods School: Western Year: Freshman Comment: Won Southern Section individual title. Averaged 70. SECOND TEAM Golfer: Chris Berry School: Esperanza Year: Freshman Comment: Finished in tie for third at section individuals. Averaged 76. Golfer: Dan Buchner School: Dana Hills Year: Junior Comment: Helped Dana Hills to third-place tie at section team finals. Averaged 77. Golfer: Dan Dalton School: Marina Year: Senior Comment: Sunset League champion. Will play for UCLA next season. Averaged 76. Golfer: Ben Garner School: El Toro Year: Freshman Comment: South Coast League champion. Averaged 76. Golfer: Scott Gibson School: Huntington Beach Year: Junior Comment: Helped the Oilers qualify for play in the section team championships. Averaged 78. Golfer: Scott Richardson School: Dana Hills Year: Junior Comment: Helped the Dolphins to third-place tie in section. Averaged 74. Honorable mention: Blake Alban (Marina), Chris Beck (Estancia), Steve Bemis (Corona del Mar), Grant Callaghan (Huntington Beach), Mark Christensen (Trabuco Hills), Eunice Choi (Laguna Hills), Yeon Choi (Sunny Hills), Ted Cordova (Santa Margarita), Joe Garner (El Toro), Tim Heffern (Los Alamitos), Jason Hewitt (Santa Margarita), Mark Mignone (Trabuco Hills), Albert Oh (Sunny Hills), Scott Ohls (Savanna), Tim Pieper (Estancia), Brian Rea (Marina), Andy Rothman (Estancia), Dave Shiwota (Huntington Beach), Brig Smart (Dana Hills), Jim Spurlock (Garden Grove), Craig Walker (Corona del Mar), David Willbanks (Woodbridge).