Tiger-Mania Hits Texas

Look out, PGA. There’s a young man who plans on tearing up the tour. His name is … Chris Walters.

“I’m going to be better than Tiger Woods,” said the 9-year-old boy, among 150 young people who attended a clinic with Woods, the 21-year-old Masters champion and golfing sensation most called their idol.

Chris’ 14-year-old brother, who said he already averages around 80 for 18 holes, also has plans of challenging Woods someday soon.

“I hope when his time’s up, I’ll come up after him,” Danyeil Walters said. “I hope I get to play against him.”

Woods is in Texas for this week’s PGA event, the Byron Nelson Classic - his first tournament appearance since his record-setting Masters performance.

He spent time at the L.B. Houston Municipal Golf Course on Sunday giving individual lessons to some of the young clinic attendees. Woods also addressed the group, encouraging them to stay in school, steer clear of drugs and work hard on their golf games.

“The guy upstairs gave me some talent to play this game,” he said. “And people fail to realize I worked my butt off to get where I’m at.”

He also acknowledged that his success is drawing more young, non-white people to golf.

“I think it’s great,” Woods said. “It’s bringing all of you to the game and that wasn’t the case before.”

The clinic was the second of six sponsored nationwide by the Tiger Woods Foundation.

Some attendees, as young as 8, were swinging clubs nearly as tall as themselves.

“He told me to keep my head up and stay in school and do good,” said Chris Walters, who added that he has been playing golf for about 4 years and is a big Woods fan. “I’d like to meet him another day … in competition.”

Kenneth Parker, 10, got to attend the clinic after his mother won a contest. His mom, Aundrea Turner, said that, as a single parent, she’s always looking for positive male role models for her son. She said golf offers those role models and boosts Kenneth’s confidence.

“It’s going to stay with him forever,” she said of the impression left on her son. “I think it’s the best Mother’s Day I could have.”

Youngsters who got to meet the golfing phenom described him as a regular guy.

“He’s pretty cool,” said Jackie Whitmore, 10. “He’s so young and he’s really good at golf.”

Many of the adults in attendance with their children or young relatives were thrilled, too.

“I think it’s pretty exciting,” said Edward Whitmore, Jackie’s dad. “It’s something to motivate her to stay with golf.”