She's less than 4 feet tall, but can drive a tee shot 200 yards.
Her name is Cheyenne Woods ... that's "Woods" as in "Tiger Woods."
 |
| Tiger
Woods and his 10-year-old niece Cheyenne Woods. Cheyenne is already showing huge
talent as a golfer. |
Ten-year-old Cheyenne is Tiger's
niece, and she is already showing some of the same genius for golf that has made
Tiger the world's top player.
Cheyenne first picked up a golf club at
the age of 2, and competed in her first tournament at 5.
"She took
to it automatically, like a duck takes to water," says her father, Earl Woods
Jr., Tiger's half-brother.
Cheyenne has won about 30 tournaments so far,
and regularly shoots in the 80s. Her playing is beginning to get attention in
the golfing world, not just because she is Tiger's niece.
"They look
alike. They smile alike. They have a flair to them. They have great personalities,"
says Kent Chase, Cheyenne's coach.
Similar Beginnings
Cheyenne
even started playing golf exactly the same way Tiger did, under the guidance of
his father, Earl Sr.
"My grandpa bought me some clubs and then I just
started hitting," Cheyenne recalls.
"We started in the same spot.
The same garage I started. She picked up the club and there she went," says
Tiger.
There's no telling how far she's going to go now.
"She's
a competitor. She enjoys doing well," says her father.
Her coach agrees:
"She's highly trained. She's very motivated and she's possibly got some serious
talent inside of her."
Well-Rounded
Cheyenne is also
a straight-A fourth-grade student, with an array of interests outside golf.
"She's
very well-balanced. And that's what we try to keep it at: a very good healthy
balance for her," says her father.
Tiger seconds that.
"I
think what she's doing is fantastic. She's a great kid," says Tiger. "Hopefully
she doesn't burn out. I don't ever foresee her doing that because right now she
just has a great love of playing golf."
While others may have great
things in mind for her, Cheyenne's goals are pretty simple at this point.
"Ummm.
To, like, become a pro and stuff," she says.
(Agencies)
Updated: 2001-08-10 01:00