Woods not distracted by talk of Tiger slam

US Masters:Ten years. A decade. Who could have foretold the true impact that Tiger Woods would have not just on golf, but on a wider scale, when he won his first green jacket at Augusta National in 1997? Now, 10 years on, this iconic sportsman - one who has won 12 majors and accumulated over $84 million in prize money - is back on familiar terrain and hunting for more glory, more fame.

Last month, at Duke University, a symposium was held to discuss his impact. The title of the academic think-tank was: "Tiger Woods: American Empire, Global Golf and the Making of a Megacelebrity."

Yesterday, when asked how it felt "to be so important that pinheads" are now discussing his impact on cultural America, Woods was totally uninterested in the subject. "They have nothing else to do?" he wondered.

The truth is that Woods has a more hands-on interest in cultural change, through his own foundation which works throughout the United States - and is expanding into Asia - with the aim of introducing more children from the so-called "ethnic minorities" to golf.

If there were those who anticipated Woods's arrival a decade ago would serve to open up the sport to more "minority" golfers, the player himself expected it to be a slower process; he believes significant change won't be seen on tour for another decade or more.

"It's like a pyramid effect," he explained of the fact that no other black golfer is currently on tour.

"The bigger the base you've got, the better the chance you have that somebody will get to the top, to the peak of the pyramid. You've got to go through junior golf, through amateur golf, through collegiate golf and then the mini-tours . . . so, there's a lot to it. But, you know, 15, 20 years from now, you'll probably see it."

Indeed, Woods observed that he had noticed a difference in the clinics he attends throughout the year, where he coaches youngsters interested in golf.

"These kids are younger, more athletic, bigger, stronger and faster (than before). Some of the guys are former basketball (players) and former footballers, not strictly golfers. They are coming from different backgrounds and saying, 'You know what? I like golf more'. That was not the case when I was playing junior golf. Golf was looked down on as a wussy sport and no one ever played it.

"It helps when you get celebrities out there like Michael Jordan, who everybody views as iconic and, if he loves the game of golf, there's got to be something to it."

Whatever about Woods's cultural impact, he has arrived in Augusta - again - as the man to beat. His last competitive performance came in the CA Championship a fortnight ago (he duly won) and, having taken a break from tournament play last week, he has prepared with full practice rounds here on Sunday, Monday and again yesterday, when he partnered Mark O'Meara in an early-morning two-ball.

Woods won the last two majors of 2006, the British Open and the US PGA, and comes into the Masters seeking to win a third straight. But any thoughts of another "Tiger Slam" are not on his mind. When it was put to him that it must be on his mind, he yesterday replied: "No, I'm thinking about trying to place my ball around this golf course. That's about all.

"My whole preparation is getting the ball in play and putting the ball on the correct parts of the green and getting the speed of these things."

It's a formula that has worked in the past.

Tee-off times

Thursday (Friday)

(all times Irish; USA unless stated; (x) denotes amateurs)

1300 (1607): Billy Mayfair, Ian Poulter (Eng)

1311 (1618): Scott Verplank, Nick O'Hern (Aus), Joe Durant

1322 (1629) Larry Mize, Tim Clark (Rsa), Troy Matteson

1333 (1640): Sy Lyle (Sco), Dean Wilson, Bradley Dredge (Gbr)

1344 (1651): Ben Crenshaw, (x) John Kelly, Davis Love

1355 (1702): Chris DiMarco, Kenneth Ferrie (Eng), Steve Stricker

1406 (1713): Gary Player (Rsa), (x) Julien Guerrier, Vaughn Taylor

1417 (1724): Arron Oberholser, Niclas Fasth (Swe), Zach Johnson

1428 (1735): Tom Watson, (x) Casey Watabu, Fred Funk

1439 (1746): Mark O'Meara, (x) Dave Womack, Stuart Appleby (Aus)

1450 (1757): Bernhard Langer (Ger), Rich Beem, Colin Montgomerie (Sco)

1501 (1808): Chad Campbell, Angel Cabrera (Arg), JJ Henry

1523 (1830): Mike Weir (Can), KJ Choi (Kor), Henrik Stenson (Swe)

1534 (1841): Fred Couples, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus), Ernie Els (Rsa)

1545 (1852): Sergio Garcia (Spa), Bart Bryant, Shingo Katayama (Jpn)

1556 (1903): Phil Mickelson, (x) Richie Ramsay (Gbr), Adam Scott (Aus)

1607 (1914): Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa), Charles Howell, Justin Rose (Eng)

1618 (1300): Stewart Cink, Todd Hamilton

1629 (1311): Seve Ballesteros (Spa), Carl Pettersson (Swe), Paul Goydos

1640 (1322): Ian Woosnam (Wal), Tim Herron, Robert Karlsson (Swe)

1651 (1333): Jim Furyk, Rod Pampling (Aus), Ben Curtis

1702 (1344): Raymond Floyd, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), Jeff Sluman

1713 (1355): Robert Allenby (Aus), Brett Wetterich, Lee Westwood (Eng)

1724 (1406): Shaun Micheel, Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind), Ben Crane

1746 (1428): Craig Stadler, David Howell (Eng), Stephen Ames (Can)

1757 (1439): Retief Goosen (Rsa), John Rollins, Yang Yong-eun (Kor)

1808 (1450): Michael Campbell (Nzl), Lucas Glover, Rory Sabbatini (Rsa)

1819 (1501): Fuzzy Zoeller, Darren Clarke(NIrl), Johan Edfors (Swe)

1830 (1512): Mark Calcavecchia, Thomas Bjorn (Den), Tom Pernice

1841 (1523): Padraig Harrington(Ire), Jerry Kelly, Luke Donald (Gbr)

1852 (1534): Tiger Woods, Paul Casey (Eng), Aaron Baddeley (Aus)

1903 (1545): Vijay Singh (Fij), Brett Quigley, Hideto Tanihara (Jpn)

1914 (1556): Trevor Immelman (Rsa), Camilo Villegas (Col), David Toms