By Rosemary Pollock

Miller Says He Knows What Its Like For Woods

STANFORD, CALIFORNIA -- Johnny Miller recently stood in for Tiger Woods at a pre-scheduled Stanford news conference that found Woods doing commercials while Miller provided some season-opening perspectives on the state of Woods' game. "I can relate to the streak he's been on the past couple of years," said Miller, the former U.S. Open and British Open champion. "In 1975, I finished fourth or fifth in L.A. and people were saying, 'What's wrong with your game?"

Miller, 53, is a 24-time PGA tour winner, an outspoken NBC golf analyst and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This years next big Pacific storm front is the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am tournament that will be held on February 1 -4.

"Looking at Tiger this year," Miller said, "I heard him say he was going to try to improve in every category. In '75 I got that way, too. But right now, he's in a very interesting position, because he's actually going to get stronger in a lot of almost non-golf things," Miller said.

Woods' current four-tournament winless streak is the longest since Tiger went seven without a win in early 1999. "If he goes four more events and doesn't win, he might freak out or something," Miller joked. "It's going to be interesting." "He needs to know last year was an amazing year.....I believe more than 50 percent that 2000 may have been his benchmark year."

Miller will return to competition this year when he pairs up with the former 49ers quarterback Steve Young. "The last time I played with Steve was about eight years ago. I've never seen anybody hit it so crooked in my life," Miller said.

Source:

Miller Fills In for AT&T Champ Woods
San Francisco CA Chronicle 16Jan01 S2
By Pat Sullivan: Chronicle Staff Writer