MEXICO CITY — Two small openings on both sides of a tree-covered path were packed with fans young and old, some with caps they wanted signed, others holding phones to capture the moment. They were screaming one word that translates in any language at the Mexico Championship.
“Tiger!”
Tiger Woods eventually walked by on his way to the range at Chapultepec Golf Club, and the volume got louder.
He is used to receptions like this wherever he goes, particularly since he made a full return to golf last year and ended the season with his 80th career victory. Take him somewhere new, such as Bellerive for the PGA Championship or Innisbrook for the Valspar Championship, and it can feel like a rock concert.
This World Golf Championship brings another element. This is his first competition in Mexico.
“I’m sure the energy will be up, people will be excited,” Woods said Wednesday. “I think yesterday was a closed day, but there was a lot of people out there, a lot of members and a lot of kids that somehow didn’t go to school. I’m sure it will be like that the rest of the week, and it will be a lot of fun for all of us.”
It certainly will be an experience for Abraham Ancer, who will play with Woods and Bryson DeChambeau the opening two rounds.
The Mexican player with the best world ranking gets into the 72-man field. Ancer, who grew up just south of the Texas border in Reynosa, played last year at No. 260 in the world. Now he is at No. 61, knowing he has an outside shot at cracking the top 50 in the world to earn a spot in the Masters.
He said he idolized Woods, and playing with him “will be something unforgettable.”
If he stands too close to DeChambeau, that might be unforgettable, too. Mexico City is at roughly 7,800 feet altitude, though that depends on the definition of altitude, for DeChambeau mentioned 9,000 feet.
So is 7,800 feet incorrect?
“Maybe,” DeChambeau said with a grin. “It’s more than just altitude. You could have an air pressure system that is like sea level coming through here and effectively change it. That’s what I mean by that.”
He also mentioned the slower decay of spin rate with no air resistance, but suffice to say the ball goes father this week for everyone.
Ian Poulter was preparing to hit driver on the 316-yard opening hole Wednesday when Dustin Johnson interrupted him.
“Isn’t that going to fly over the green?” Johnson said.
Poulter looked up and replied, “I don’t carry the ball 370 yards in the air.”
