Huge, quiet crowd for Tiger

          As Tiger Woods walked with Fred Couples from the seventh green to the eighth tee just a moment ago, there were a few claps (to borrow a phrase from his interview with ESPN's Tom Rinaldi). A few people yelled "Tiger!" but for the most part it was not the thunderous reception he always has received. There was more outward, loud love for Couples. Lots of "Fred-ie!"

             But there was no heckling, no negative stuff. And people sure were interested in seeing him. There was a kind of Sunday afternoon urgency for people rushing ahead to get to a place where they could see him. Cameras are allowed during practice rounds and everybody, and I mean eveyrbody, was taking photos of Tiger.

             I think people are going to respond to his shots more than they are to him, at least at the start. They were pretty silent when he severely pulled his second shot on No. 8,

           People are lining No. 9 waiting for him. I'm sure the crowd will build on the back nine. Maybe the noise will, too.