Cheyenne Woods has almost been overwhelmed by the response to her breakthrough win in Queensland last weekend, which included a text message from her famous uncle Tiger, and the instant addition of 5000 twitter followers. The 23-year-old Woods is trying to refocus for the ISPS Handa Women&aposs Australian Open at Victoria starting Thursday in amongst a media scrum. While she accustomed to the attention you draw when you are a golfer with that particular surname, it has been somewhat ramped up this week. She has been interviewed once already on the Golf Channel at home in America, and has another appointment with the channel tonight. It has been so crazy that she has not even had time to speak to her parents on the telephone back in Phoenix. “Those phone calls are expensive! I have to be careful with my phone bill,&apos&apos she said today. Woods has had a whirlwind week after flying into Melbourne on Monday after he victory in the Australian Ladies Masters, her first big triumph. “It feels so long ago. So much has happened, but it&aposs been really exciting.&apos&apos Needless to say with this week being a bigger event, part of the LPGA Tour and with a $1.2 million prize purse, things will be a little different for her. “I know there&aposs a lot of people watching me, a lot more than normal. It does feel different. Last week I was going into a tournament after missing a cut completely. This week after playing well, it feels really good.&apos&apos The focus from outside is not strictly new. As the niece of Tiger, she has dealt with it for years (Cheyenne Woods is the daughter of Earl Woods jnr, the son of Tiger Woods&apos late father Earl). “For me, it&aposs just what comes with it,&apos&apos she said. “Just having the last name of Woods has always drawn a lot of attention so this is just normal. It&aposs what I&aposve always known.&apos&apos But she is a fine player in her own right, a star college player who spent the past year on the European circuit, and who intends playing the secondary tour in America this year with a plan of graduating to the LPGA. “Since I started playing golf at five or six years old, I always saw myself playing professionally and being successful and playing on the LPGA one day,&apos&apos she said. “So from the beginning I knew this is where I would be so it&aposs kind of exciting to see it finally play out.&apos&apos Victoria suits her eye. “It&aposs really interesting,&apos&apos she said. “You definitely have to place the ball well this week.&apos&apos
Author: Martin Blake / www.golf.org.au