Has Woosnam mastered `yips'?

AUGUSTA, Ga. Forget that the last player to win back-to-backMasters was Jack Nicklaus in 1965 and 1966. The defending championmerits at least some respect the next year, doesn't he?

No one is expecting much from Ian Woosnam when the 56th Mastersstarts tomorrow - not even Woosnam.

"I'm looking forward to defending," Woosnam said. "I don't feeltoo lucky, though, the way I've been playing the last two weeks. I'ma bit down."

Actually, more than a bit. He developed the dreaded "yips," theputting affliction that mysteriously keeps even the shortest puttsfrom dropping.

"It happens to everyone," Woosnam said. "It's happened to me,but before it always lasted about a month. This was longer."

With the yips cured, Woosnam's frustrations hit a new low on thepractice range Monday when he repeatedly tried to hook the ball andwound up slicing instead. Phil Ritson, a teaching pro from Orlando,Fla., straightened him out - at least temporarily. Woosnam wasn'tsure the lesson took Tuesday.

"I'm a streak player," Woosnam said. "Always have been. WhenI'm on a streak, it just gushes. But it isn't gushing now. I'd sayI'm about 50 percent."

BECK BUBBLING: Highland Park resident Chip Beck, who won the PGATour's stop Sunday in New Orleans, is even more ebullient than usual.

"Man, ain't it great!" said Beck, who grew up in Georgia."This is the first time I've ever come in here with a win under mybelt. I feel fantastic."

Beck, who normally hits a fade - a left-to-right shot - hasdeveloped a draw - a right-to-left shot - that is deemed a must towin here.

"There's no question my mechanics are improving," Beck said."Last year at the Masters, I still couldn't draw the ball. I wastrying to, and it was killing me. I've rarely gone into a tournamentbeing able to draw it as well as I can now. That's exciting. I'mready to go."

KITE CONTROVERSY: The exclusion of Tom Kite from the Mastersinvitees - and Greg Norman's inclusion - isn't sitting well with theplayers.

Norman got in as a foreign player, even though he lives inFlorida. Kite was not invited after a subpar 1991. He is the PGATour's all-time leading money-winner, a participant in the last 15Masters and finished tied for second in 1983 and 1986.

"Greg is about as foreign as I am," Hale Irwin said. "All of uswho play regularly over here don't consider him a foreigner. I haveto believe Tom would qualify if Norman does."

"Tom deserves to be here," Peter Jacobson said. "His not beinghere hurts the Masters. It was an oversight."

Davis Love wouldn't discuss it.

"I'm a friend of Tom's, and everything I said would probablycome out sounding wrong," he said.

KID AT HEART: Usually, only the younger players stay in theCrow's Nest, a room on the Augusta National grounds. But MitchVoges, 42, is happy to be there this week.

He became the oldest U.S. Amateur champion in history last year,and the title qualified him for the Masters. His son Christian, 13,is his caddie and roommate.

"Some people say I'm crazy that I didn't get a club caddie,"Voges said. "But I'm not just thinking golf shots. This is, firstand foremost, a family outing. And when I'm walking the fairwayswith my son, it's wonderful."

Voges' goal is not to make the cut, as is the case with mostfirst-time Masters participants.

"Maybe I'm sentimental," he said. "But when I'm introduced onthe first tee as the national champion, I'll have tears in my eyes.So I want to get air in my lungs, wipe the tears from my eyes and hitthe ball solid off the first tee."

NOTES: The only changes in the course are on the back sidepar-3s. The front bunkers at Nos. 12 and 16 were raised six inches,and the 16th green was extended to allow for another pin placement. Charles Coody, the 1971 champion, withdrew with a nerve problem inhis right arm that developed when he was lifting some luggage. Thatreduced the field to 84 players, the smallest in eight years. The practice round Monday was delayed 30 minutes because of frostand Tuesday because of a morning thunderstorm.