STUDENT DRIVER: A question asked of Tiger...

STUDENT DRIVER: A question asked of Tiger Woods on Sunday, even before the 18-year-old Cypress golfer became the youngest ever to win the U.S. Amateur: Does this speed up his plans to turn pro and go for the big money? No, was the emphatic answer by Woods, who will soon be a Stanford freshman. . . . He explained: “My education comes first. That’s been our little rule at our house. I’m thankful I’ve been raised in that environment.”

PACIFIC SPECIFICS: The county Fair Board is planning 1995 events for its newly acquired--and newly renovated--18,500-seat Pacific Amphitheatre. First agenda item: Find a management company to operate it. . . . General manager Becky Bailey-Findley says the Fair Board--sensitive to past neighborhood criticisms of rowdy concerts--wants to present “a mix of symphonic orchestras, ballet, opera, Broadway musicals, contemporary concerts and comedy.” The emphasis, she says, will be on “neighborhood compatibility.”

OUT REACHING: Local Republicans will gather at the Villa Nova Restaurant in Newport Beach on Thursday night for a “Hispanic Outreach Reception.” Local party chairman Tom Fuentes says the purpose is to “encourage our Hispanic fellow Republicans to become more active in the party.” . . . . Also outreaching at the party that night: Lamar Alexander, above, former education secretary in the Bush Administration, who’s already put together his own 1996 presidential-bid group.

STRIKE THREE? Here’s a byproduct of the baseball strike that Cindy Olson of Laguna Niguel isn’t happy about: Her 13-year-old son, Ken, won his age group’s pitch, hit and run competition for Southern California--sponsored by major league baseball--over the weekend. He now goes to the national finals, scheduled before the Texas Rangers game in Arlington, Tex., on Sept 17-- if the strike is settled. . . . Otherwise, it’s likely to be postponed indefinitely. Says Olson: “It’s so sad. But we’ve all got our fingers crossed.”