Golf Capsules: Commentary - Tiger's rule at Pebble overstated

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Two years ago on a course along the Pacific, the U.S. Open winner was never really in doubt.

And that was four months before the U.S. Open was played.

Tiger Woods opened the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines with a 67 on the South Course, prompting a caddie watching from behind the 18th green to declare, "He just won two tournaments with one round."

Sure enough, Woods went on to an eight-shot victory that week, his fourth straight at Torrey Pines and sixth overall, not including a Junior World Championship title. And when the U.S. Open rolled around that summer, Woods won again, even on a shattered left knee.

No one will make such a prediction this week at Pebble Beach, mainly because Woods isn’t here.

Nor should they even if he were.

His 15-shot victory in the 2000 U.S. Open remains the most dominant performance in major championship history. Woods became the first player to finish the toughest test in golf at double digits under par (12 under), and no one else managed to break par. That’s why this year’s rotation of the majors — Augusta National, Pebble Beach and St. Andrews — looks so appealing.

But the mistake is putting more emphasis on the golf course than the golfer.

Jack Nicklaus is among those who are overstating how much of a personal playground Pebble Beach is for Woods. He was asked last month about Woods’ return from a sex scandal, and how it would affect his pursuit of Nicklaus’ 18 majors.

"This year with where the majors are ... he basically owns all three places," Nicklaus said. "If Tiger is going to pass my record, this is a big year for him in that regard."

Most everyone agreed.

He has won half of his 14 majors at Augusta National, Pebble Beach and St. Andrews, just as Nicklaus won half of his 18 majors on those three courses.

Woods has been the favorite at the Masters since his record 12-shot victory in 1997 and the three green jackets he added over the next eight years — although it’s worth noting that Phil Mickelson has nearly the same record at Augusta National since the last of the significant course changes for the ‘02 Masters.

St. Andrews? Woods might as well have his mail delivered to the home of golf. He has won twice on the Old Course by a combined 13 shots, and another victory would make him the only player to win the British Open three times at St. Andrews.

Pebble Beach deserves closer inspection.

It only appears that Woods owns America’s most famous seaside course because of one magical season 10 years ago.

When he won the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, despite trailing by seven shots with seven holes to play, it was his sixth consecutive PGA Tour victory. Then came a performance close to perfection. He played bogey-free over the final 26 holes and set U.S. Open records for largest margin after 36, 54 and 72 holes.

But what if that U.S. Open had been played at Winged Foot instead of Pebble Beach?

The way Woods was hitting the ball and making every putt in sight, he probably would have won by at least 10 shots, maybe more. Ditto if it had been held at Shinnecock Hills or Southern Hills, Olympia Fields or Olympic Club.

True, he also won at Pebble during the regular PGA Tour stop in February, just as Nicklaus won Pebble twice in one year in 1972. But that victory was made possible by a hole that got in the way of a good shot (Woods holed out for eagle on the 15th), and Matt Gogel shooting a 40 on the back nine as he tried for his first PGA Tour victory.

Woods had only one other top-10 at Pebble Beach, finishing in a tie for second behind Mark O’Meara in 1997. When he was still working on his first big swing change, Woods shot 40 on the back nine and barely made the cut in 1999.

Nicklaus’ relationship with Pebble was far stronger. He was a three-time winner of the PGA Tour event, won the 1972 U.S. Open with that majestic 1-iron off the pin at the 17th, finished runner-up in the 1982 U.S. Open to Tom Watson and his famous chip-in on the 17th, and won his second U.S. Amateur title in 1961 with an 8-and-6 victory.

To be considered a favorite for this U.S. Open, Woods first has to play.

His indefinite break after confessing to infidelity began Dec. 11, and there is no indication when he might return. Even if he does get back to golf, no one is certain how much the public ridicule will affect him.

Pebble Beach is among his favorite courses, but it does not belong — at least not yet — in the same "horses for courses" conversation as Torrey Pines and Firestone, where he has won seven times each and has never finished out of the top 10. It’s not even as good as Medinah, where Woods has twice won the PGA Championship.

Remember, Bethpage Black was supposed to right up his alley at the U.S. Open last year because of his three-shot victory in 2002. One tournament is hardly much history, however, and Woods tied for sixth last year when he couldn’t make a putt, his theme for ‘09 majors.

Chalk up Pebble Beach as a coincidence. For now.

Doug Ferguson covers golf for The Associated Press.

Notebook: Stricker moves to No. 1 in another category

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Steve Stricker is No. 2 in the official world golf ranking. He might be No. 1 on a list not so official.

Ever since Phil Mickelson won the 2004 Masters for his first major, the search for the "best player to have never won a major" has settled on Sergio Garcia, mostly by default. The list had always featured players in their 30s or early 40s who had won at least 10 times, were highly ranked and who had a couple of close calls in the majors.

Garcia fits that now, with 18 victories worldwide and being in serious contention five times in the majors.

Now, however, the focus is shifting back to age.

Stricker turns 43 in two months. He has won a World Golf Championship, two times in the FedEx Cup playoffs (against some of the strongest fields of the year), and he was in position Sunday to win the U.S. Open and the British Open in 2007.

He has avoided the label for so long because Stricker virtually disappeared during a three-year stretch through 2005, when he lost his PGA Tour card and didn’t even make it through Q-school.

Asked whether he was the best without a major, Stricker said he would take that as a compliment. But he didn’t think the label belongs to him alone, nor did he think it would be easy to shed.

"There’s a lot of other good players that have not won majors," Stricker said. "Sergio hasn’t won one, Lee Westwood is looking for one. There’s a lot of other great players that have not won a major, and it’s hard to do. You only get four cracks at it a year, and there’s definitely a higher intensity at those majors."

Westwood, who turns 37 this year, twice has won the money title in Europe. He came within a 15-foot putt of joining the U.S. Open playoff at Torrey Pines in 2008, and only a three-putt from about 70 feet on the final hole at Turnberry kept him out of the British Open playoff.

The other player would be Kenny Perry, the oldest of the group at 49.

Perry only had seven victories when Mickelson won his first major, and has been largely overlooked until winning three times in 2008 and coming within a par of winning the Masters last year.

No other player belongs on the list, either because they are too young (Martin Kaymer, Sean O’Hair), haven’t won enough (Paul Casey, Ian Poulter, Anthony Kim) or contended in enough majors (Robert Allenby).

RIVIERA RATINGS

The Northern Trust Open was moved up one week this year due to a combination of the Winter Olympics and CBS Sports broadcasting the Super Bowl. It returns to its normal spot in the schedule next year, which should help its TV ratings.

The overnight rating for the final round, when Steve Stricker won to become No. 2 in the world, was 1.9. That compared with a 3.5 for the Northern Trust Open last year, when Phil Mickelson won and it was not held the day of the Super Bowl.

The more reasonable comparison: The 1.9 was up from a 1.5 the Phoenix Open got in 2009 on Super Bowl Sunday.

BEST IN OZ

Royal Melbourne has been rated the No. 1 golf course in Australia for nearly a quarter-century by Australian Golf Digest. That changed with the latest rankings, brought on by a critical change in criteria.

The magazine no longer rates the composite course, which was used for the Presidents Cup and other professional tournaments, but one in which the members can’t play.

Instead, the West Course at Royal Melbourne was No. 3, while the East Course was No. 8.

Topping the new list was another sandbelt gem, Kingston Heath, made even more famous for Tiger Woods winning the Australian Masters last November before record crowds. New South Wales was No. 2.

"Kingston Heath was a consistent scorer across the board and was there for all to see when it successfully hosted the Australian Masters won by Tiger Woods," said Steve Keipert, editor of the magazine.

The composite course at Royal Melbourne will host the Presidents Cup next year.

THORPE OUT

Champions Tour golf Jim Thorpe was sentenced to one year in prison for failing to pay more than $2 million in income taxes. Then came another punishment — this one from the PGA Tour.

Thorpe told Golfweek magazine that he received an e-mail last Friday from the PGA Tour informing him that he has been suspended. It presumably was for conduct unbecoming a professional — the tour does not comment or confirm player discipline.

Thorpe, 61, was not allowed to enter the Ace Group Classic this week in Florida.

"I don’t know the bylaws, and there’s probably something in the (regulations)," Thorpe told Golfweek. "I guess they feel they have to protect other players."

CINK HIGHLIGHT

It’s not hard to find the highlight of the last year for Stewart Cink. Just check out the claret jug from winning the British Open at Turnberry for his first major.

More obscure is what happened last year at the Travelers Championship.

Cink didn’t realize until he arrived in Hartford, Conn., that this would not be an ordinary pro-am. Among the amateurs in his group was Los Angeles Dodgers great Sandy Koufax.

"I’ve played with a lot of celebrity types," Cink said. "He was the guy the most interesting to play with. Since his retirement, he’s hardly been in the public."

Koufax ended his Hall of Fame career seven years before Cink was born, so Cink didn’t know as much about him as he wanted. A few days after that pro-am, Cink checked the statistics "to see what he was all about."

Among the most stunning numbers: In his last two seasons, Koufax had 53 victories and 54 complete games.

"It was a good education for me," he said.

DIVOTS

Jim Hyler of North Carolina has been elected to a one-year term as president of the USGA. ... Among the amateurs competing in the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am is Augusta National chairman Billy Payne, who will be playing with 1998 Masters champion Mark O’Meara. ... The Volvo China Open is back on the European Tour schedule. It will be played a week after the Masters, on April 15-18, at Jinji Lake Golf Club. ...The Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico, held opposite the Match Play Championship, already has five major champions in the field, including David Duval and Mark Calcavecchia. ... Nick Watney is now engaged, proposing to Amber Uresti (niece of Omar Uresti) on Monday after Torrey Pines.

STAT OF THE WEEK

The last time the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am was completed on a Monday was in 2000, which also was the last time Pebble hosted the U.S. Open.

FINAL WORD

"If you can’t enjoy the view, you’re probably thinking about your golf too much." — Luke Donald, on playing golf on Pebble Beach.

-- Doug Ferguson

McIlroy has sore back, will play Match Play

LONDON — Rory McIlroy has stretched ligaments in his lower back, although it is not expected to affect his play or keep him from the Match Play Championship next week in Arizona.

His agent, Chubby Chandler, says the 20-year-old from Northern Ireland had a back scan Monday that revealed nothing more than stretched ligaments. Chandler says it came from 10 days of practice last month to get ready for the season, then playing two tournaments in three weeks.

McIlroy, the seventh-ranked player in the world, was third at Abu Dhabi and tied for sixth last week in Dubai.

Chandler says McIlroy goes through a back scan every year as a precaution. He says McIlroy will rest this week and have therapy on his lower back before going to Arizona.

Golf Glance

PGA TOUR

AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am

Site: Pebble Beach, Calif.

Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.

Courses: Pebble Beach Golf Links (6,816 yards, par 72), Monterey Peninsula Country Club, Shore Course (6,900 yards, par 72) and Spyglass Hill Golf Club (6,833 yards, par 72).

Purse: $6.2 million. Winner's share: $1,116,000.

Television: Golf Channel (Thursday, 2-5 p.m., 7:30-10:30 p.m.; Friday, 11-2 a.m., 2-5 p.m., 7:30-10:30 p.m.; Saturday, 1-4 a.m., Noon-1:30 p.m., 8:30-10:30 p.m.; Sunday, Noon-1:30 a.m., 8:30-10:30 p.m.) and CBS (Saturday, 2-5 p.m.; Sunday, 2-5:30 p.m.).

Last year: Dustin Johnson won the rain-shortened tournament, finishing 54 holes at 15 under for a four-stroke victory over Mike Weir.

Last week: Steve Stricker won the Northern Trust Open to jump to No. 2 in the world, beating Luke Donald by two strokes at Riviera. The 42-year-old Stricker has eight PGA Tour victories, four in his last 15 starts.

Notes: The U.S. Open will be played at Pebble Beach in June. ... Phil Mickelson won by five strokes in 2007, matching the tournament record of 20-under 268 set by Mark O'Meara in 1997. Mickelson also won in 1998 and 2005. He's coming off a 45th-place tie at Riviera. ... Monterey Peninsula's Shore Course also was used in 1965-66 and 1977. ... O'Meara, making his first appearance in the event since 2006, won in 1985, 1989, 1990, 1992 and 1997, and also won the 1979 California State Amateur at Pebble Beach. He has eight second-place finishes in 53 winless Champions Tour starts. ... Retief Goosen, Padraig Harrington, Jim Furyk, John Daly, Sergio Garcia and 2004 winner Vijay Singh are in the field. ... The final round will be played at Pebble Beach. ... Johnson tied for third at Riviera. ... Mark Brooks won the Callaway Golf Pebble Beach Invitational in November, his record third victory in the unofficial event. ... The Accenture Match Play Championship is next week in Marana, Ariz. The Mayakoba Golf Classic also is next week in Mexico.

On the Net: http://www.pgatour.com

CHAMPIONS TOUR

ACE Group Classic

Site: Naples, Fla.

Schedule: Friday-Sunday.

Course: The Quarry (7,094 yards, par 72).

Purse: $1.6 million. Winner's share: $240,000.

Television: Golf Channel (Friday, 11:30-1:30 p.m.; Saturday, 11-1 a.m., 5:30-8:30 p.m.; Sunday, 11-1 a.m., 6-8:30 p.m.; Monday, 11-1 a.m.).

Last year: Loren Roberts won the event for the second time in four years, birdieing the final hole for a one-stroke victory over Gene Jones at TPC Treviso Bay.

Last event: Tom Watson won the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii on Jan. 24, birdieing the final two holes for a one-stroke victory over senior newcomer Fred Couples. The 60-year-old Watson, the Champions Skins winner with Jack Nicklaus the previous week, has 13 victories on the 50-and-older tour.

Notes: Paul Azinger is making his Champions Tour debut. He turned 50 on Jan. 6. ... Couples is coming off a 37th-place tie last week in the PGA Tour's Northern Trust Open. ... The tournament is the first full-field event of the year. ... Roberts won in 2006 at TwinEagles to become the first Champions Tour player to open a season with three straight victories. ... The Allianz Championship is next week in Boca Raton.

On the Net: http://www.pgatour.com

PGA EUROPEAN TOUR/ASIAN TOUR

Avantha Masters

Site: New Delhi, India.

Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.

Course: DLF Golf and Country Club (7,156 yards, par 72).

Purse: $2.05 million. Winner's share: $341,065.

Television: Golf Channel (Thursday-Sunday, 8:30 a.m.- 11:30 a.m.).

Last year: Inaugural event.

Last week: Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez won the Dubai Desert Classic for his 16th European tour title, beating England's Lee Westwood with a 4-foot par putt on the third hole of a playoff. Westwood missed a 5-foot par putt on the deciding hole.

Notes: India's Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa and Arjun Atwal top the field along with Northern Ireland's Darren Clark, England's David Howell, China's Liang Wen-chong and Thai stars Thaworn Wiratchant and Chapchai Nirat. ... New Zealand's Mark Brown won the 2008 Johnnie Walker Classic on the Arnold Palmer-designed course. ... The tournament also is sanctioned by the Professional Golf Tour of India.

PGA European Tour site: http://www.europeantour.com

Asian Tour site: http://www.asiantour.com

NATIONWIDE TOUR

Next event: Panama Championship, Feb. 25-28, Golf Club of Panama, Panama City.

Last week: Jim Herman won the Moonah Classic in Australia for his first Nationwide Tour title, birdieing the first hole of a playoff with fellow American Chris Kirk. The tournament also was sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia.

On the Net: http://www.pgatour.com

OTHER TOURNAMENTS

Men

SUNSHINE TOUR: Dimension Data Pro-Am, Thursday-Sunday, Fancourt Hotel and Golf Estate, Montagu, Outeniqua and The Links courses, George, South Africa. On the Net: http://www.sunshinetour.com

PGA TOUR OF AUSTRALASIA: Victorian PGA Championship, Thursday-Sunday, Sandhurst Club, North Course, Sandhurst, Australia. On the Net: http://pgatour.com.au