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 Thanks to some high-profile West Coast players such as Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, and an infusion of cash from sponsors over the last five years, the first seven full-field events — Sony Open, Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, Buick Invitational, FBR Open, AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, Nissan Open and Chrysler Classic — are now just as important as the Florida swing. Players definitely have their favorite stops on the West Coast, but for a variety of reasons. It can be the golf course, the location, even the amenities a tournament offers. Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades is what draws professionals to the Nissan Open, and one person who always makes a point of coming to the tournament is Fred Funk. “That golf course is so special and we don’t seem to play enough like them,” Funk said. “We’re playing less and less of those really great courses.” Fred Couples, who has won the event twice, has an affinity for the course. “Riviera is my favorite course, probably on tour, besides Augusta and St. Andrews,” he said. Woods, who played the event as a 16-year-old amateur, has never won at Riviera, but that hasn’t spoiled his love for the course. “Rivi’s certainly a stand-alone, I think, because of the rich tradition it has, and it has a lot of history for me,” Woods said. “It was my first tour event. I have a lot of great memories there.” Other professionals are equally enamored with events on the West Coast Swing. “I love playing Hawaii and San Diego,” said Scott Simpson, who lives in the San Diego area. “Hawaii and San Diego are kind of like home for me. I like Torrey Pines, it is a real great course. Everyone loves playing at home.” Chris Riley certainly does. Riley, who grew up in San Diego, has played countless rounds at Torrey Pines, the home of the Buick Invitational. “It is a great event,” Riley said. “It is usually the best field except for the Match Play. Tiger always plays here and always has great competition.” A lot of pros stay away from some of the West Coast events because of the poa annua greens. They complain that it affects their putting stroke for the rest of the year. Two places that don’t have that problem are the Hope, which is played mostly on bent grass and Bermuda greens in the Palm Springs area, and the Scottsdale-based FBR Open. “For me, its all about the greens and they both have great greens that aren’t poa annua,” said Scott Verplank. “The golf courses are always in great shape and the weather is good.” >>NO HOPE FOR TIGER One place you won’t likely see Woods is at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. The No. 1 player in the world is no fan of pro-ams to begin with and he dropped Pebble Beach from his schedule in 2003. That was in part due to the condition of the greens at the courses, as well as the weather, which can be miserable in February. Rounds routinely hit the six-hour mark, and the event frustrates many players, including Woods. Woods has never played in the Hope and probably won’t for quite some time. Reportedly, Woods wasn’t happy with a comment a tournament official made about him and isn’t making any plans to include the tournament in his schedule. When asked if there was a chance of him playing in the Hope, Woods’ answer wasn’t very optimistic. “Well, there’s always a chance,” Woods said. >>A WIE BIT OF A PROBLEM When Michelle Wie was inundated with interview requests in November’s Casio World Open in Japan, one of the requests was a bit odd. It was from a magazine that had the name of a popular golf equipment company, but further checking by tournament officials discovered it was a regional adult magazine, according to a Japanese tabloid. The interview request was politely declined. >>NOT SKIRTING THE ISSUE It was exactly what The Skins Game needed — a little showmanship. The contest has gotten dull, but Fred Funk came to the rescue. When Annika Sorenstam outdrove Funk on the third hole, Funk was presented a skirt by Annika to wear for the rest of the hole. The two had set the stunt up a month ago and Funk was hoping it would come later than the third hole. The best line of the tournament was uttered by Tiger. Funk was lining up his putt on the green with the skirt over his pants and, while he was crouching, he asked Tiger which way he thought the putt would go. Tiger deadpanned, “I think it’s a ball, maybe two balls out.” >>RUMOR OF THE MONTH The official word on John Daly was that his hand was injured when it got caught in a car door. Word on the range is that Daly punched a wall in anger and hurt it. I wonder if that will show up on the reality television show he is planning on doing? John Reger has been covering professional golf since 1995. If you have a question or comment, e-mail him at cascribe@aol.com. |
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