Longer Course Shortens Odds on Tiger

If the course changes at Augusta National really were meant to prevent his son from winning the Masters, Earl Woods said they got it all wrong. “If they wanted to Tiger-proof it, there is a way,” Earl Woods said. “Use the ladies’ tees, eliminate all the rough, put the pins in the easiest locations and widen the fairways. That brings everybody in the field into the tournament and I guarantee you Tiger wouldn’t win.”

The elder Woods says he mentioned his idea to Hootie Johnson, chairman of Augusta National, at last year’s championship dinner after the tournament ... which Tiger won, by the way, for the second time. Johnson has said the changes were made to keep Augusta National up to date with the advancements in golf equipment technology.

Alterations have been made at seven of Augusta National’s par-four holes and two par-five holes, including such changes as adding nearly 300 yards in all, reshaping bunkers, moving tees, planting trees, grading landing areas and re-grassing greens. In the final analysis, the changes make it easier, not harder, for Woods to win, according to his father.

“What this does is eliminate half the field,” Earl Woods said. “More than half. What are you going to do? Look at the 18th. Uphill, into the wind, 465 yards. What is poor little Fred Funk going to do on the tee box?

“If they had gone with my suggestion, everybody gets to the par-fives in two and you’ve got guys with radar on their wedge shots, like Billy Mayfair and Funk.”

According to Earl Woods, the top players in the world are all long hitters and he expects the Masters champion to come from this group: Tiger, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, David Duval and Vijay Singh. He also gave John Daly an outside chance.

“Not only are they long, but they have short games and they can putt,” he said. “Sure, some have brains between their ears and can manage their games better than others. I’m not going to mention any names.”

As for his son, Earl Woods says Tiger is “getting there” and needs to fine-tune his putting, but also his iron play in order to give himself some makable putts.

“You know, he just matured last year. All of a sudden, you don’t have those shots that go clear over the green and you say ‘Where did that come from?’ Because you’re maturing. Distance control brought on by maturity and when he has that, he’s going to be absolutely incredible.”

Play With Tiger

How much does it cost to play a round of golf with Tiger? “Worldwide, it’s off the chart,” Earl said.

The elder Woods has gotten together with Ebay to set up an auction, April 4-14, for a round of golf with Woods. The outing will be scheduled later and held at Tiger’s home course at Isleworth Country Club in Windermere, Fla. The event benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation.

Slump News

Isn’t it funny how perceptions change? Woods waited until the middle of March to win his first tournament of the year, and now his sense of timing looks impeccable.

In case you’re keeping score at home, Woods is the defending champion in five of the six tournaments he has played or will play--he won last week at Bay Hill, won last year at the Players Championship and at the Masters, tied for third at the Byron Nelson, won the Deutsche Bank/SAP Open and won the Memorial.

Is This Harsh?

Mickelson had a two-shot lead on the last day at Bay Hill but bogeyed four of the last five holes and ended up five shots behind Woods.

Apparently, that failed to impress Ron Sirak of Golfdigest.com.

Wrote Sirak: “This guy can find more ways to lose than the 1962 New York Mets and he has more excuses than an Enron executive.”

Or Is This?

From Gary Smits of the Florida Times-Union, commenting on the constantly heckled Colin Montgomerie, returning to the U.S. this week at the Players Championship. Wrote Smits: “Monty has ears that can pick up a dog whistle from three fairways away.”

Runyan: 1908-2002

Paul Runyan’s death Sunday at 93 was correctly called the end of an era because Runyan passed some of golf’s earliest signposts and traveled smartly with contemporaries that included Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen and Sam Snead.

Born the son of a dairy farmer in Hot Springs, Ark., Runyan was on the Ryder Cup team in 1933, only the fourth time it was played.

At 25, he was an assistant to club pro Craig Wood at Forest Hills in White Plains, N.Y.

In 1934, Runyan beat Wood for the first of his two PGA Championships.

Runyan also played in the first Masters, 68 years ago, finishing third behind winner Horton Smith and Wood. Runyan’s death means there is only one living player from the 1934 Masters, 88-year-old Charlie Yates, a boyhood friend of Bobby Jones.

Maybe Peter Lorre

News item: Paul Lawrie signs a multi-year deal to autograph golf collectibles and memorabilia.

Reaction: Paul Lawrie? Was David Gilford already spoken for?

Geography News

No one from continental Europe has won the Players Championship, although Bernhard Langer came closest when he was second to Nick Price in 1993 and to Lee Janzen in 1995.

Sandy Lyle, a Scot, won in 1987 and was the first non-American champion.

Not for Teske

The quote of the week is from Annika Sorenstam, who blew a four-shot lead, bogeyed the last two holes and then lost to Rachel Teske in a playoff Sunday at the LPGA’s Ping Banner Health at Phoenix. Sorenstam’s assessment of her performance: “Pretty pathetic

More Filling

News item: Everyone who wins one of the 10 events that are part of the State Farm LPGA Series gets a bonus--free tanks of gasoline for a year from Shell.

Reaction: That’ll get you pumped up.

Name Game

News item: Sun Hee Lee changes her name to Sunny Lee.

Reaction: That’s what John Day Lee did too, isn’t it?

Birdies, Bogeys, Pars

Se Ri Pak, Rosie Jones, Lorie Kane, Laura Diaz, Catriona Matthew, Wendy Ward and Mi Hyun Kim have joined Sorenstam and Karrie Webb in the field at the $1-million Office Depot Championship to be played April 5-7 at El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana.

Kevin Sorbo, Norm Crosby, Toni Tennille, Tommy Smothers, Jamie Farr, Mary Hart, John Havlicek, Gale Sayers, Johnny Unitas, Don Meredith, Brooks Robinson, Jim Plunkett and Franco Harris are among the celebrities scheduled to play in the Kraft Nabisco Championship celebrity pro-am Tuesday at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage. Details: (760) 324-4546.

Ron Cey, Al Joyner, Sinjin Smith, Randy Stoklos, Kermit Alexander, Andy Carey, Dick Bass, Mitch Gaylord and Ann Meyers Drysdale are some of the athletes scheduled to play in the Santa Ana Police Department celebrity tournament May 4 at Seacliff Country Club in Huntington Beach. Details: (760) 632-7770.

Rick Fox of the Lakers and Amy Alcott dedicated a 750-square-foot, five-hole putting green for cancer patients at the City of Hope in Duarte.

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Heritage Golf Group of San Diego has acquired Valencia Country Club from Uniden Valencia Inc. The course, which opened in 1965, was designed by the late Robert Trent Jones Sr. and was the site of the SBC Senior Classic two weeks ago.