February 2007 Archives

Brad Kearns just emailed in this tidbit about his farther, Walter, who now has 11 holes-in-one.

On Wednesday, February 28th, 2007, Walter Kearns hit his 11th career hole-in-one at his home course of Lakeside Golf Club. This one came on the 155-yard 15th hole, with a 6-iron. This is his seventh ace since turning 80 in 2002!

Congratulations, Watler. Most of us are still searching for our first hole-in-one!!!

Tiger Woods' PGA Tour win streak is over. It ends at seven matches. Woods just lost to Australian Nick O'Hern in the 20th hole at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. So much for trying to tie Byron Nelson's streak of 11 consecutive PGA Tour wins at the Masters. Won't happen.
Tiger's second shot went left and into the rough and O'Hern's went left into a green-side bunker. O'Hern's bunker shot was about 15 feet short of the hole and Tiger's shot out of the rough was about 18 feet short of the hole. Tiger missed his putt and O'Hern made his putt. It just caught the right side of the hole and didn't look like it would drop, but it did.
Tiger has played hardly any golf this on the PGA Tour this year. Just four rounds of the Buick Invitational and now three matches in the WGC. Wonder if he'll have enough competitive rounds before the Masters?

Tiger Woods just missed a four-foot putt that would've won his match against Nick O'Hern. There was complete silence from the the broadcasters and fans. Tiger NEVER misses those four-five-six foot putts. But he did today. Nick O'Hern missed his birdie putt on the extra hole. And, we're sure even he figured his day was done.

Tiger Woods was down four through seven holes to Nick O'Hern in the WGC-Accenture Match Play...The match was all square through 16 but O'Hern birdied the 17th...Woods needed to make a 5-footer on the 18th hole to extend the match to extra holes and keep his PGA Tour win streak alive. Did you have any doubt that he'd make that putt? Of course he did!
We're in sudden death now...next player to win a hole wins the match

Phil Mickelson's struggles continue. He just lost to Justin Rose, 3 and 1, in the second round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championships in Arizona.
Phil was spotted working with swing coach Butch Harmon on Tuesday, even though his swing coach is Rick Smith. It looked like Phil was back on track with the win at Pebble Beach, his first since his collapse at Winged Foot in the U.S. Open. But, after squandering a one-shot lead with one hole to go at the Nissan Open last week and losing Thursday, Phil will be hard-pressed to defend his title at the Masters in April, which is about six weeks away.

Tiger Woods easily defeated Tim Clark, 5 and 4...His bid to keep his consecutive win streak is still alive. If he wins match play, it will be eight consecutive PGA Tour events.

Phil Mickelson was spotted working with swing coach Butch Harmon before the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona. That wouldn't normally be cause for news, but Mickelson already has a swing coach in Rick Smith. The timing is interesting, considering Lefty went left again on the 18th hole at Riviera on Sunday. He had a one-hole lead with one hole to go, needing only a par to win the Nissan Open. He bogeyed the hole, then bogeyed the third playoff hole and lost to Charles Howell.

Read below on the In the Rough golf blog to follow the Nissan Open's final round and sudden-death playoff Sunday as it happened. Daily News columnist Kevin Modesti was at Riviera Country Club to write the real-time chronicle of Charles Howell III's comeback and Phil Mickelson's disappointment. Scroll down to the entry headed "Live Nissan Open coverage" at 9:54 a.m. Sunday to begin, and scroll up from there to see how it all happened. And read Daily News golf writer Jill Painter's coverage by clicking here and here, and columnist Steve Dilbeck's take here.

Charles Howell III on his second PGA Tour victory and first in five years, achieved at the site of the most maddening of his 10 second-place finishes: "It's been a long time. I've always said Riviera is my favorite golf course other than Augusta. Not only because of all the great players who have played here in history, but because it's the kind of old-time golf course we don't play a lot. To win here, I'm beyond words."

Howell wins $936,000 and goes to the top of the PGA Tour's FedExCup points table.

Of the past 18 Nissan Open winners, Howell, 27, is only the fifth under 30 years of age.

Phil Mickelson on his disastrous chip shot from 90 feet away on the ninth green, where he chunked it, leading to a bogey: "I've practiced that shot a lot (with a 9-iron), and I've never had that happen, where the club just digs (into the grass). Normally it slides right underneath."

Mickelson on losing a three-shot lead: "I had the tournament in control. I just had to par the last hole (he bogeyed). I certainly will look back and say I let a lot of opportunities slip away."

For Mickelson, this snapped a streak of seven playoff victories on the PGA Tour, the only other defeat coming against Jesper Parnevik at the 2000 Byron Nelson Classic.

1. Charles Howell III, -16, won on third extra hole
2. Phil Mickelson, -16
T3. Ernie Els, Robert Allenby, Jim Furyk, -13
6. Sergio Garcia, -11
7. Padraig Harrington, -10
8. Pat Perez, -9
T9. Anthony Kim, Rocco Mediate, Jeff Quinney, Rory Sabbatini, -8

Attendance: 45,677, about 7,500 more than Sunday in 2006

Los Angeles golf fans discovered Charles Howell III five years, almost to the day, before his Nissan Open victory Sunday. He blistered the front 9 on the Saturday in 2002. Scroll down to read my column from that coming-out party.

Charles Howell's long two-putt on the 14th hole closes out Phil Mickelson in a three-hole playoff tha's the Nissan Open's longest in a quarter-century. No less than Tom Watson beat none other than Johnny Miller on the third extra hole in 1982 in what was then the Glen Campbell Los Angeles Open.

Phil Mickelson's putt from the fringe takes a hop and comes up maybe 10 feet short of the flagstick, and that's the final twist of a gut-wrenching Sunday at Riviera Country Club. Charles Howell's chip almost goes in, going four feet past on the right. Mickelson misses the par putt. Now it's up to Howell ... who hammers home the birdie putt for the win! Howell takes off his cap, looks skyward in relief, and accepts handshakes all around. Good for him, a smart, courteous, hard-working kid to whom this obviously matters a lot.

It's a 176-yard par-3. Phil Mickelson's 7-iron is way short, barely on the green. Charles Howell's 7 fluffs up right next to Phil's. Anybody know what time it gets dark out here? At the start of the playoff, all the pressure and significance was on Howell's shoulders, the 27-year-old from Augusta, Ga., having 10 seconds to go with only one win on the PGA Tour. Wonder if, as the playoff goes on, his nerves will have settled.

Phil Mickelson's long catches the rough and leaves him a 12-foot putt for the birdie and the win. The putt slides left of the cup and almost three feet past. Mickelson and Charles Howell both make their short putts, and we go to the 14th.

Charles Howell knocks his drive (a 3-wood) onto a cart path behind some trees to the left of the fairway on the 314-yard 10th hole. Phil Mickelson drives into the fairway. Howell could take a free drop but elects to hit right off the pavement to take advantage of a clear opening through the tree trunks. But his wedge shot strikes a tree branch and ends up in the rough left of the green. Howell hits again, his third shot, to within two feet of the cup. A weird, desperate par seems likely now.

Charles Howell sinks the pressure putt, and Phil Mickelson claps him on the shoulder as they walk on to the 10th tee, the second hole of sudden death. The 10th is where Howell lost the 2003 playoff to Mike Weir. Is this good stuff, or what? Yeah, it's good stuff.

Sudden-death playoff, 18th hole. Phil Mickelson's long putt fromthe right fringe almost bends in! He taps in for par to put all kinds of pressure on Charles Howell. And now Howell's chip comes up 4 feet short! The tournament comes down to this putt.

Phil Mickelson's second shot crosses to the right fringe of the green, and he'll have a long putt for birdie. Charles Howell's skips over the green, leaving a chip with little room to roll. Rate Mickelson a slight advantage.

They start at the 18th, and (if necessary) will go to the 10th, then the 14th, then the 18th. Phil Mickelson drives left, same as minutes ago on 18, which didn't work out too well. Charles Howell drives right, like last time, which worked out better. So they're in the rough, and stay tuned.

Oh, right, never mind.

Phil Mickelson's 18-inch tap-in makes it a bogey on the 72nd hole and a tie with Charles Howell at -16. We'll drop the "III" after Howell's name, assuming you know it's not his father or grandfather out here. Phil shot a 68 today, Charles a 65 -- best Sunday among the leaders. The sudden-death playoff will start at the 18th tee.

Third place is settled. It's a tie for Ernie Els, Robert Allenby and Jim Furyk at -13.

Charles Howell chipped to 10 feet and sneaked the par putt into the left side of the cup. he's smiling for the first time in an hour. Phil Mickelson sets up from the left rough, the ball a little above his feet ... and leaves his approach shot short and left of the green. Mickelson must get up and down to win in regulation. Otherwise, it could be the Nissan Open's fifth playoff in the past decade. One of those, in 2003, Howell lost to Mike Weir. He's called it his most frustrating defeat.

Phil Mickelson left his 25-foot eagle putt at the 17th hole about a foot short, but he tapped for birdie to get back to -17 and take a one-stroke lead over Charles Howell III. A minute later, Howell's second shot on No. 18 came out of the right fairway rough weakly and rolled up short of the green. He'll have to get up and down to par and then hope Mickelson flubs on 18. And now this! Mickelson drives into the left rough on 18. It's far from over, and for the 10th year in a row, the Nissan is going to be won or lost on the 72nd green.

Basically, it's down to Charles Howell III (through 17 and in the right rough on 18) and Phil Mickelson (through 16 and 25 feet from an eagle on 17), tied at 16 under par. Robert Allenby (through 17) is two strokes back, Ernie Els finished at -13. Today's flop was Paddy Harrington, +3 through 16 and back in a tie for seventh.

Charles Howell III lagged a 50-foot eagle putt at the par-5 17th to within three feet and ... we've typed that much before waiting, waiting ... eased in the birdie putt to tie Phil Mickelson at -16. It's the first time Mickelson has been tied today. Now we're thinking Phil's shirt isn't green, it's a sickly chartreuse.

A final welcome to the Daily News' live commentary on the final round of the 81st Nissan Open from Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades. I'm columnist Kevin Modesti. To get you up to date as leader Phil Mickelson's group plays the 16th hole: Mickelson has been up by as many as three shots but has kept Charles Howell III (one shot back) and Robert Allenby (two back) in contention with a chunked chip shot at the ninth hole and a missed two-foot putt at 13. Howell, a two-time winner and 10-time runner-up on the PGA Tour, has gone from -12 to -15 in six holes.

Hay-fever-ridden Daily News columnist Steve Dilbeck is back from walking the course to report he twice had the urge to sneeze just as a player was about to tee off a few feet away. Dilbeck: "You know how they want you to be so damn quiet it's irritating?" He held off both times. Daily News golf writer Jill Painter got a sudden cough in a similar situation Saturday and managed to hold it down to a soft hacking noise. This is another good argument for never leaving the press tent.

My Pre-Tournament Pick Jim Furyk has gone from -10 to -13 in the span of six holes to pull within three of Phil Mickelson with three holes to go. Furyk takes fourth from Ernie Els, who bogeyed 15 and 16 (into the sand).

It's only a one-stroke gap again between Phil Mickelson and Robert Allenby -- and another shot back to Charles Howell III -- after another twist at the top. Mickelson had a two-foot par putt on No. 13 circle the cup and come out. He also bogeyed No. 13 on Saturday. The only thing that's pretty certain now is that Phil won't threaten the Nissan Open scoring record, the 20-under 264 by 1985 winner Lanny Wadkins.

Tiger Woods' first-round opponent in next week's World Golf Championships match-play tournament in Tucson has changed. Charl Schwartzel of South Africa has withdrawn to avoid a conflict with a competition at home. J.J. Henry moves into the 64th and last spot in the match-play field and will face Woods on Wednesday. Henry finished the Nissan 5 under par, shooting a 68 Sunday in his best round of the tournament, giving him a springboard to an, er, tough next outing.

Pat Perez (-9) and Studio City's Anthony Kim (-8) are finished. So are notables John Daly (-5), David Howell (-4), Corey Pavin (-2), Retief Goosen (even), Tom Lehman (+1) and Kirk Triplett (+1). Pavin and Triplett are Nissan Open winners.

Robert Allenby, the 2001 Nissan winner, birdied the par-5 No. 11 from six feet, pulling within a stroke of Phil Mickelson, only for Mickelson to birdie the same hole with a two-put from 18 feet. Mickelson is -17, Allenby -15, Ernie Els -13. Allenby won the '01 tournament in a six-way playoff. Of losers Brandel Chamblee, Toshi Izawa, Dennis Paulson, Jeff Sluman and Bob Tway, all either skipped this year's Nissan or missed the cut.

As the Nissan Open began Thursday, the press was abuzz about Phil Mickelson's decision to commute from the San Diego area by private jet each day so he could spend nights with his family. Would it help his golf? Would it distract him? The funny thing is that by Saturday, when Mickelson did a post-round press conference, reporters weren't even asking him about the commute anymore. Maybe it feels normal already. You know, if Mickelson (66-65-69 the first three rounds) wins the Nissan, he might inspire a trend. Everybody making $47 million a year is going to start flying back and forth during tournaments.

Having chunked that chip from the edge of the ninth green, leading to a bogey, Phil Mickelson just holed out from the back left fringe of the 10th, giving him a huge birdie. Mickelson drove to the right rough on the par-4, bounced his wedge shot over the green, then used a 3-wood to roll the ball in from 21 feet. He's 16 under par again and two strokes up on Ernie Els and Robert Allenby. Mickelson is rarely boring.

Phil Mickelson has bogeyed No. 9 after chunking a chip shot from nearly 100 feet -- it traveled about 15 feet. A minute later, Ernie Els birdied No. 10. Mickelson (-15) sees his lead go from three strokes to a nervous one. Here's the top 10 shortly after 1 o'clock: 1. Mickelson -15; 2. Els -14, 3. Robert Allenby -13; T4. Charles Howell III, Rich Beem -12; T6. Sergio Garcia, Paddy Harrington -11; T8. Rory Sabbatini, Jim Furyk -10; 10. Pat Perez -9.

Anthony Kim (Studio City) is -6 through 16 holes and -7 for the tournament, moving up to a tie for 13th. Minus 16 is the best Sunday round so far. Pat Perez is -5 today, -8 for the week, tied for 10th.

Ernie Els is through nine holes at 4 under par, 13 under for the tournament, tied with Rich Beem for second place. But they're still three back of Phil Mickelson. Els might come to curse a missed opportunity moments ago on 9, where a short birdie putt lipped out.

The galleries look huge again today, likely to top the 38,147 who attended Sunday at the soggy Nissan Open in 2006. Apparently L.A.'s golf fans forgot that because Tiger Woods' absence might reduce TV ratings, they weren't supposed to be able to enjoy the tournament. The Los Angeles Times reported this week that without Tiger, "they're shedding tears in the CBS production truck." I guess people here have the appropriate attitude about TV ratings -- they don't give a crying truck.

CBS's Jim Nantz just opened the Nissan Open telecast by saying Phil Mickelson is being chased by "a decorated assemblage."

Welcome again to live coverage of the Nissan Open from Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades. It's being written by Daily News columnist Kevin Modesti. Birdies on the par-4 fifth hole by Phil Mickelson (from four feet) and Rich Beem have just sent Phil to -16 and Beem to -13. Ernie Els' birdie at the par-4 seventh made him -13 as well. But as the Daily News told you this morning in a chart showing the last nine Nissans were decided on the 72nd green or in playoffs, it would be a mistake to think anybody's about to run away with the contest. Mickelson has made four bogeys in the tournament, all on the back nine.

Geoff Ogilvy, the Australian who took advantage of Phil Mickelson's 72nd-hole disaster to win the U.S. Open, has shot himself out of contention at the Nissan Open. Ogilvy was -8 and tied for ninth overnight. He's +4 today and all the way down to T32nd. He cracked between holes 3 and 7, going bogey-bogey-double bogey-birdie-bogey.

Studio City's Anthony Kim, at 21 the youngest rookie on the PGA Tour, is four under par through 10 holes today and -5 for the tournament. He's up to a tie for 23rd, along with major winners Jose Maria Olazabal and Ben Curtis. Keep it up, and it's Kim's best showing this year.

Phil Mickelson is -2 through two holes and -15 for the week, while his third-round pursuer Paddy Harrington is even to drop into a second-place tie at -12 with Ernie Els, Robert Allenby and Rich Beem. Jim Furyk (my pre-tournament pick at the Words & Numbers blog) is hanging in, alone in sixth at -11. If he moves up, his name will change to My Pre-Tournament Pick Jim Furyk.

At the second tee, somebody the gallery yelled, "Come on, Phil! Tiger who?" This after a small group of Phil Phanatics on the first hole chanted a rhythmic "Let's go, Phi-il!" So we know who's the public favorite today, if we didn't know it before. These Nissan Open moments were relayed to me (Kevin Modesti) from Daily News golf writer Jill Painter and columnist Steve Dilbeck, who are walking the course with the leaders. You'll enjoy their tournament coverage in Monday's Daily News. More from the front: Phil Mickelson is wearing a green shirt and black pants, Rich Beem black over tan, Paddy Harrington red over black. "Sunday red," Jill points out.

John Daly, almost certainly too far back (-3 at the start of the day) to have a chance at winning, opened his Sunday round eagle-birdie and is -6 for the tournament with nine holes to play. Big John has moved up to a tie for 15th. His best finish this year was a tie for 28th. Phil Mickelson and Rich Beem birdied the first hole while Paddy Harrington parred it, and Ernie Els birdied 1 and 2. So the top of the leader board reads 1. Mickelson -14, T2. Harrington and Beem -12; T4. Els, Robert Allenby and Charles Howell III -11. No promises that we'll keep up this sense of urgency all afternoon, but it's kind of exciting to have the leaders on the course, huh?

Of the 21 players in today's final seven groups, 15 are either Nissan winners (Robert Allenby, -10; Ernie Els, -9; Rory Sabbatini, -7), major winners (Phil Mickelson, -13; Rich Beem, -11; Jim Furyk, -9; Els; Ben Curtis, -6; Steve Elkington, -6; Vijay Singh, -5), or Nissan top-10 finishers in the past five years (Beem; Charles Howell III, -10; K.J. Choi, -8; Briny Baird, -7; John Rollins, -7; Aaron Baddeley, -6; Jose Maria Olazabal, -5).

If Tiger Woods' absence has crushed fan interest in the Nissan Open, you can't tell by the attendance reports. Compared to 2006 -- when Tiger was here -- the crowd at Riviera on Thursday (20,178) was up by about 1,000, the crowd Friday (35,992) was up about 9,000, and the crowd Saturday (44,137) was up more than 16,000. The differences from last year to this are 1.) nicer weather and 2.) a more intriguing field overall even without the world's top-ranked player.

Welcome to the Daily News' commentary on the Nissan Open's final round as it happens. It'll be written by columnist Kevin Modesti direct from Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades. In years past we might have said "if it happens," since this PGA Tour event has been a magnet for rain. But the weather has been great all week in 2007, and there are only white clouds and a light breeze now at about 10 a.m. The forecast is for temps of 69 degrees at noon and 67 at 3 p.m. If Phil Mickelson can shoot a score like those today, he'll probably win his second tournament in a row. Mickelson (13 under par overnight) and lead-group mates Padraig Harrington (12 under) and Rich Beem (11 under) go off the first tee at 10:30 a.m. If a balky laptop cooperates, we'll be popping up in this space with news and views as events warrant.

For Kevin Na, 2006 was a lost season.
The 23-year-old from Rancho Cucamonga, coming off successful 2005 PGA Tour campaign in which he cracked $1 million in earnings for the first time, was limited to 11 events after slamming his hand in a car door in January. He made only five cuts and $146,099, which put him 205th on the money list.
"It was a bad year from a players' standpoint, but I was hurt," said Na, who shot a 2-under 69 in Saturday's third round to move into a tie for 19th at 5 under.
His lone bright spot last season came in a rehabilitation start at the Nationwide Tour's Mark Christopher Charity Classic in his hometown, which he won.
After finishing no higher than a tie for 67th in three previous PGA Tour starts this season, Na is glad to be playing well at Riviera.
"This is home," he said. "I look forward to this event every year."

Anthony Kim of Studio City made a fashion statement Saturday, wearing one white shoe and one black shoe.
"I had to make myself stand out. My game wasn't doing it," said Kim, who shot an even-par 71 in the third round to remain at 1 under for the tournament. "I just took two pairs of shoes and put them in one box."
Kim, who wore a white shirt and black pants with a belt that featured his initials on the buckle, said he received several comments from the gallery about his attire.
"They said I was the best-dressed guy out here," he said.

Rich Beem aced the par-3, 177-yard 14th hole with a 7-iron. He won a Nissan, to boot. Beem was so excited he won the car, he ran over to it, climbed on it and threw his arms and legs up in the air while on the roof. Beem made a name for himself by winning in the 2002 PGA Championship. He hasn't won since. He's four shots behind leader Phil Mickelson.

Players with local ties to make the cut were:
Corey Pavin, UCLA, 4-under 138;
Tom Lehman, ex-Wood Ranch pro, 3-under 139;
Tom Pernice Jr., UCLA, 3-under 139;
Anthony Kim, Studio City, 1-under 141;
Kevin Stadler, USC, even-par 142.

Those missing the cut were:
John Merrick, UCLA, 3-over 145;
David Berganio Jr., Granada Hills, 4-over 146;
Steve Conway, UCLA, 4-over 146;
Duffy Waldorf, UCLA, 5-over 147;
Scott Miller, Simi Valley, 11-over 153;
Jason Gore, Hart/Pepperdine, 77-WD.

Temperatures were expected to reach the mid-70s Saturday at Riviera under mostly sunny skies.

The PGA Tour meteorologist, however, predicts an upper level disturbance will move close to the Southern California coast Sunday. That will provide partly cloudy skies with cooler temperatures in the 60s for the final round.

Phil Mickelson birdied the first two holes Saturday to move to 13-under par and take a two-stroke lead on Padraig Harrington, who shared the overnight lead with Mickelson.

When Tour rookie George McNeill had an eagle on the par-5 finishing hole at the Sony Open in Hawaii earlier this season, he learned the importance of every stroke.
That moved him into a tie for 13th in the tournament. The difference between a par and an eagle on that hole put an extra $54,000 in McNeill's pocket.
"Every shot counts," said McNeill, who earned his tour card by winning the PGA's qualifying tournament last fall. "Especially for someone in my shoes."
So when McNeill stood over a 40-foot putt on the ninth green late Friday afternoon as darkness set in, he marked his ball and picked up for the night, as allowed by the Tour's rules.
That meant McNeill was the only player not to finish the second round. He returned to Riviera early Saturday and two-putted for par.
"I'm the reason nobody could figure out their (tee) times until 7:03 this morning," said McNeill, who got some good-natured ribbing from the other pros about that.
McNeill said he was able to hit his approach shot to the ninth green Friday because his tee shot went so far right that his ball was illuminated by lights from the Golf Channel's makeshift studio. But when he got to the green, he couldn't see a thing.
"I was trying to read (the putt) and I thought it was flat," McNeill said.
When McNeill returned Saturday, he realized he faced an uphill putt with a right-to-left break.
"I don't know if I could've two-putted (in the dark)," McNeill said. "I don't know if I could've three-putted."
As it turned out, McNeill would've had to use five putts to fail to make the cut.
"I've five-putted before," he joked.

Jason Gore (Hart High of Newhall/Pepperdine University) withdrew before beginning play in the second round.

A PGA Tour official said Gore, who shot a 6-over 77 Thursday, cited "personal reasons."

After Phil Mickelson won last week at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, he got a congratulatory phone call from LPGA Hall of Famer Amy Alcott, an old friend.

"I just told him great players win at great golf courses," Alcott said. "And if I could be of any help (this week), that I live just down the street."

Alcott, who has been a member at Riviera since she was a teenager and lives in a home adjacent to the green on the sixth hole, gave Mickelson some pointers during Wednesday's practice round.

Course-management coach isn't the only title Alcott keeps these days.

She's designing a golf course in North Carolina (she previously co-designed Indian Canyons in Palm Springs), is preparing to play at the Kraft Nabisco Championship (where she's a three-time winner), and is working on a book, due out in March 2008, entitled "Spiked Shoes: Golf Lessons, Life Lessons."

Alcott said the book will consist of a series of interviews she has done with some of the famous people she has met, including golfer Laura Baugh, Presidents Bill Clinton and Gerald Ford, broadcasters Jim Nantz and Jack Whitaker, and CEOs from some of the biggest corporations in the country.

"By virtue of growing up in L.A. and being a people person," said Alcott, "I've met some of the most interesting people in the world."

Retief Goosen had a hole-in-one on the par-3 16th hole during Friday's second round.

Goosen used a 7-iron on the 165-yard hole.

Temperatures reached the mid-70s Friday afternoon under sunny skies.

The forecast for Saturday calls for mostly sunny skies with breezy conditions during the morning, with winds subsiding by midday. The high is expected to reach 75.

Sunday calls for partly cloudy skies and cooler temperatures, with a high of 67.

As he approached the Riviera clubhouse following his round Friday, Scott Miller stopped to sign autographs for three young fans who had their Nissan Open caps filled with signatures of some of the game's best players.

For Miller, a golf professional at North Ranch Country Club in Westlake Village who earned a spot in the Nissan through a qualifying tournament, this was his week in the big leagues.

"This is a great experience. I'm lucky to be out here," Miller said. "Unfortunately, I didn't bring my 'A' game."

Miller, who made the cut as a qualifier at the Nissan last year, shot rounds of 78 and 75 to finish at 11-over 153.

Still, he couldn't complain. He estimated he had about 50-60 fans, either members at North Ranch or friends and family, following him Friday.

"I don't know if I can put it into words," Miller said of his week on the PGA Tour. "I'm a club pro. Just hitting the first tee ball in front of that size gallery is very cool."

With the exception of former USC standout Kevin Stadler, who shot a 4-under 67, players with local ties didn't fare well in the opening round.

Corey Pavin (UCLA) and Anthony Kim (Studio City) were tied for 72nd at 1-over 72. Tom Lehman (former Wood Ranch pro) was tied for 88th at 73. Former UCLA standouts John Merrick (74) and Duffy Waldorf (75) were tied for 99th and 117th, respectively.

Jason Gore (Hart High/Pepperdine) and David Berganio Jr. (Granada Hills) were tied for 113rd after shooting 6-over 77s.

And Scott Miller (Simi Valley) was one of six players left on the course when darkness suspended play. Miller was at 7 over through 16 holes, and will have to complete the remainder of his round this morning.

Play was suspended at 5:50 p.m. Thursday with six players yet to complete their opening round, including Scott Miller of Simi Valley.

Miller, who is a golf professional at North Ranch of Westlake Village, was at 7 over through 16 holes.

Miller and the other players who were unable to finish (Paul McGinley, 2 under; Tripp Isenhour, 1 under; Robert Garrigus, even par; Rich Barcelo, 4 over; and Ryan Armour, 5 over) are scheduled to return to the course at 8 a.m. Friday to complete their rounds.

; are scheduled to retur

Phil Mickelson, who hadn't played the Nissan since 2001, got some tips Wednesday from LPGA Hall of Famer Amy Alcott, who is a member at Riviera.

Pat Perez, who like Mickelson shot a 5-under 66 in the opening round, received instruction the same day from a much unlikely source: actor Joe Pesci.

"I worked with Pesci on my putting," Perez admitted. "He actually made sense for once."

Perez said he usually plays a round with Pesci at Lakeside prior to the Nissan Open.

"He said, 'Just barely hold the putter ... you're doing this and doing that,' and he got some other words in there, too. But basically, just hold it and let it swing and feel how far you want to hit it."

The advice apparently worked, as Perez made 15 of 17 putts of less than 10 feet. He converted three birdies in the 13- to 14-foot range.

Of course, it also helped that Perez made three more birdies of less than 3 feet, what he termed "kick-ins."

"I was working on so many things (with the swing and putting)," said Perez, "that I didn't even concentrate on what my score was."

FRIDAY'S NISSAN OPEN TEE TIMES

No. 1 tee
7 a.m. — Harrison Frazar, Pat Perez, David Berganio Jr.
7:10 a.m. — Jonathan Byrd, Bob Tway, Alex Cejka
7:20 a.m. — Rocco Mediate, Jose Maria Olazabal, Justin Rose
7:30 a.m. — Dean Wilson, Corey Pavin, Tom Lehman
7:40 a.m. — Aaron Baddeley, Brad Faxon, Kenny Perry
7:50 a.m. — Joe Durant, Kirk Triplett, Ted Purdy
8 a.m. — Geoff Ogilvy, Sean O’Hair, Sergio Garcia
8:10 a.m. — Luke Donald, Justin Leonard, Zach Johnson
8:20 a.m. — Woody Austin, Jason Dufner, Jeff Gove
8:30 a.m. — Ian Poulter, Hunter Mahan, Shingo Katayama
8:40 a.m. — Tripp Isenhour, Ryan Armour, Paul McGinley
8:50 a.m. — Robert Garrigus, Rich Barcelo, Scott Miller
11:30 a.m. — Matt Kuchar, Len Mattiace, Nick Watney
11:40 a.m. — Nick O’Hern, Bill Haas, Robert Karlsson
11:50 a.m. — Steve Flesch, Billy Andrade, Matthew Goggin
Noon — Trevor Immelman, Tim Petrovic, Mike Weir
12:10 p.m. — Stephen Ames, David Toms, David Duval
12:20 p.m. — Jim Furyk, Bart Bryant, Rich Beem
12:30 p.m. — Charley Hoffman, Troy Matteson, Steve Elkington
12:40 p.m. — Phil Mickelson, Vaughn Taylor, Ernie Els
12:50 p.m. — Kevin Sutherland, Duffy Waldorf, Briny Baird
1 p.m. — John Daly, J.P. Hayes, Bob Estes
1:10 p.m. — Cliff Kresge, Ken Duke, Johnson Wagner
1:20 p.m. — Jeff Quinney, Anders Hansen, Geoffrey Dean

No. 10 tee
7 a.m. — Charles Howell III, Mathias Gronberg, David Branshaw
7:10 a.m. — Ryan Palmer, Mark Hensby, Kent Jones
7:20 a.m. — Brian Gay, Charles Warren, Camilo Villegas
7:30 a.m. — Adam Scott, Peter Lonard, Fred Funk
7:40 a.m. — John Senden, Heath Slocum, Todd Hamilton
7:50 a.m. — Lucas Glover, Robert Gamez, Scott Verplank
8 a.m. — John Rollins, Stuart Appleby, Jeff Sluman
8:10 a.m. — Ben Curtis, Shaun Micheel, Tom Pernice Jr.
8:20 a.m. — Shigeki Maruyama, Billy Mayfair, David Howell
8:30 a.m. — Angel Cabrera, Brian Davis, Bubba Watson
8:40 a.m. — John Mallinger, Anthony Kim, Ross Marcano
8:50 a.m. — Kevin Stadler, Matt Hendrix, Toru Taniguchi
11:30 a.m. — Joey Sindelar, Bo Van Pelt, Daisuke Maruyama
11:40 a.m. — Richard S. Johnson, Michael Allen, Ryan Moore
11:50 a.m. — Craig Barlow, Kevin Na, Ryuji Imada
Noon — Eric Axley, Rory Sabbatini, Steve Wheatcroft
12:10 p.m. — Will MacKenzie, Chris Couch, Ben Crane
12:20 p.m. — J.J. Henry, Chad Campbell, Padraig Harrington
12:30 p.m. — K.J. Choi, Rod Pampling, Jason Bohn
12:40 p.m. — Carl Pettersson, Jason Gore, Stewart Cink
12:50 p.m. — Vijay Singh, Wes Short Jr., Retief Goosen
1 p.m. — Cameron Beckman, Brett Quigley, Nathan Green
1:10 p.m. — Frank Lickliter II, Robert Allenby, Daniel Chopra
1:20 p.m. — George McNeill, John Merrick, Steve Conway

Ernie Els got swept up in the wave of support for playing partner Phil Mickelson, rallying for a 3-under 32 on his second nine (the front), to shoot a 69.

"I thought the crowds were great," Els said. "You know, playing with Phil _ he's a native California boy, so there was a lot of support for him.

"Phil played awful _ I mean awesome," Els joked.

"I scraped it around for the most part, but kept it between the left rough and right rough."

- Briny Baird
after spending an hour or so on the driving range following his opening-round 5-under 66, which tied him for second with Phil Mickelson, three shots behind Padraig Harrington.

As Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Vaughn Taylor were waiting to tee off on the par-3 sixth hole, something happened to disturb a gigantic bee hive and hundreds of bees swarmed the fairway, sending fans scrambling. After the trio teed off, Mickelson and Els calmly walked down the fairway while Taylor jogged and tried to run around the bees.
A few minutes later, tournament chairman Mike Ortega said he was aware of the problem and a maintenance crew was on its way to spray the area.

Mike Ortega, the Nissan's tournament chairman, had a strange way of trying to ensure that it wouldn't rain this year.
``I did a lot of praying and dancing to get good weather,'' Ortega said.
Whatever works.

Temperatures reached the mid-70s Thursday at Riviera Country Club under sunny skies.

The extended outlook for Friday and Saturday calls for mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the mid- to upper-70s, with winds from the northeast at 10-15 mph.

Sunday's forecast is partly cloudy and cooler, with highs in the upper-60s.

Padraig Harrington birdied the first three holes on the front nine and the first four on the back nine in shooting an 8-under 63 to take the early first-round lead.

THURSDAY'S NISSAN OPEN TEE TIMES

No. 1 tee
7 a.m. — Joey Sindelar, Bo Van Pelt, Daisuke Maruyama
7:10 a.m. — Richard S. Johnson, Michael Allen, Ryan Moore
7:20 a.m. — Craig Barlow, Kevin Na, Ryuji Imada
7:30 a.m. — Eric Axley, Rory Sabbatini, Steve Wheatcroft
7:40 a.m. — Will MacKenzie, Chris Couch, Ben Crane
7:50 a.m. — J.J. Henry, Chad Campbell, Padraig Harrington
8 a.m. — K.J. Choi, Rod Pampling, Jason Bohn
8:10 a.m. — Carl Pettersson, Jason Gore, Stewart Cink
8:20 a.m. — Vijay Singh, Wes Short Jr., Retief Goosen
8:30 a.m. — Cameron Beckman, Brett Quigley, Nathan Green
8:40 a.m. — Frank Lickliter II, Robert Allenby, Daniel Chopra
8:50 a.m. — George McNeill, John Merrick, Steve Conway
11:30 a.m. — Charles Howell III, Mathias Gronberg, David Branshaw
11:40 a.m. — Ryan Palmer, Mark Hensby, Kent Jones
11:50 a.m. — Brian Gay, Charles Warren, Camilo Villegas
Noon — Adam Scott, Peter Lonard, Fred Funk
12:10 p.m. — John Senden, Heath Slocum, Todd Hamilton
12:20 p.m. — Lucas Glover, Robert Gamez, Scott Verplank
12:30 p.m. — John Rollins, Stuart Appleby, Jeff Sluman
12:40 p.m. — Ben Curtis, Shaun Micheel, Tom Pernice Jr.
12:50 p.m. — Shigeki Maruyama, Billy Mayfair, David Howell
1 p.m. — Angel Cabrera, Brian Davis, Bubba Watson
1:10 p.m. — John Mallinger, Anthony Kim, Ross Marcano
1:20 p.m. — Kevin Stadler, Matt Hendrix, Toru Taniguchi

No. 10 tee
7 a.m. — Matt Kuchar, Len Mattiace, Nick Watney
7:10 a.m. — Nick O’Hern, Bill Haas, Robert Karlsson
7:20 a.m. — Steve Flesch, Billy Andrade, Matthew Goggin
7:30 a.m. — Trevor Immelman, Tim Petrovic, Mike Weir
7:40 a.m. — Stephen Ames, David Toms, David Duval
7:50 a.m. — Jim Furyk, Bart Bryant, Rich Beem
8 a.m. — Charley Hoffman, Troy Matteson, Steve Elkington
8:10 a.m. — Phil Mickelson, Vaughn Taylor, Ernie Els
8:20 a.m. — Kevin Sutherland, Duffy Waldorf, Briny Baird
8:30 a.m. — John Daly, J.P. Hayes, Bob Estes
8:40 a.m. — Cliff Kresge, Ken Duke, Johnson Wagner
8:50 a.m. — Jeff Quinney, Anders Hansen, Geoffrey Dean
11:30 a.m. — Harrison Frazar, Pat Perez, David Berganio Jr.
11:40 a.m. — Jonathan Byrd, Bob Tway, Alex Cejka
11:50 a.m. — Rocco Mediate, Jose Maria Olazabal, Justin Rose
Noon — Dean Wilson, Corey Pavin, Tom Lehman
12:10 p.m. — Aaron Baddeley, Brad Faxon, Kenny Perry
12:20 p.m. — Joe Durant, Kirk Triplett, Ted Purdy
12:30 p.m. — Geoff Ogilvy, Sean O’Hair, Sergio Garcia
12:40 p.m. — Luke Donald, Justin Leonard, Zach Johnson
12:50 p.m. — Woody Austin, Jason Dufner, Jeff Gove
1 p.m. — Ian Poulter, Hunter Mahan, Shingo Katayama
1:10 p.m. — Tripp Isenhour, Ryan Armour, Paul McGinley
1:20 p.m. — Robert Garrigus, Rich Barcelo, Scott Miller

Defending Nissan Open champion Rory Sabbatini won Wednesday's pro-am with a 16-under 55.
There was a logjam for second place, with Adam Scott, Brad Faxon, Rich Beem, Mike Weir, David Toms, Retief Goosen, Vaughn Taylor and Troy Matteson all tied at 56.

Columnist Kevin Modesti forwarded me this interesting article from the English newspaper Daily Mail. Now this is the first plausible thing I've heard about why Tiger might be skipping the Nissan Open this year. Very interesting.
Here's the article by Derek Lawrenson.
===============================
Woods wedge shot
Tiger plays hard to get as he turns the screw on U.S. Tour
By DEREK LAWRENSON -
Do we buy the official explanation that he wants to spend time at home with his pregnant wife, Elin? Only if we're gullible.

How about the idea that he is miffed at what happened last year when, addled with flu, he took hours to negotiate the hideous Friday traffic with the consequence that his condition worsened and he had to withdraw the following day? Only if we think him too precious by half.

Another conspiracy theory has it that he is concerned about his remarkable record of seven consecutive victories on the U.S Tour. The L.A Open is the only event in which Woods has played at least three times and never won.

Miss this tournament, the theory goes, and he has a clear run of events through to the Masters where he has been a serial winner, thereby giving him a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of equalling the record of 11 consecutive wins that Byron Nelson set in the war-torn days of 1945, when fields were weak.

Pursuasive? Hardly. The day Woods shirks a challenge is the day he packs up.

So what is eating Tiger? Why miss a hometown event he has played in every year bar one since turning pro?

The most credible explanation focuses on the increasingly fractious battle of wills going on behind the scenes between Woods and U.S Tour commissioner, Tim Finchem.

Here we have two control freaks refusing to give an inch. Woods was furious with Finchem when the only date he offered him for his Target World Challenge event last year was the week before Christmas, which left him no chance of attracting South Africans like Ernie Els and Retief Goosen.

Woods responded by pulling out of the Mercedes Championship in Hawaii last month. This left Finchem to answer some awkward questions from the sponsor as to why they were being asked to plough $8 million into an event rewarding last year's tournament winners when the man who won nine times was a no-show.

Woods then requested a Thanksgiving date for his Target event this year. Finchem gave him the week before Christmas.

The problem for Finchem is it's hard to see how he can win. Only last week the plug was pulled on the International tournament in Denver, with the organiser specifically citing the fact they could never attract Woods.

Finchem would like to see Woods play in U.S Tour events outside his normal run - there are nine in which he has never competed - but there is no chance of that. Just the opposite.

For one glance at Woods's schedule on his website must make uncomfortable reading for the commissioner. The four majors are there, as are the three world championship events, plus two tournaments where he is fullfilling sponsors' commitments - and, er, that's it.

In other words, the only tournaments run solely by the U.S Tour that Woods is sure to play in are two where he is contractually obliged. It is not so much a schedule as an ultimatum: if you want me to add more, give me more.

As things stand, there is every chance that Woods will not play in the 15 events required to be a U.S Tour member. What happens then?

Right now, it must be dawning on Finchem that he needs Woods far more than Tiger needs the U.S Tour. The overwhelming priority for Woods is getting past Jack Nicklaus's total of 18 majors, and he can achieve that without being a member.

Non-U.S Tour cardholders can play the majors, world championship events, the Players' Championship and accept four sponsor's invitations. Throw in a couple of overseas tournaments, and that is all the competitive golf Woods needs.

But where would that leave the $275 million U.S Tour? The bottom line is that while names such as Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk, Els, Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia, Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington add lustre to any event, and certainly this week's L.A Open, it was Woods who was responsible for the tour's exponential growth - and what Woods gave, he can take away.

It was almost 10 years ago, but Ernie Els once held the world's No. 1 ranking. Tiger might not be here, but that doesn't mean he's not talked about. Els was asked about playing against Tiger and if he's playing his best, can anybody beat him.
``That's the million dollar question, isn't it?'' Els said. ``I think, let's say Tiger played last week, and i heard the conditions were very tough at Pebble Beach...20-under par around those four golf coursees, the way Phil played, that's pretty amazing golf. That would have been a good (thing). If Tiger was in the field and Phil played that way, would Tiger have beaten him. Who knows? Probably. But who knows?''
He went on to talk about his own goals in reaching the Ernie Slam.
``I want to win at a higher level than I've played in the past and I want to win golf tournaments. I want to try to win majors. I want to complete my own Grand Slam. That's what I want to do.''
Els needs to win the Masters and PGA Championship to accomplish that.
Els is playing his first PGA Tour event of the year.

The weather couldn't be better in L.A. right now and Nissan open golfers couldn't be happier...but the traffic is another thing...Kevin Na, who grew up in Los Angeles, went to Korea Town for dinner.
``Oooooh,'' Na said. ``It took us about an hour and a half.''

Also, Dudley Hart withdrew Wednesday and was replaced by Jason Dufner.

Raindrops could be heard on the media tent at the Nissan Open on Thursday...But, it was just a sprinkling and it didn't last long. This is the first year that in a long time there's no rain in the forecast.
``It should be pretty clear long range,’’ Nissan Open tournament director Tom Pulchinski said. ``It’ll be interesting to see people out there with a bright ball and sky. That would be called the sun. We’re holding our breath.’’
So what’s a Nissan Open without rain?
``A great tournament,’’ Pulchinski said.
According to weather.com, we can expect a high of 69 Thursday, 76 Friday, 75 Saturday and 68 Sunday. Cloudy skies are in the forecast Sunday with a 10 percent change of rain. Monday, there's a 40 percent chance of rain, so if there's a playoff, we could see rain aftera ll.

Without "The Golfer Formerly Known as Eldrick" in the Nissan Open field, the pairing likely to draw the biggest gallery in the opening two rounds is the trio of Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and U.S. Ryder Cupper Vaughn Taylor.

(Give yourself a brownie point if you knew Taylor was on the losing U.S. team last fall ... heck, give yourself one if you've ever heard of Vaughn Taylor).

That group is scheduled to tee off on No. 10 at 8:10 a.m. Thursday and on No. 1 at 12:40 p.m. Friday.

If you prefer to follow a group that promises to be much quieter (sans chitchat and screams of, "Fore, left!"), then you might consider the Vijay Singh and Retief Goosen pairing. They'll start at 8:20 a.m. Thursday off No. 1 and 12:50 p.m. Friday from the No. 10 tee with Wes Short Jr., the winner of the 2005 Michelin Championship at Las Vegas (yep, had to look that one up).

For all of the first- and second-round tee times, check Thursday's edition of the Daily News.

For those interested in attending Wednesday's Nissan Open Pro-Am, here are the tee times:

No. 1 tee
6:40 a.m., Adam Scott
6:49 a.m., Stuart Appleby
6:58 a.m., Brad Faxon
7:07 a.m., Joe Durant
7:16 a.m., Zach Johnson
7:25 a.m., Justin Leonard
7:34 a.m., Jim Furyk
7:43 a.m., Chad Campbell
7:52 a.m., Brett Quigley
8:01 a.m., David Toms
8:10 a.m., Vijay Singh
11:10 a.m., Rory Sabbatini
11:19 a.m., Lucas Glover
11:28 a.m., John Daly
11:37 a.m., Tom Pernice Jr.
11:46 a.m., K.J. Choi
11:55 a.m., Fred Funk
12:04 p.m., Jose Maria Olazabal
12:13 p.m., Troy Matteson
12:22 p.m., Billy Mayfair
12:31 p.m., Nathan Green
12:40 p.m., Phil Mickelson

No. 10 tee
6:40 a.m., Geoff Ogilvy
6:49 a.m., Luke Donald
6:58 a.m., Rich Beem
7:07 a.m., Stewart Cink
7:16 a.m., Jason Bohn
7:25 a.m., Charles Howell III
7:34 a.m., J.J. Henry
7:43 a.m., Mike Weir
7:52 a.m., Rod Pampling
8:01 a.m., Carl Pettersson
8:10 a.m., Trevor Immelman
11:10 a.m., Retief Goosen
11:19 a.m., Dean Wilson
11:28 a.m., Padraig Harrington
11:37 a.m., Stephen Ames
11:46 a.m., Ben Curtis
11:55 a.m., Corey Pavin
12:04 p.m., Vaughn Taylor
12:13 p.m., Camilo Villegas
12:22 p.m., Scott Verplank
12:31 p.m., Tom Lehman
12:40 p.m., Ernie Els

Fred Couples, one of the most popular players in Nissan history, has withdrawn from this week's event because of lingering back problems.

Couples had made 25 consecutive appearances at the tournament, with 12 top-10 finishes, including wins in 1990 and 1992.

Couples also withdrew from last week's Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

"This hurts a lot," said CBS announcer Jim Nantz, Couples' roommate at the University of Houston, of Boom-Boom having to skip Riviera. "This has always been a major for him. The way L.A. galleries took to him has to rank right up there in his career.
"All I can hope for is that he'll be back for the Masters."

Couples also won at Augusta National in 1992.

Chris DiMarco has withdrawn from this week's Nissan Open. No other player will take his place, since three of the top-10 finishers from Pebble Beach (John Mallinger, Ryan Armour and Matt Kuchar) are now in. Had DiMarco not withdrawn, someone else would've been bumped.
UCLA product John Merrick is in, as is Studio City product Anthony Kim, who received an exemption.

It's official...The International, the PGA Tour's stop at Castle Pines outside of Denver, is no longer on the schedule. The event was canceled after it had not had a corporate sponsor the last few years. Also, Tiger Woods had not played in the event since 1999.

Speaking of not playing events, it's still unknown whether Tiger will play in next week's Nissan Open. Tiger has until 3 p.m. tomorrow to decide.