Golf Notes June 21

Tiger Woods already has his own silly-season tournament for 16 players and the Battle of Bighorn, a mixed-team affair including David Duval, Annika Sorenstam and Karrie Webb.

Next on the horizon: The Skins Game.

Expect to see Woods return this year as part of his new endorsement deal with Disney.

Woods has played the Skins Game only twice, finishing third in 1996 and 1997. The Thanksgiving weekend event, which began in 1993, has been lackluster in recent years with few marquee players. Colin Montgomerie is the defending champion.

Woods is expected to sign the Disney deal on Wednesday, a contract that has been whittled down to what IMG agent Mark Steinberg described as a ''creative golf package.''

Instead of promoting Mickey Mouse or any of Disney's theme parks, Woods will do a number of televised golf exhibitions that are carried by ABC Sports or ESPN, both of which are owned by Disney.

When asked if Woods will return to the Skins Game, Steinberg said, ''It's possible.''

The Disney contract took over six months to negotiate. One of the sticking points was avoiding confusion over Woods' marketing image as the chief Nike pitchman, and making sure it did not encroach on his time or responsibilities to his other dozen endorsements.

''It not where we started, but it was the most logical place to end up,'' Steinberg said of the contract. ''Everybody on all sides is comfortable with it.''

FOREIGN SLAM

Retief Goosen put an end to Tiger Woods' hopes of winning the Grand Slam in the same season, thanks to his playoff victory in the U.S. Open.

He also shut down the American slam.

It now has been 19 years since Americans won all four majors in the same season, dating to 1982 when Craig Stadler won the Masters, Tom Watson won the U.S. Open and British Open, and Raymond Floyd won the PGA Championship.

WEBB WORKING OUT

The fitness craze has finally caught up with Karrie Webb, and the two-time U.S. Open champion doesn't like it.

''When I was younger, I could get away with not working out,'' the 26-year-old Australian said. ''Now I'm older, and I can't do that anymore.''

Webb said she has been exercising the past couple of years, but only started getting serious about it six months ago. She runs three times a week, and works on the treadmill.

''I have to admit, I don't enjoy it all,'' Webb said. ''But I know I need to feel good on the golf course and I don't want to be totally exhausted by December.''

Her only weakness?

''I like a beer or two,'' she said.

GOOSE IS LOOSE

Retief Goosen became the first player to make the U.S. Open his first victory on American soil since fellow South African Ernie Els.

He won the first U.S. Open playoff since Els in 1994. He became the first international champion since Els in 1997.

The next question is whether Goosen - like Els - will leave Europe and play the majority of his tournaments on the PGA Tour.

''I'll definitely still support the European tour,'' he said. ''I've been living in London now for eight years, and that's sort of home for me. I'll give it until the end of the year and then decide whether I'm going to play fulltime here or not.''

Goosen's name will not appear on the PGA Tour money list because he is not a member. But his victory gives him a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour, and a return trip to the U.S. Open for the next 10 years.

RYDER CUP POINTS

Sergio Garcia had a good opportunity to win his first major championship until he closed with a 77 in the final round of the U.S. Open and tied for 12th. Worse yet, he wasted Ryder Cup points.

The 21-year-old Spaniard is playing primarily in America this year, meaning the majors are his best chance to pick up points. Third place likely would have secured a spot on Europe's team, which is determined by money.

Instead, he moved up only to 13th place. In the current standings, only five Europeans have Ryder Cup experience.

STREAKING

In took five days to decide, but two streaks stayed alive in major championships at Southern Hills.

Retief Goosen became the fifth winner in six championships to have led from start to finish, and the 36-hole leader has won every time. Also, no winner has ever made par or better on the final hole. Goosen three-putted for bogey on Sunday, and made bogey in the playoff.

One other streak of note - the winner has always had at least a two-stroke lead going into the final hole of the tournament.

DIVOTS

The Evian Masters was her fourth LPGA Tour victory, but the first with a new name. Rachel Teske won her first three events as Rachel Hetherington, but decided this year to take her husband's name. They have been married three years. ''You kind of lose a little bit of publicity when you change your name. It's like starting again as a rookie,'' she said. ... It's not exactly a Ryder Cup preview, but captains Curtis Strange and Sam Torrance were scheduled to play a Shell's Wonderful World of Golf match Tuesday at Carnegie Abbey on Narragansett Bay near Newport, R.I. ... Lee Patterson, the top media official whose southern charm has been a fixture on the PGA Tour for 12 years, is leaving to join Sports Communications Group as executive vice president.

STAT OF THE WEEK

Curtis Strange in 1988-89 was the last player to win back-to-back U.S. Opens. Since then, the best result by a defending champion was Hale Irwin, who tied for 11th at Pebble Beach in 1992.

FINAL WORD

''I couldn't have possibly broken as many clubs as I was supposed to have broke. They haven't made that many.'' - Tommy Bolt, the 1958 U.S. Open champion at Southern Hills, on his reputation for a terrible temper.

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