Golf Notes March 21

The 1998 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am continues to cause confusion in the record books.

When Joe Durant won at Doral in the 10th week to become the first multiple winner of this season, the PGA Tour said that was the longest a season had gone without a two-time winner since 1994, when Nick Price won his second event in the 20th week.

In fact, David Duval became the first multiple winner of the 1998 season when he won the Houston Open, the 17th tournament of the year.

Tour records show Phil Mickelson winning the season-opening Mercedes Championship and Pebble Beach in 1998. But that was the year Pebble was postponed by nearly seven months, so Mickelson didn't win his second tournament of '98 until August.

That raises questions about statistics involving Tiger Woods.

How long is Tiger Woods streak for not missing the cut?. Allsport.

His streak of consecutive cuts starts after Pebble Beach in 1998 (he withdrew because of the postponement), and the tour lists it at 65 events. But Woods played 14 tournaments before he officially withdrew from Pebble in August.

Shouldn't that make his streak 51 instead of 65?

The tour says it counts its records and statistics when the majority of the tournament -- two rounds, in this case -- was played.

But it could be an interesting debate if Woods approaches Byron Nelson's streak of 113 consecutive cuts in the summer of 2003.

PITTER PATTER

The chances of Lee Westwood winning The Masters depend on his wife. If she's still pregnant, he's not coming.

The due date for their first child happens to be the Saturday of the Masters.

"I don't go if the baby has not arrived,'' the Englishman said. "I may go if the baby arrives before. The first child, you don't know what to expect and you don't know how you're going to feel. She might say, 'Look, I've carried it for nine months, now it's your turn.' "

Augusta National officials cannot remember anyone in the past 30 years who have turned down an invitation because of anything but serious injury or a death in the family.

The most famous player to decline a trip to The Masters was Gene Sarazen in 1934, the first Masters. He already had a corporate outing arranged.

Westwood said carrying a pager, like Phil Mickelson did at Pinehurst two years ago, was never an option because of the long flight home to England. The Players Championship might be his last tournament until May.

"I'm not disappointed at all,'' he said. "I think where children and family are concerned, golf pales in significance.''

SPECIAL DELIVERY

After missing the cut in three of his first six tournaments this year, Carlos Franco decided to go back to what worked best -- namely, his old clubs.

Upon arriving at The Players Championship -- earlier than expected because of another weekend off at Bay Hill -- Franco called a friend in Paraguay and asked him to bring his Callaway X-12 irons, the ones he used to win three times the past two years, to Florida.

"I tried the X-14s, but too much confusion,'' Franco said. "No confidence. They're good clubs, but I miss easy shots.''

His friend, Carlos Cabral, left Asuncion late Sunday night and arrived at the TPC at Sawgrass the next morning.

What kind of luck would that have been had the airlines lost his clubs?

"No, no,'' Franco said. "I have platinum. I told him to take them on the plane, first-class. They know my clubs.''

KING AT HOME

Arnold Palmer is grappling with a difficult issue, and it has nothing to do with what clubs he plays in recreational rounds.

The Pennsylvania Classic, which Palmer helped to create, moves to the western portion of the state this year and will be played at Laurel Valley Golf Club, near where Palmer grew up. The tournament is a week before the Ryder Cup, and having Palmer in the field is a sure way to generate additional excitement.

Will he play?

"I've given a lot of thought about it because a lot of people are asking me,'' Palmer said. "Have I made a decision? No. My game has been kind of rickety, and if I played, I would have to figure out a way to play without taking a spot away from one of the younger players. I wouldn't want to do that.''

FRANCE BOUND

U.S. captain Curtis Strange is not bothered by the fact Tiger Woods is likely to be playing the Lancome Trophy in France the week before the Ryder Cup. In fact, he did the same thing himself in 1989.

"I think it's advantageous, just from the standpoint of jet lag and things like that,'' Strange said.

David Duval said today he might consider joining Woods in Paris, but Strange doesn't think there will be many more Americans, if any.

"There's probably no money left,'' he said, referring to the $2.25 million appearance fee to get Woods overseas. "Unless we go really deep in the perfume business.''

DIVOTS

The Solheim Cup has permanently adopted a 28-point format, with four alternate-shot and best-ball matches the first two days, and 12 singles matches on Sunday. ... Jim Furyk and Gary Nicklaus are the latest to use a putter with a medium-length grip that sticks into their stomachs. ... Arnold Palmer was asked whom would make a good candidate to hit the ceremonial tee shot at the Masters after Byron Nelson stops after this year. "I think Jack has gotten to the point where he should ... '' Laughter drowned out the rest of his reply. ... Greg Norman recently sold his 150-foot yacht because he's building another one that is "a little bit longer.'' In the Shark's case, a little bit means 230 feet. He has yet to take delivery of the ocean liner, but the name will still be "Aussie Rules.''

STAT OF THE WEEK

Vijay Singh is the only player on the PGA Tour who has not had a round over par this year.

FINAL WORD

"They cater to foreign players, and that stinks. They fail to realize it's our tour, our Masters. To most of the foreign guys, it's just the 'U.S. Masters.' To them, it could be the British Masters or the Scandinavian Masters, or the Malaysian Masters.'' - Billy Andrade, one of two PGA Tour winners who did not qualify for The Masters, on foreign invitations.

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