Golf Notes February 6

One of the traditions that makes the Masters unlike any other major is participation by its past champions for as long as they like.

That leads to some rare appearances in a major by Doug Ford, Arnold Palmer and Gay Brewer. But now that Augusta National is tougher than ever, some of the past champions might want to gracefully bow out rather than get embarrassed.

``I honestly think some of the guys won't play,'' Tiger Woods said. ``If we get a cool, north wind -- which we can get -- it's not inconceivable over par will win. So, I think some of the guys are going to have to quit.''

Jack Nicklaus said as much recently when asked if was worried the changes, which feature nearly 300 extra yards and expanded bunkers, might make him or some of the older players look foolish.

``I certainly want to play there, but I don't want to make a fool of myself either,'' said Nicklaus, a six-time champion who turned 62 last month.

Gary Player told Golf World magazine he is using this year's Masters as a test case for whether he will return.

``I'm in favor of what Augusta is doing, but it's going to kill me, kill Jack and eventually kill Raymond (Floyd),'' he said. ``It's going to hurt a lot of guys who have won the Masters and who are seniors now. Jack nearly won the dang thing a couple of years ago, and I made the cut at 62. But as Jack so correctly said, our time has passed.''

Woods said he loves to see Palmer in the field because ``he's the king.''

But would he enjoy seeing Palmer, who shot in the 80s last year in a senior tour event, struggle to post a score that could approach triple digits?

``As a fan of Arnold Palmer, I don't want to see him play poorly,'' Woods said. ``And the golf course now, it's just like any other player who doesn't hit the ball very long. They're going to struggle. And they're going to struggle a lot.''

MATCH PLAY DEADLINE

Along with winning $720,000 for his first PGA Tour victory at Pebble Beach, Matt Gogel improved 92 spots to No. 61 in the world ranking and stands a good chance of qualifying for his first World Golf Championship.

The deadline for the Match Play Championship is Monday. The top 64 in the world ranking are invited to La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, Calif.

At No. 64 going into the Buick Invitational is Dudley Hart. Should he hold onto his position, he would face Tiger Woods in the first round.

Steve Stricker is No. 60 and appears to be in good shape to have a chance at defending his title.

NO COMEBACK

Joe Durant was voted the PGA Tour comeback player of the year after winning twice in 2001, his first victories in three years.

He almost might be the last winner for a while.

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem is considering abandoning the award except for those years when a candidate has come back from serious adversity.

``It might be like the (PGA Tour) Lifetime Achievement Award, which isn't given every year,'' Finchem said.

Take nothing away from Durant's season. He set a 90-hole scoring record at the Bob Hope Classic and also came from behind to win at Doral.

But adversity?

Durant injured some ribs in 1999, but his only ``comeback'' was from a lackluster season in 2000 in which he finished 76th on the money list and never finished higher than third.

Maybe Tiger Woods will be a candidate for comeback player of the year if he wins six times and two majors -- especially after that ``slump'' he was in last year.

NEW LEADERSHIP

The leadership of the U.S. Golf Association shifts from a urologist to a trial lawyer.

Reed Mackenzie has been elected USGA president for one year. He is a trial lawyer with the Minneapolis law firm of Mackenzie & Hallberg, specializing in personal injury lawsuits in medical malpractice, auto accidents and products liability.

Mackenzie succeeds Trey Holland, president the past two years.

Mackenzie, 59, served four years as vice president of the USGA and one year each as treasurer and secretary. He has been a member of the executive committee for 10 years, and has worked as a rules official at every U.S. Open since 1978.

EQUIPMENT STANDARDS

Golf's two rules-makers finally agree on something.

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club is thinking about changing the standards on the size of clubs, and might change its test to measure how far a golf ball should go.

This comes two months after the U.S. Golf Association said it was proposing clubheads be no larger than 385cc -- it later was amended to 470cc after a lawsuit was threatened -- and that it planned to change its golf ball testing.

That's a sharp contrast to the great debate over spring-like effect in a driver, in which the USGA banned clubs such as the Callaway Golf ERC II driver from competition, while the R&A found that extra distance from drivers alone was not a threat to the game.

The USGA governs golf in the United States and Mexico, while the R&A governs the rest of the world.

Unlike its counterparts, the R&A is not proposing a limit on clubhead sizes until it conducts independent research and hears back from equipment companies.

David Rickman, rules secretary for the R&A, said there is a concern that larger clubheads ``may offer undesirably performance benefits.''

DIVOTS

The Kemper Open will mark the end of Ken Venturi's 35 years in the broadcast booth for CBS Sports and the start of a new career for Lanny Wadkins. The former PGA champion and Ryder Cup captain will replace Venturi as the lead analyst in July. ... Mary Budke, who won the 1972 U.S. Women's Amateur and played on the '74 Curtis Cup team, has been selected as captain of the U.S. Curtis Cup team. The matches against women amateurs from Britain and Ireland will be played Aug. 3-4 at Fox Chapel Golf Club in Pittsburgh.

STAT OF THE WEEK

Kenny Perry has the longest active streak on the PGA Tour with 32 straight rounds at par or better. That streak includes a missed cut at Disney.

FINAL WORD: ``If you want to play it, you've got to get up at 2 in the morning and stand in line. I'm sure nobody on tour has ever played it.'' -- Lee Janzen on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park, site of this year's U.S. Open.

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