Golf Notes March 27

Aree Wongluekiet played in the final group of the 2000 Kraft Nabisco Championship as a 13-year-old. Later that year, twin sister Naree became the youngest player to make the cut in the U.S. Women's Open, tying for 40th.

Both are back at Mission Hills Country Club for the third straight year, the best place for them to measure their games.

The Thai twins, who live in Bradenton, Fla., said they are done playing American Junior Golf Association tournaments against kids who might be their age but are not nearly as advanced. They also said they might not enter the U.S. Junior Girls Amateur.

``We've got to play against players who are better than us in order to get better,'' Aree said. ``It's time to move on.''

The Wongluekiets skipped the ninth grade and, at age 15, are juniors in high school. A college career remains a possibility. They were getting an average of five letters a day from college coaches, although that has slacked off since they don't reply to all of them.

``We're talking to a few college coaches right now,'' Naree said. ``We don't know what we're going to do yet. It's still a long time from now.''

Aree added: ``College may be the next step, but we've got to see where our game is.''

In the meantime, they will be playing select LPGA Tour events on sponsor's exemption, and they will play the Futures Tour -- the minor leagues for the LPGA -- this summer.

The twins earned their cards on the Futures Tour through a qualifying tournament last year, although they will remain amateurs and not appear on a money list. The top three on the Futures money list are exempt to the LPGATour.

TWO-WEEK BREAK

Tiger Woods never plays the week before the Masters. He's never taken two weeks off, either.

That's what he faces this year because of a quirk in the schedule that puts two tournaments between The Players Championship and the Masters.

``I don't want to take two weeks off, but I'm going to,'' Woods said. ``I don't play the week before the Masters, and I can't play Houston.''

Woods said a friend he has known since the second grade is getting married Saturday.

``That's very important to me, and very important to him,'' Woods said.

Ernie Els, who has been traveling and winning around the world, also plans to take two weeks off. The key for the Big Easy is to take a break and still remain sharp.

His plans?

``I'll probably go to the Bahamas,'' he said with a laugh.

SHORT STUFF

With his first Masters around the corner, Charles Howell III is in the process of revamping a critical part of his game -- putting.

He says it couldn't wait.

``I've worked harder on my putting the last month than I have my whole life,'' Howell said. ``It had to be done. I wasn't on the right track.''

He was on the practice green at Bay Hill with coach David Leadbetter after his first round, with alignment tools spread around him. Howell said he discovered one problem when he went to an eye specialist and learned he was more right-eye dominant than he realized.

``I'm a lot better with an open setup,'' he said. ``I went back to a conventional grip (instead of crosshanded) and I've softened my left arm. My putting is on the right track.''

He also has changed putters.

Howell had been using the two-ball putter from Odyssey, borrowed a putter from Sergio Garcia for the final round at Bay Hill (he shot 82), then played last week at Sawgrass with the a Ping B60, the putter he used as an amateur.

``I'm back to the putter I beat a lot of people with,'' the former NCAAchampion said.

ONE OF US

Jack Nicklaus hasn't competed in an official tournament since July because of back problems, and says his golf game isn't very good.

He's not just being facetious.

Golf World magazine checked the scores Nicklaus has entered on the computer at The Bear's Club, his home course in Jupiter, Fla., and found he has a USGAhandicap index of 2.0, with a course rating of 75.0 and a slope of 145.

MASTERS TAB

One of the many traditions at the Masters is the Champions Dinner on Tuesday night, in which the defending champion selects the menu.

A little known fact is that the defending champion picks up the tab.

Vijay Singh said he was aware of that before he served up a special fare of Indian food.

``I wouldn't mind doing it again,'' he said.

SEVE TROPHY

To get an idea an idea of how far Lee Westwood has slipped the past year, he was a captain's pick on the Britain & Ireland team for the Seve Trophy next month against continental Europe.

Westwood was selected by captain Colin Montgomerie, whose record run of seven consecutive money titles on the European tour was ended by Westwood twoyears ago.

DIVOTS

Chrysler will become the most prolific title sponsor on the PGA Tour when the 2003-06 schedule is released later this year. Tour officials say Chrysler has added Tucson and will take over the title sponsorship from Buick at the Tampa Bay tournament. The only question is whether Tiger Woods will still consider going to Tampa Bay now that Buick, with whom he has an endorsement deal, is no longer involved. ... Callaway Golf has dropped Arthur Andersen as its independent auditor, replacing it with KPMG. ... Along with winning for the first time on the LPGA Tour, Laura Diaz said a record last week in Tucson by playing the 54-hole tournament without a bogey. The previous record for most consecutive holes at par or better was Annika Sorenstam. ... In discussions since December, Jack Nicklaus finally decided to sign with IMG,rejoining the agency after 30 years.

STAT OF THE WEEK

The Genuity Championship at Doral is the only tournamentthis year where Tiger Woods has played all four rounds at par or better.

FINAL WORD

``When I get my braces off.'' -- Aree Wongluekiet, 15, on which she will turn professional.

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