Grieving Palmer unsure about golf plans

Arnold Palmer will return to the PGA Tour next week in the Bob Hope Classic, followed by a trip to Hawaii for a Senior Skins game involving the other original Skins players -- Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Gary Player.

But his tour plans after that are uncertain. Palmer is struggling to cope with the death last month of his wife, Winnie.

"It hasn't been the most easy time in my life," he said Friday during a conference call. "I feel reasonable physically. But the mental anguish, I don't know when I'll get totally free of that. It's something I'm reminded of constantly.

"It's tough."

Palmer won the inaugural Palm Springs Golf Classic in 1960 and has played every year except one, in 1997 when he had prostate cancer.

"When will I stop?" he said. "I don't know. If I'm sitting here 10 years from now and you're asking me that question, I'll be happy. I still love to play golf and I love the competition, and I love the fact I can see my fellow competitors through the years."

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As for the rest of the year, Palmer said he will return to Augusta National for the Masters, but he might not play in the Bay Hill Invitational three weeks earlier. He plans to play a couple of Senior Tour events in Florida and see what kind of shape his game is in.

"If I'm enjoying it, I might play more," he said. "If it gets to be hard work, I'll probably only play in the shootout at Bay Hill."

"I have to make a decision if I want to join the European tour full-time again and play my 11 (tournaments) there, or if I just want to focus on the U.S. tour his year," Parnevik said.

Parnevik got a two-year exemption in Europe by winning the Scandinavian Masters in 1998. That exemption runs out at the end of this year, when Ryder Cup points start counting. He has been a captain's pick each of the past two matches.

"I don't know if I can just play a few tournaments in Europe, get my card back that way, then rejoin again for 2001," Parnevik said. "That's what I'm looking into."

Parnevik and European tour director Ken Schofield have an icy relationship.

The Swede was furious when the tour said he no longer was a member because he didn't play 11 events. Parnevik skipped the American Express Championship at Valderrama because of an irregular heartbeat. The edict was withdrawn when his medical condition was known.

"It didn't surprise me," Parnevik said. "The guy in charge never surprises me. Ken wants to try to change the rule as much as possible to get the players to stay in Europe. From one point of view, you can understand him. But at the same time, I think it would be better if everybody could play where they wanted.

"I hope it's not going to end up that I'm going to miss out on the Ryder Cup in 2001."

He preferred to spend this time of the year closer to his home in South Africa.

"Flying from South Africa to the West Coast, you can't believe how far it is," Els said.

But here he is, with plans to stay next week to play in the Sony Open.

"I've never started this early in the year," he said. "This is a nice event to start -- 30 guys, no cut, a beautiful place."

Els still plans to play in Australia and in a couple of South African events. But he also plans to play more on the PGA Tour than he has in the past, when he split his time among various tours around the world.

"The money is great," Els said. "That's a big plus. The way David Duval started last year, before April he had $1 million in the bank. That's a nice start."

Once Els finishes in Hawaii, he will return to the PGA Tour to defend his title in the Nissan Open, then go to the Match Play Championship and on to the Florida swing.

"It's important to be fit," Brad Faxon said. "I've always tried to keep in shape and work out, and I think I'm fit."

He just doesn't buy into the fact that eating right translates to good golf.

"Ask Tiger," he said. "Any restaurant with a drive-through is where he likes to go. I lift weights, too. I just don't hit 50 yards further than these guys do."