Stewart resolves differences with USGA - Wednesday's Notes

Former U.S. Open champion Payne Stewart has buried the hatchet with USGA officials over differences with the setup at the Olympic Club last year.

Stewart, who lost to champion Lee Janzen by one shot in San Francisco, was particularly furious about Friday's pin placement at the 18th hole. Stewart's initial 15-footer lipped out and the ball rolled back to his feet. He ended up three-putting.

Stewart had lunch with Tom Meeks, director of rules and competition for the USGA, last year in Florida to talk about Open course setups.

"He admitted he made a mistake on the pin setting on Friday on the 18th green," Stewart said. "He said: `It's the first time I've ever gone against my better judgment, and I hope I learned my lesson from that.' That's all I needed to hear."

Stewart added that he and Meeks are "on the same page right now." Most golfers Tuesday, including Stewart, praised this year's setup at Pinehurst No. 2.

"We still don't see eye-to-eye on some things, but that's why there's chocolate and vanilla ice cream," Stewart said.

ROUGH ROUGH?: Players shouldn't expect a reprieve from nasty rough conditions in future U.S. Opens.

The rough at Pinehurst No. 2 has been trimmed from 4 inches to 3 for the 99th Open, and it will stay that length throughout the tournament, according to U.S. Golf Association officials.

Paul Jett, golf course superintendent for No. 2, said Tuesday he has been instructed by the USGA to mow the rough each night through Saturday.

"Originally we requested 4 inches last fall," Tim Moraghan of the USGA said. "Paul went above and beyond that and gave us 4 of the best inches I've ever seen."

The Bermuda rough, unusual for an Open, was lowered because the USGA didn't want players just hacking the ball out toward the fairway, Moraghan said.

"We wanted to give them a little bit of an opportunity to go for the pin," he said.

However, Moraghan insisted lowering the rough isn't a change in Open philosophy -- and won't be the case next year at Pebble Beach.

"It's safe to say it will only be for this week," Moraghan said. ``Here, we are dealing with a warm-season grass, and it has the tendency to grab the club a little more. It's harder to play out of."

NORMAN ARRIVES: Greg Norman, who is having trouble with his putting, arrived at Pinehurst No. 2 Tuesday and played a late practice round by himself.

Norman withdrew from Monday's delayed final round at Memphis after rounds of 66, 72 and 72.

Norman, who had shoulder surgery in April 1998, said he didn't withdraw for health reasons. Instead, once he fell back in the pack, he wanted an extra day to prepare for the Open.

"I had my reasons, but I basically saw what the weather forecast was going to be, and one of the tour officials told me what was going to happen Sunday (if it rained), so I decided to go.

"I was a genius," Norman added. ``I came home and I practiced my short game all day Sunday, bump-and-run stuff that we knew we needed up here. We did the same thing Monday. Now, let's hope it pays off. I thought it was more beneficial to my game to go home than to stay there and finish 58th."

Norman was buzzing around the course and was waved through a threesome that included Tiger Woods on the second hole.

"I wasn't going to tee off before 3 o'clock and spent six hours out there," Norman said.

JACK'S GAME: Jack Nicklaus has recovered nicely from hip surgery, but his golf game still needs to get back in shape.

Nicklaus played a practice round Tuesday and missed the final 15 fairways at Pinehurst No. 2, something you don't want to do too often on an Open course.

"You try playing this golf course out of the rough all day. It's like playing out of the rough to the hood of a Volkswagen all day long," said Nicklaus, who will be playing in his 43rd Open. "It's hard to stop it, I promise you."

WOODS WORDS: Apparently, Tiger Woods' father isn't too fond of golf's birthplace.

In an interview published in the May-June issue of Icon, a bimonthly men's magazine, Earl Woods was quoted making ethnic and racial slurs at Scotland.

"That's for white people," the elder Woods said of Scotland. ``It has the sorriest weather. People had better be happy that the Scots lived there instead of the soul brothers -- the game of golf would have never been invented."

The magazine goes on to quote Earl Woods saying: "We wouldn't have been stupid enough to go out in that weather and freeze to death. We would have been inside listening to jazz, laughing and joking, and drinking rum."

The elder Woods, 67, said the quotes were fabricated.

However, the author of the interview, Susan Zakin, said she taped the conversation and that it took place over the telephone Feb. 4.

Tiger Woods, 23, refused to comment on the article when asked about it Tuesday.

DUVAL PREDICTS: David Duval was asked to name some of the favorites for this week's Open. He paused for a long time, then rattled off a long list of players that included Tiger Woods, Justin Leonard, Davis Love III and Greg Norman.

"The way the setup is, it brings a lot more people into the mix," Duval, the world's No. 1 player, said. "When you play a typical Open, the fairway is going to be narrow and the rough is going to be high. But here, you have the options of advancing the ball -- that brings more people into play. I think it's a lot more wide open."

Duval wouldn't predict what the winning score would be.

COLTART WITHDRAWS: Andrew Coltart of England has withdrawn from the Open because of a torn muscle between his ribs.

Coltart, 29, will be replaced by alternate Edward Pfister of La Quinta, Calif. Pfister shot rounds of 69 and 72 in sectional qualifying June 7 at Tarzana, Calif.

AP