PGA Tour Showcases Final Four in Desert : Golf: Major tournament winners Faldo, Couples, Price and Kite play in Grand Slam tournament.

Financially, no one will lose in the PGA Grand Slam of Golf at the Jack Nicklaus Resort Course at PGA West today and Wednesday.

The unusual 36-hole format matches the winners of the four major tournaments the past year: Fred Couples, the Masters champion; Nick Faldo, British Open; Tom Kite, U.S. Open, and Nick Price, PGA Championship.

The winner gets $400,000, the next three places earning $250,000, $200,000 and $150,000, respectively.

So everybody profits. Even so, there’s a pride factor.

“We all want to win, and I can assure you none of us want to finish last,” Kite said. “There are not many times in a lifetime when you will be able to play in a format like this.”

The four players were relaxed and in a joking mood Monday, especially Faldo.

“It must be exciting for you (reporters) to be looking at the winner here,” Faldo said at a news conference. “Another top-10 finish, so it will be a hell of a week. There is no cut by the way?”

Because the tournament is only 36 holes, usual strategy could be altered.

“Two rounds don’t give you much room for any mistakes,” Kite said.

Faldo added, “It will be a bit like a match-play situation. We will all be watching each other so much.”

Price said: “If someone starts off playing really well, you’ll see the other three start to take chances. In two rounds you can’t make up too much ground.”

And Couples said, “It should be close. But who knows? The wind might be blowing tomorrow and 74 might be a good score.

“I like my chances. Obviously, I’d like to be playing against three rookies instead of these three guys.”

There was an easy camaraderie Monday among the players, but that figures to change, once competition gets under way.

“We want to play well and enjoy ourselves,” Price said. “(However), the huge first prize is more money than I have ever won.”

Couples said, “It won’t be like the Skins Game, where everybody is having a lot of fun. Although no one is going to lose (money), it will be pretty serious.”

Faldo agreed.

“I think we’re going to start out fairly relaxed and then it will get more serious and, by the time we get to the 36th hole, we’ll probably hate each other,” he said.

Faldo, who is regarded by many as the world’s best player, was joking again--but only to an extent.

He has won five major championships--three British Opens and two Masters titles.

The other players became major winners for the first this year.

“Now I don’t have to answer the question, ‘Are you ever going to win a major?’ ” said Kite, 42, who has been on the PGA Tour since 1976 and is the all-time leading money winner. “That to me is a tremendous relief. I never thought it was that much of a burden, but now that I don’t have to answer that question it’s wonderful.”

As for the course, here were some opinions:

--Kite: “It’s typical of a Nicklaus design, fairly forgiving off the tee and a tremendous amount of emphasis on hitting your irons onto the greens.”

--Faldo: “I played 12 holes yesterday. You’re rewarded if you hit a good shot. Unfortunately, if you’re five feet on the wrong side, you’re dead.”

Golf Notes

Tee time for both days is 11 a.m. . . . Fred Couples flew here from Madrid, Spain, where he won the $1.1-million World Cup Sunday in partnership with Davis Love III. . . . Nick Price won a tournament Sunday in New Zealand. . . . Couples is friend of Kansas City Royals’ star George Brett, who reached the 3,000-hit milestone this season. “I sent George 3,000 golf balls for all those hits,” Couples said. “His garage should be full.”

Couples was the leading money winner on the tour this year with $1,344,188, and won his second consecutive Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average. . . . Nick Faldo won five times, including the British Open, and, in 22 starts, finished outside the top eight only five times. . . . The PGA Grand Slam was moved to PGA West from Kauai Lagoons in Kauai, Hawaii, because of extensive damage to the course caused by Hurricane Iniki. . . . John Daly will replace Don Sutton, who is ill, on TBS’ television coverage of the event.