Story Line for Open Should Be a Long One

It’s worth noting that Tiger Woods has won three of his seven majors when he has taken a two-week break before them. Woods is taking two weeks off before the U.S. Open, June 13-16 at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y.

Of course, it remains to be seen if scheduling is as important as pounding the ball off the tee at Bethpage, which is the longest U.S. Open in history at 7,214 yards.

Woods and Mark O’Meara played the par-70 course Tuesday and O’Meara said this afterward: “I don’t think we’re going to light it up.”

Somewhere, all those in USGA jackets are rubbing their hands in glee.

The obvious way to go is that this course is suitable for power hitters only because of its prodigious length (one yard longer than Congressional in the 1997 U.S. Open).

Bethpage Black also features the two longest par-four holes in U.S. Open history--the 499-yard 12th and the 492-yard 10th.

For the record, Woods reached the 12th with a driver and a four-iron. O’Meara said only one of the two par-fives is reachable--the 517-yard fourth hole. Woods got there with a four-iron.

With narrow fairways--Rees Jones says they will be 26-28 yards wide--and rough grown to four inches, the Open is going to be a long journey for a lot of players.

Sam Snead, 1912-2002

Sam Snead, who was buried Sunday, one day before his 90th birthday, was one of golf’s real treasures. That’s no secret. Snead was clearly one of the greatest players of all time, but it should be pointed out that he was also one of the greatest sources of material for writers.

One of the best things about covering golf was that when you needed perspective, you could simply pick up a telephone and speak to Gene Sarazen, Paul Runyan, Snead and Byron Nelson. Now, only Nelson is left.

Snead was a writer’s ally. When he was interviewed in 1995 for a story about St. Andrews, Snead recalled that in 1946, he rode a train as it passed the legendary layout and remarked to the Scot beside him, “Look, there’s an abandoned golf course over there.”

It was Snead who took playful exception to Woods’ choice of cheeseburgers for the Masters champions dinner in 1998.

Said Snead: “Cheeseburgers aren’t food. Steak is food.”

Snead won the 1946 British Open, the 1949, 1952 and 1954 Masters and the PGA Championship in 1941, 1949 and 1951, but he never won the U.S. Open. Snead once said: “Hey, a lot of guys never won the U.S. Open.... Besides, who cares about the U.S. Open?”

Of course, Snead did, but he wasn’t above joking about it ... make that half-joking.

Snead always made light of how little money he made in his legendary career and he was never mean-spirited about it or jealous of how much the current crop of pros earn.

“Golf isn’t about money ... unless you don’t have any,” he once said.

We’ll miss Snead in a lot of ways, and for a very long time.

Nick’s Time

Nick Faldo’s streak lives. When the USGA gave him a special exemption to play in the U.S. Open, it meant that Faldo would play in his 60th consecutive major.

That streak is likely to reach 63, up to the 2003 U.S. Open, before it has a chance to end. Unless Faldo wins, which he hasn’t in five years, he may have to depend on the USGA for another special exemption and although it’s possible, getting exemptions in consecutive years would not be the way to bet.

Faldo, who turns 45 in July, is a three-time British Open champion, so he can play that event until he’s 65, if he wants. And the PGA of America has already sent a special invitation to Faldo to play at Hazeltine in Chaska, Minn., for the PGA Championship in August because he’s not otherwise eligible. A three-time Masters champion, Faldo is exempt at Augusta in 2003 before his string of majors is in jeopardy at the 2003 U.S. Open at Olympia Fields outside Chicago.

Bibs Are Next

What? David Fay, stuffed shirt? No one can accuse the USGA’s executive director of that after his explanation of why he wears bow ties. Said Fay: “I was dripping stuff on my ties.”

Zzzzzzzzz

Dennis Paulson says he doesn’t watch golf on television because it puts him to sleep. Says Paulson: “It’s a wonderful nap brought on by a little white ball.”

Web of Intrigue

He is scarcely the only player with a Web site, but Greg Norman’s shark.com is fairly typical ... not much news, flattering stuff, full of fluff ... and this week’s offering is no different--the tried-and-true timeline.

Here are the first few bits of Norman’s timeline revealed on the Web site:

5:30 a.m.: A wake-up call begins a long day.

8:30 a.m.: Greg meets with the president of his golf course design firm.

10 a.m.: Greg leaves for Palm Beach International Airport.

And so on. Listen, if this thing’s going to work, then it’s got to have a lot more punch.

Maybe something like this:

5:30 a.m.: Greg hits the bed after a long night of alligator hunting.

8:30 a.m.: Greg becomes disoriented and gets lost in his walk-in closet as he tries to figure out which straw hat to wear.

10 a.m.: Greg buys Palm Beach International Airport.

Yeah, that’s more like it.

He’s No Angel?

News item: Miguel Angel Martin, best known for being the player 1997 Ryder Cup captain Seve Ballesteros threw off the team, is accused of cheating on the course by unnamed players.

Reaction: One of them didn’t have the initials S.B., did he?

Casey Update

Casey Martin, who has missed the cut in the four Buy.com Tour events he’s played this year, is playing the Kemper Open this week--his first PGA Tour event this year. He received a sponsor’s invitation, the only one he has received. Martin turns 30 on Sunday.

It’s Good to Be Pro

Here is another reason players turn pro as soon as they finish driver’s ed: The European Tour just named Marquis Jet Partners as its preferred supplier of business jet service and also signed up for the Marquis Concierge Service, which includes luxury hotel accommodations, rental cars and theater booking.

Next: The Birdie Valet service to escort that special golf ball in your life into that dreamy little hole.

Charming

The first quote of the week is from Rosie Jones, who was second to Laura Diaz last week at the LPGA Corning Classic. Jones said she took some consolation from the experience: “I made her sweat the whole way around.”

Charge It

The second quote of the week is from Woods, who introduced an American Express credit card with his image on it. Said Woods: “I guess I’ll be sitting on my face.”

Birdies, Bogeys, Pars

The Shriners Open tournament will be held July 15 at the Navy course in Cypress. The event benefits El Bekal Shrine Center in Anaheim. Details: (714) 563-9111.

The PGA Tour will donate $500,000 to the New York Police and Fire Widows and Children’s Benefit Fund.

Dana Bates of Thousand Palms won the LPGA Teaching and Club Pro Western Section title and earned a spot in the next major, the McDonald’s LPGA Championship, June 6-9, at DuPont Country Club in Wilmington, Del.