TEEING OFF

Five things to look for on the professional golf scene:

1. How do you follow a breakout year? That’s what Nicole Castrale has to figure out. The 28-year-old from Palm Desert not only defeated reigning heavyweight champion Lorena Ochoa in a playoff to win her first tournament last year, she also made the putt that clinched the Solheim Cup for the U.S.

And with the $2-million Kraft Nabisco Championship starting today at Mission Hills, not far from her backyard, Castrale has a shot at reaching another goal.

“I want to contend more, in every tournament, and I need to start playing better in majors,” she said.

In her first Kraft last year, Castrale tied for 26th. Her tie for 10th at the U.S. Open was her best finish in a major.

A four-time all-conference player at USC, Castrale reached two goals last year in winning a tournament and making the Solheim Cup team.

She attracted attention at the Ginn Tribute in June when she became one of the few LPGA players who stood down Ochoa, beating her in a one-hole sudden-death playoff.

“My goal had been just to stay within reach of Lorena,” Castrale said, “and I really can’t say enough good things about her, the way she carries herself whether things are going good or bad.”

2. With only a couple of more days until he shows up at Augusta National to defend his Masters title, there isn’t much time for Zach Johnson to alter his strategy on the all-important par-fives.

Morris Pickens, Johnson’s sports psychologist, said don’t expect him to change anything. Johnson, who laid up at every par-five in last year’s Masters and played them in 11 under, is working with Pickens today, Friday and Saturday at Sea Island, Ga.

Pickens shared some of what he’s reinforcing with Johnson.

“Augusta is all about discipline and patience,” Pickens said. “It’s easy to be disciplined and patient when you’re playing good, but it’s not when you’re not.

“The idea is not letting your score influence your decision -- play the hole whether you’re two under or five over. Most guys play the hole the way they scored the previous hole.”

3. Nike Golf has already scripted what Tiger Woods is going to wear each day at the Masters.

Thursday: Striped polo in khaki/pink clay (salmon color), with birch (khaki) slacks and a white hat; Friday: Black mock turtleneck, with gray plaid slacks and a white hat: Saturday: White, striped polo, with black slacks and a white hat; Sunday: Vertical patterned shirt in carmine (magenta)/pink clay with black slacks and a black cap.

4. Billy Mayfair might not be the biggest name on the PGA Tour, but he has a couple of big items going for him. Not only is Mayfair the only player to have beaten Woods in a playoff on the PGA Tour (in 1998 at Valencia in the Nissan Open), but when he tees it up today at Houston, it will be Mayfair’s 600th tournament on tour.

So far, it’s worked out all right for the 42-year-old, a five-time winner on the PGA Tour who has earned more than $16 million.

5. She’s 52, in the LPGA Hall of Fame and playing the Kraft Nabisco for the 34th consecutive year, but Amy Alcott has something else on her plate this week -- a sandwich named after her.

It’s the Amy Alcott Hall of Fame Panino, $6.99 at Jensen’s Finest Foods in the desert. It consists of smoked turkey, horseradish cheddar, cappaciola, basil and cucumber on a ciabatta loaf with Italian herbed sun-dried tomato pesto.

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A SLICE OF LIFE

Woody Austin, after he closed with a 71 to fall out of contention and tie for fourth at the Zurich Classic:

‘I know I was choking. I’m not going to lie to you. I didn’t have my game . . . because I was scared out of my gourd and I was puking my guts out.’

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STAT OF THE WEEK

In the seven times he has played the Shell Houston Open, Stuart Appleby, above, has been way up and way down -- he has won twice, finished second twice and missed three cuts. In his last three starts, he won in 2006 and tied for second in 2005 and 2007.