SPORTS WEEKEND : GOLF / THOMAS BONK : Country Club Chemistry Test Missing Some Key Components

There were four no-shows at Monday’s U.S. Ryder Cup team play date at the Country Club in Brookline, Mass.--Tiger Woods, Mark O’Meara, Tom Lehman and Davis Love III. All were excused. Woods, O’Meara and Lehman had previous business commitments, but Love was out because of a nerve problem in his neck.

What the U.S. players experienced at the Country Club was a setup that featured some blind approach shots, narrow fairways and small greens with lots of slope, but not a lot of high rough.

And the U.S. players saw something else: Payne Stewart wearing slacks instead of plus-fours.

The eight players who showed up expressed pleasure in the layout. They seemed confident, but not overly so, about the chances of defeating Europe.

Said David Duval: “We have a very good opportunity to.”

As for the team chemistry angle, with all the compensation haggling apparently put behind them, Steve Pate said he wasn’t sure if togetherness is such a big deal anyway.

Said Pate: “Making putts is better than chemistry.”

TIGER TRAILS

Woods is committed to play only two more official PGA Tour events the rest of the year--the Tour Championship Oct. 28-31 and the American Express Championship in Spain Nov. 4-7, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be busy on the golf course.

Woods is entered in the Johnnie Walker Classic in Taipei, Taiwan, Nov. 11-14, the World Cup of Golf as a teammate of O’Meara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Nov. 18-21, and has a one-day outing in Japan Nov. 22.

One conflict that appears will be resolved involves the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in Hawaii, the event featuring the winners of the four majors scheduled for Nov. 16-17.

Woods wants to play in it and has asked the PGA of America to switch the dates, possibly to something during Thanksgiving week. The PGA is listening. This isn’t a bad idea, basically because Woods is the show right now.

Woods also may add either the Las Vegas Invitational Oct. 14-17 or the National Car Rental Classic at Walt Disney World on Oct. 21-24 to his schedule.

MORE TIGER

No one has won six times in a year since Tom Watson in 1980. Watson made $530,808 (or a little more than half of what Woods made Sunday for winning the NEC Invitational) in 22 tournaments in 1980 and led the money list.

DON’T FORGET THIS GUY

Until he broke through with a victory at last year’s Pacific Bell Classic at Wilshire Country Club, Joe Inman probably was better known as a fast-talking, former Ping sales rep who won the 1976 Kemper Open.

It all changed then for Inman, who is now safe and secure at No. 16 on the Senior PGA Tour money list with $638,766 and six top-10 finishes.

And while a lot has been made of Watson’s pending debut as a senior, don’t forget Inman’s former teammate at Wake Forest, Lanny Wadkins, who turns 50 Dec. 5.

Wadkins is a 21-time winner on the PGA Tour, including the 1977 PGA Championship.

Does that make Wadkins a sure thing as a senior? Maybe not, Inman says.

“It doesn’t matter what you used to be able to do,” Inman said.

“The only question is if he can play. I think he can. But it is not a piece of cake and there is tremendous competition. Anyone who comes in thinking ‘I beat these guys 20 years ago and I can beat them today’ is in for a very big surprise.”

SAD DUTY

Fred Couples said he almost felt sorry for U.S. Ryder Cup captain Ben Crenshaw when a forlorn Crenshaw telephoned to say he wasn’t choosing Couples to play against Europe.

Said Couples: “He basically kind of felt like he had killed my dog or something.”

ABOUT A MONTH TOO LATE

Jean Van de Velde has switched caddies, from his British Open co-conspirator Christophe Angiolini, to Graham Heindrich, an Australian who has worked with Nick Faldo and Greg Norman.

SERGIO UPDATE

If this was Ryder Cup prep work, then Sergio Garcia flunked it. He was on his way to a third-place finish at the NEC Invitational when he made a quadruple-bogey nine on No. 16 at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.

Garcia, who wound up seventh, knocked his approach into the water and hit a lob wedge into the lake.

Oh, well, it’s not that big a deal, said Garcia, who promises to be ready for the Country Club.

“Sometimes things like this happen, and now I am going to take a little rest,” said Garcia, who was playing his third event in a row. “I need it. I am going to be 200% for the Ryder Cup.”

It means nothing, but Garcia was the only European player who finished below par.

MONEY NEWS

For what it’s worth, Woods has won $4.27 million in 18 tournaments (five of them victories) this year. Arnold Palmer won $1.86 million in 715 tournaments (60 of them victories) in 44 years.

Woods has an outside chance of making $6 million this year, which is more than Jack Nicklaus earned in 38 years playing the PGA Tour and winning 70 times.

That’s the way it goes, Woods said. After all, what’s he supposed to do? Turn the money back in?

“The money is a byproduct of beating the guys out there on tour,” Woods said. “If you go out there and you accomplish your goal, which is winning, if you win, the money will come.”

THAT’S LOGICAL

Woods, on what his $1-million victory at the NEC Invitational means: “It means that I’m a million richer.”

ADAMS SIGNS WATSON

Watson has a new club deal with Adams Golf, which signed the soon-to-be senior tour member to a five-year agreement that pays him in cash and stock options.

Adams Golf stock closed Thursday at about 3 1/2, down from its high of 10 1/4 in July 1998.

Watson will play the Adams Spin Control driver, the Tight Lies fairway woods and also will use Adams irons once they have advanced from the development stage.

Watson has played Ram equipment for 25 years.

“This was a big decision for me,” he said.

Watson joins the Adams tour staff that also includes Faldo, Stewart Cink, Dudley Hart, David Frost, Mike Hulbert and John Jacobs.

Watson will make his senior tour debut Sept. 10 at Indianapolis. He is following some tough acts. Arnold Palmer (1980), Jack Nicklaus (1990) and Gary Player (1985) all won the first senior event they played.

GOLF IN THE EXTREME

If you love golf and you love the idea of moving into the year 2000 and you have $99,000, here’s something you might be interested in. It’s the extreme golf outing at the Westin Mission Hills.

Here’s what you get:

* An entire pavilion of 30 guest rooms and suites for three nights with butler service.

* 2,000 holes of golf on the Pete Dye and Gary Player courses.

* A private seven-course dinner for 60 on New Year’s Eve.

* A $2-million hole-in-one shootout on New Year’s Day.

* $2,000 shopping spree at the Dye pro shop and $2,000 in spa services.

BIRDIES, BOGEYS, PIGGIES

Two wild pigs ran from the woods Monday at Mechanicsville Golf Course in Schaghticoke, N.Y., where they chased golfers, chewed golf balls and damaged greens.

The Associated Press reported that both pigs were caught, but one died of heat exhaustion.

BIRDIES, BOGEYS, PARS

The 10th Pacificare/Safe tournament will be held Sept. 13 at Cypress Golf Course. The event benefits the Southern Area Fostercare effort. Details: (323) 583-8755.

The Al Joyner/Flo-Jo charity celebrity tournament will be played Sept. 21 at Strawberry Farms in Irvine. The event benefits the Flo-Jo Memorial Community Empowerment Foundation. Details: (760) 632-7770.