Which One Will Climb to Next Level?

The easy thing to do: Pick Tiger Woods in any tournament he plays.

The second easiest thing to do: Pick Ernie Els or David Duval or Davis Love III or Lee Westwood or Sergio Garcia or somebody like that to challenge Woods every week.

The hard thing to do: Figure out the dark horses.

Of course, it’s also the fun thing to do, which is why we’re going through the process now. Every year, it seems as though there is some surprise player who comes up with a great performance, or at least a few reasonable ones, and makes a name for himself.

Remember Woody Austin in 1995?

Steve Stricker in 1996?

Paul Stankowski in 1997?

So who will be the guy in 2001?

Here are a few predictions, as always, completely non-guaranteed:

* Steve Flesch. This natural left-hander hasn’t won in three years on the PGA Tour, but he had 13 top 10s last year, made $2.025 million and is considered a late-rising star at 33. Many believe once he wins his first, he’s going to win several.

* Mike Weir. Another left-hander, this 30-year-old Canadian was tied with Woods after 54 holes of the 1999 PGA Championship only to collapse in a total heap with a closing round of 80. But it was also a year in which Weir went from qualifying school to the Tour Championship field. Last year, he won the American Express Championship and its $1-million check for first. He doesn’t hit the ball far, but he’s one of the best in reaching the greens in regulation.

* Miguel Angel Jimenez. It’s tough to call this 37-year-old Spaniard a PGA Tour rookie, but that’s what he is. Nicknamed “The Mechanic” for his love of cars (he drives a red Ferrari), he joined the tour this year. Last year, Jimenez tied Els for second at the U.S. Open. One of seven brothers, he did not take up golf until he was 15. With his skill, he is making up for lost time.

* Harrison Frazar. The 30-year-old is from Dallas, but he was all over the place on the tour last year. He was third at New Orleans and the BellSouth, but he also missed 12 cuts out of 24 tournaments. He hits the ball a mile (287.3 average last year was No. 7) and is already off to a good start with a tie for ninth at Tucson.

* Fred Couples. At 41 and with more than $11 million in career earnings, he doesn’t have anything to prove. But he seems more interested in playing golf than he has for a while. He has loaded up his early-season schedule, he still drives the heck out of the ball, he is one of the best in greens in regulation and last year led the tour in sand save percentage.

As for anyone else, fill in your own space here.

WILL THIS MAKE IT A NORMAN CONQUEST?

For what it’s worth, the turf for Super Bowl XXXV is from Greg Norman’s turf farm in Central Florida. Called GN-1, the 65,000 square feet of grass is a hybrid Bermuda and the plans are that it will be cut to 5/8 of an inch for the game.

George Toma, the NFL’s turf consultant, says the grass is going to be in great shape. How great?

“Good enough that Greg could bring his putter over and practice if he wanted to,” Toma said.

Just a thought, but since Norman hasn’t won in four years, maybe he should stick to putting on golf courses.

THE WHEELS MAY HAVE COME OFF

It was fairly amusing last week at the Mercedes Championships when the PGA Tour used transportation for players on the Plantation Course at Kapalua to speed up play.

At No. 4, players were taken in carts from the tee up a hill and dropped off on the fairway. At the par-three eighth hole, they rode in a Mercedes (naturally) SUV from the tee to the green.

Of course, the PGA Tour insisted Wednesday in the U.S. Supreme Court in its appeal of the Casey Martin lawsuit that walking is an integral part of the game . . . apparently except when pace of play is concerned.

TIGER UPDATE

Woods may have finished only 10th at the Mercedes, but he did keep a streak going--51 consecutive rounds of par or better. He long ago broke the old record of 28, shared by Craig Stadler and Mark O’Meara.

What’s more, Woods has been under par in 26 tournaments in a row--since the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie.

MONEY NEWS (THE BEST KIND)

The Byron Nelson Classic is raising its prize money to

$4.5 million for this year’s event in May, thus becoming the 18th tournament on the PGA Tour in 2001 with a purse of at least

$4 million.

Total prize money on the PGA Tour this year: $182 million.

Total prize money on the PGA Tour 10 years ago: $49 million.

PAK FOR A LONG TRIP

Se Ri Pak’s new caddie is Colin Cann. If that name sounds familiar, it should. He carried Annika Sorenstam’s bag when she won the U.S. Open back to back in 1995-96.

WANTED: ONE LOGO

Karrie Webb played last week’s LPGA opener without her usual Izod brand clothing, basically because the company is rethinking its entire endorsement strategy and has pulled the plug on her, at least for now.

Sadly, without a single clothing logo, Webb struggled and tied for 51st.

GOODYEAR BLIMP NEXT

News item: John Daly signs an endorsement deal with Hippo.

Reaction: Sounds about right.

SHE NEEDS A WARNING LABEL

And what kind of luck does Kim Williams have? She broke her collarbone and hurt her right knee when she was involved in a car accident at last week’s LPGA event at Orlando, Fla.

She was leaving the course after her first round of 72 when a driver in another car had a diabetic seizure, swerved into her lane and struck Williams’ car head-on.

Could happen to anyone? Maybe so, but in 1994, Williams had a stray bullet lodge in her neck when she was walking to a drugstore the week of an LPGA event in Ohio.

Williams, 37, had knee surgery Saturday morning.

DO YOU KNOW JACK?

Jack Nicklaus is dropping hints that he won’t play in the Masters and made it clear that he has no plans to play the U.S. Open at Southern Hills, the British Open at Royal Lytham and the PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club.

He says it all depends on if he plays reasonably well early in the year.

“If I don’t think I am able to compete, then I won’t play,” he said.

Nicklaus, who turns 61 Sunday, has played every Masters since 1959 except for 1999, when he was recovering from surgery, so you would have to think he’s going to be at Augusta if he can walk.

FIRST TIME THE CHARM

With his victory at Tucson, Garrett Willis is the first player to win in his first tournament as a Tour member since Robert Gamez in 1990.

Willis, 27, won $540,000 at Tucson, which is a lot better than the $73,000 he made in 27 Buy.com tournaments last year, when he was so down he thought about quitting golf.

FIRST TIME THE CHARM, CONT.

The Masters released its list of players it has invited this year and 16 will be making their debut at Augusta National: Greg Chalmers, Jose Coceres, Chris DiMarco, Flesch, Pierre Fulke, Mikko Honen, Jonathan Kaye, Franklin Langham, Bob May, Eduardo Romero, Rory Sabbatini, Tom Sherrer, U.S. Public Links champion D.J. Trajan, U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Greg Puga, U.S. Amateur champion Jeff Quinney and runner-up James Driscoll.

The Masters will be played April 5-8.

DOUBLE BOGEY CREAM

It had to happen: SportSticks is unveiling a new product, a hands-free applicator of a combination sunscreen and insect repellent. Now, if they can only do something about a really nasty slice.

A REAL ZINGER

News item: Paul Azinger signs five-year endorsement deal with Liquidmetal to play its driver, wear a logo hat and carry a logo golf bag.

Reaction: Insiders believe Callaway Golf failed to re-sign Azinger because he appeared in ads for Nike balls at the same time Callaway was introducing its own brand of balls.

WHAT ARE THE ODDS?

In case you missed the news, Victor Chandler is the new official bookmaker for the 2001 Ryder Cup at the Belfry in England. Victor Chandler is also the official bookmaker for the European Tour and the title sponsor of the Victor Chandler British Masters.

Just one question: an official bookmaker? For the Ryder Cup? Apparently, everything is for sale, so you can probably expect corporate logos on the flags at every hole in the very near future.

THERE IS HOPE

Jesper Parnevik is the defending champion at the $3.5-million Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, Feb. 14-18, when the Swede headlines a strong international field that also includes Jimenez, Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain and Bernhard Langer of Germany.

Then there is Stephen Allan of Australia. Who? Allan, 27, shot three rounds of 65 and six rounds in the 60s to win the PGA Tour qualifying school tournament at PGA West six weeks ago.

The Top 5

This week’s category: Graduates of the PGA Tour’s minor leagues (the Hogan/Nike/Buy.com Tour) who have the most victories on the major league PGA Tour:

1. David Duval 12

2. Ernie Els 8

3. Jim Furyk 6

4. Tom Lehman 5

5. Notah Begay III, John Daly, David Toms 4