Only a Fool Counts Him Out

It’s not guaranteed, of course, but if you’re really going to be somebody, you’ve got to win at Riviera. The rules about this kind of thing are actually simple, and they also apply in other important areas of interest other than golf.

If you are a big-deal horse, you’ve got to win at Churchill Downs. If you’re a race car driver, then crossing the finish line first at the Brickyard is a must. If you want to be the top tennis player in the world, you have to win on the grass at Wimbledon. Of course, if you’re a sandwich, you must be served at the Carnegie Deli.

In other words, in the context of success, location equals reputation. And Riviera is the place where some of golf’s greatest champions made an impression on the place and the place then returned the favor.

Ben Hogan won at Riviera. Sam Snead won at Riviera, so did Byron Nelson, Lloyd Mangrum, Tom Watson, Johnny Miller, Fred Couples, Tom Kite, Nick Faldo and Ernie Els.

Arnold Palmer won the L.A. Open three times, but all at Rancho Park. The only big names missing from the list are Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, though both have come close. Nicklaus was runner-up to Gil Morgan in 1978 (and to Hal Sutton in the 1983 PGA) and Woods tied for second when Els won in 1999.

After Thursday’s first round of the Nissan Open, Woods appears to have a chance to make his mark at Riviera. He shot a four-under 67 even though he had three three-putt greens and said afterward that he “putted like a fool.”

Maybe, but string together about three more days of foolish putting that leads to scores like that and Woods may have finally solved the Riviera riddle. He has been here seven times as a pro and so far, Riviera is winning.

That could change. The first factor working in Woods’ favor is that he probably got a favorable draw, which translated to an early starting time Thursday when it wasn’t raining and a late tee time today when the rain is supposed to be gone.

There’s a chance that it won’t make any difference, that Woods really is getting a lot closer to his power level of a few years ago.

His 67 was his best opening round at Riviera. In his nine rounds this year, Woods has not shot over par and his worst was the 72 in the third round at Torrey Pines, which is where he wound up winning by three shots, of course.

Eight of Woods’ nine rounds have been in the 60s and he’s a combined 39 under par.

There are numbers, but there also are feelings. Woods said he was surprised that Riviera’s greens were so fast, but after they got drenched Thursday, they might become something more along the lines of putting a golf ball on a bedspread.

Actually, about the only thing Woods is struggling with is his goatee. Let’s just say it’s still on the front nine. When Scott McCarron walked past Woods’ locker, he shook hands with him, took a look at the goatee and said one word: “Rogaine.”

This is a good time for Woods to get his game together, if that is indeed what’s happening. He is considering playing Doral in Miami the first week of March, which must be considered a longshot except for the fact that he docks his yacht “Privacy” in south Florida.

Also, if Woods follows his normal playing schedule and does play at Doral, it would mean six tournaments in eight weeks through the Masters.

That’s sort of a heavy load for Woods, although it’s nothing like his itinerary to end 2000, when he played nine weeks in a row to end the year: the Presidents Cup, Disney, the Tour Championship, the American Express in Spain, the Johnnie Walker in Thailand, the PGA Grand Slam in Hawaii, the Skins Game, the Target Challenge and the World Cup in Argentina.

And that’s not even including the clinic he gave in London’s Hyde Park right after the tournament in Spain.

So over-scheduling himself is something Woods no longer chooses to do. His real intention is to get back to the old days of, well, three years ago, when he ruled the PGA Tour and his lead at the top was indisputable.

He knows he wasn’t at his best on the course last year, but his family life now is much improved, with a wife of four months and the better health of his 73-year-old father, Earl.

The next three days at Riviera aren’t going to tell us everything about Woods and the state of his game, but it’s a start. He hasn’t done anything wrong so far this year, to be honest, and with the Masters less than two months away, this is probably as good a time as any to kick the game into high gear. For sure, it’s the right place.