TEEING OFF

Five things to look for on the professional golf scene:

1. It’s difficult to talk about the U.S. Open without talking about how the course is going to be set up, which in the case of next week’s championship at Torrey Pines, may be one of the most difficult.

Or maybe not.

At 7,643 yards, it’s going to be the longest course in U.S. Open history, and by nearly 400 yards. And the par-five 13th has a back tee available that’s one of three the USGA will use, and it’s 614 yards.

With the prevailing wind at the players’ backs, it’s still a potential birdie hole.

And so is the next one, the 14th, listed at 435 yards. But the USGA is seriously considering using a front tee and making it a drivable par four of about 277 yards.

“We’re not 100% committed to moving the tee up,” said Mike Davis, the USGA’s senior director of rules and competitions and responsible for setting up the Open course.

When architect Rees Jones revamped Torrey Pines in 2001, the 14th green was shifted against the canyon, which meant that the canyon took balls that missed the green left or long.

“If we do it, you want to see guys try” for the green with their tee shot, Davis said. “Otherwise, it’s a failure.”

Tiger Woods said he is surprised a drivable par four is even being discussed. “Never would have foreseen the USGA doing that,” he said.

What Davis said seemed to indicate the USGA is in a charitable mood if it moves the tee up at the 14th.

“We’re saying ‘Hey, guys, we’re giving you a shot that’s not even a driver.’ ”

2 . Woods got an early start on the Open and practiced at Torrey Pines on Wednesday, when he was watched by swing coach Hank Haney, but few others. Neither spectators nor media were allowed when Woods rode in a cart and played at least 17 holes, according to the San Diego Union Tribune. Woods spent more than three hours on the course, and Haney said, “It went well.”

The USGA will put Woods, Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott, the top three in the world rankings, together the first two rounds of the Open. There might be a few fans in that gallery.

3. Winners of the U.S. Open receive a 10-year exemption to keep playing in the national championship. The Open at Torrey Pines marks the 10th anniversary of Lee Janzen’s stirring victory over Payne Stewart in 1998 at the Olympic Club.

Janzen, who turns 44 in August, would have qualified for Torrey anyway because he tied for 13th in last year’s Open at Oakmont and safely made it into the top 15. But Janzen is going to have to kick it up a notch this time.

He has one top 10 and missed four cuts in 11 events. His last four tournaments have been a tie for 80th, a tie for 60th, a missed cut and a tie for 69th. Janzen’s only exempt status on the PGA Tour this year is as a past champion.

4. Remember Angel Cabrera?

He’s the defending U.S. Open champion, but there have been a few changes since he won at Oakmont.

The former “Senor Smoke” gave up cigarettes this year when he had flu and he seems to have given up being in contention.

That may change, but since he tied for fifth at the Accenture Match Play, Cabrera has missed three cuts, he withdrew from another tournament, tied for 25th at the Masters and was 72nd at the Wachovia.

He did win the Singapore Open last year, after the Open, but he’s not hot, down to 22nd in the rankings and only 174th in putting.

5. Chances are it’s going to be a pressing week for Suzann Pettersen, who is going up against 149 of her peers and trying to defend her first major title at the LPGA Championship.

Pettersen, 27, from Norway, beat Karrie Webb by a shot last year at Bulle Rock in Havre de Grace, Md. It was the second consecutive year that Webb was second at the LPGA Championship (Se Ri Pak beat her in a playoff in 2006).

Lorena Ochoa, who won the first major of the year at the Kraft Nabisco, will play after missing last week’s Ginn Tribute because of the death of her uncle.

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STAT OF THE WEEK

There have been 13 PGA Tour events this year with cut lines of over par, but the Memorial was the highest at six over. The cuts at the Mayakoba and the Honda were both at four over. The only major so far, the Masters -- won by Trevor Immelman, above -- was at three over.

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A SLICE OF LIFE

Jerry Kelly, who tied for second at the Memorial, on resorting to counting while he putted to keep his head down, a tactic that didn’t work well enough:

‘I don’t remember getting to two. So obviously I either took it for granted or went fast.’