Tricky Torrey Pines still holds surprise

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Torrey Pines may look slightly different this year to the players. The fairway at the par-4 fourth hole has been moved over slightly toward the edge of the cliff. With the hole running parallel to a beach hundreds of feet below, the vistas there were always dramatic. On clear days, there are almost always hang gliders and parasailers floating on the breeze coming in off the ocean. In years past, like large gnats, they have been an annoyance to the players. A hard pull off that tee, and the players might get some uninvited revenge.

Tiger Woods lines up his putt on the 13th green on the South Course during the 2007 Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines Golf Course. (Grayson/WireImage)

Tiger's Torrey Pines performance

Year Finish Score 2007 won -15 2006 won -10 2005 won -16 2004 T10 -8 2003 won -16 2002 T5 -10 2001 4 -17 2000 T2 -14 1999 won -22 1998 T3 -11

There is also a new tee at the 13th hole that stretches an otherwise reachable par 5 into a monster over 600 yards although that tee may not be used for the Buick Invitational this week. You can bet that they will have plenty of time to familiarize themselves with it in June for the U.S. Open.

It is a rarity that the USGA chooses a venue that is used annually on the PGA TOUR. The last time was Pebble Beach in 2000. When the U.S. Open comes to Torrey Pines South this June, it will be the first time the national championship has been held in southern California since Hogan's Alley became Hogan's Alley way back in 1948. Incidentally, Hogan's Alley -- aka Riviera Country Club -- is also used annually on the PGA TOUR.

Interestingly enough, three of the next four U.S. Opens will be held at courses that the TOUR visits regularly. In 2010, the championship will return to Pebble Beach and then to Congressional Country Club the next year. Considering that the selections for U.S. Open venues are made well in advance -- through 2013 as of this writing -- the USGA could not have known what would transpire on TOUR between a venue selection and the actual championship.

They could not possibly have known that Tiger Woods would host AT&T National at Congressional over July 4th weekend last year -- and come back again this year. Heck, at this point last year, even Tiger couldn't be sure. They also couldn't know that Tiger was going to dominate at Torrey Pines the way that he has.

This year marks the seventh time that the Buick Invitational has been held at Torrey Pines since a renovation by Rees Jones following the tournament in 2001. Since the course's growth spurt from a playable 7,055 yards to its current, monstrous 7,568, Tiger has won four of the six events and three in a row.

This begs not only the question of whether anyone can beat him this week but also what must be done to stop in him June. The answer may lie in the details. The U.S. Open setup will most assuredly be different than what the players will face this week. In typical USGA fashion, the par-5 sixth hole will be reduced -- if you can call it that -- to a 515-yard par 4. And this will be the longest U.S. Open in history, playing to 7,643 yards and a par of 71.

The USGA and PGA TOUR agronomy staffs have worked together over the last several months. The fairway widths are expected to be the same in June as they are this week, between 24 and 33 yards across -- although they seem much smaller. In June, the rough will be typical U.S. Open rough, and the greens are expected to run in the range of 13 to 13 ½ on the Stimpmeter. But that is not unusual for a U.S. Open. Remember, 5-over par has won each of the last two years. So what does the USGA do? They try to figure out a way to make it a little harder. This year, the plan is to move the spectator ropes farther from the fairways so that wayward drives find the thick rough rather than spectator-trodden grass that tends to reward rather than punish.

That said, the biggest difference could simply be the weather. The forecast for this week's Buick Invitational is soggy and cool. Although it could be soggy and cool on the southern California coast in June, it isn't likely. What is likely, or at least the wishes of the championship committee, is that the golf course will play firm and fast -- just the way they like it.

Mark O'Meara hits from the sixth tee during the 2006 Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines South. (Grayson/WireImage)

Since the changes to Torrey Pines back in 2001, the golf course has proven too big for many of the players on TOUR. But that disadvantage could be negated a bit in a U.S. Open setting where the premium is on fairways hit, not missiles launched.

In June, the weather should be warmer and the course faster and more challenging than ever. How does that affect Tiger's chances in June? It would seem that more people would have a chance, but I believe it actually aligns the stars more in his favor. The changing of the par-5 sixth hole to a par 4 turns the South Course into a par 71. This will be the first time the USGA has played to a par of 71 for the championship since Pebble Beach in 2000. In case you have forgotten what happened that year, search the USGA archives for "biggest butt kicking," and you will see a picture of Tiger on the 18th green with his first U.S. Open trophy after breaking nearly every significant scoring record in the tournament's storied history.

Don't etch Tiger's name into the U.S. Open trophy just yet, though. Even after he makes it four straight this week, winning the Buick Invitational is a far cry from winning the U.S. Open. Sometimes, the U.S. Open picks its own winner. Sometimes, fate lends a hand and, an Angel Cabrera or a Geoff Ogilvy emerges against all odds. But then again, at Torrey Pines, Tiger has home field advantage, even when pitted against the fates.