Golf Report

INSIDE THE ROPES
By TOM LaMARRE
The Sports Xchange

Perhaps all Phil Mickelson needed to get really interested was for Tiger Woods to show up.
Of course, the Masters had something to do with it, too. But it is interesting to note that Mickelson seemed poised to take the No. 1 spot in the World Golf Rankings for the first time in his career with Woods on the sidelines at the start of the last two seasons and was unable to make his move.
With Woods in exile for nearly five months at the start of this season after admitting to serial philandering, Lefty had the same response whenever the media asked him about Tiger. "We need him out here," Mickelson would say.
But Mickelson, who is in the field along with Woods this week for the Quail Hollow Championship, might have been thinking all the while, "I need him out here."
Last season, with Woods still on the shelf following knee surgery, Mickelson struggled through his first three tournaments before winning the Northern Trust Open and added the WGC-CA Championship three weeks later.
By that time Woods was back, and he promptly won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the first of his eight victories in 2009.
Mickelson and Woods gave us a Sunday to remember in the 2009 Masters by being paired together ahead of the leaders and charging side-by-side up the leaderboard before running out of gas in the final holes.
After tying for second in the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, any chance of Mickelson keeping up or making any further inroads into Woods' margin was sabotaged because he had more important things on his mind: His wife and mother underwent surgery for breast cancer.
That virtually wiped out his summer, but he bounced back to play some of the best golf of his career late in the year, winning the Tour Championship and the WGC-HSBC Champions Tournament in addition to helping the United States win the Presidents Cup at Harding Park.
Those two stroke-play tournament victories came when he played head-to-head with Woods, whose life was about to implode. And Phil beat him soundly both times.
People took notice.
"The way Phil Mickelson played at the end of last year, he played with Tiger in Shanghai, won the tournament there on the final day," Ernie Els said at the Sony Open in Hawaii in January. "The Tour Championship, he won coming from behind, you know.
"I mean, the way he is hitting the ball, Phil is hitting it as long, or longer, than anybody out there. He has really been working hard. Now his putting is coming around.
"I think Phil is probably the man to beat now."
Said Mickelson: "I'm playing the best golf of my career."
That was even before Woods became tabloid fodder. The speculation at the time was that this season Lefty might finally be able to put up a sustained challenge for the No. 1 ranking.
We have heard that kind of talk from Mickelson before, but Phil the Thrill has run hot-and-cold throughout his career.
The best example of that came when he was on the verge of winning three consecutive major titles as he stepped to the 18th tee at Winged Foot in the 2006 U.S. Open.
Even though he would not have overtaken Woods in the rankings, golf pundits were saying that with a victory Lefty would be considered the best player in the world by acclimation.
Without a 3-wood in his bag, Mickelson was forced to go with driver and sliced his tee shot off a hospitality tent en route to a double bogey that opened the door for Geoff Ogilvy to win the title.
And so it was again this year, when Mickelson had a seemingly unobstructed path to the top of the world but virtually sleepwalked through his first seven tournaments. A tie for eighth at Pebble Beach was his best finish.
Then Woods returned, almost looking as if he never left as he tied for fourth in the Masters. But, seemingly out of nowhere, Mickelson put on a virtuoso performance to claim the first major of the year.
There are those who are saying that Lefty now has his rival's number, having won the last three tournaments with both not only in the field but in the hunt on Sunday.
Mickelson has posted the lower score five of the last seven times the two have been paired in a PGA Tour event, and they finished even once. He also has finished higher than Woods in three of the last four majors with both in the field.
Woods holds an 11-10-4 edge in head-to-head pairings over the course of their careers, but the only numbers that really count are on their major championship scorecards.
Than one reads: Woods 14, Mickelson 4.
Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major titles has long been Tiger's target, and the Golden Bear had challenges from the likes of Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Tom Watson to help push him to that figure.
Woods has had singular battles with the likes of Sergio Garcia, Bob May, Rocco Mediate and Chris DiMarco, but no one other than Mickelson and perhaps Vijay Singh has pushed him on a regular basis.
By earning his third Green Jacket, Mickelson nosed past Els, Singh and Padraig Harrington with four major titles to his name.
Even so, he has long been considered the second-best golfer of this generation and will be linked with Woods forever, exactly the way we consider Nicklaus and Palmer joined for eternity.
It's like an ongoing reality show. Stay tuned for the next episode of Tiger vs. Phil, on display this weekend.

COMING UP
PGA TOUR: Quail Hollow Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday through Sunday.
TV: Thursday and Friday, 3-6 p.m. EDT on the Golf Channel; Saturday and Sunday, 3-6 p.m. EDT on CBS.
LAST YEAR: Sean O'Hair was the only player in the last nine groups to break 70, shooting 3-under-par 69 in the final round to win by one stroke over Bubba Watson and Lucas Glover. O'Hair became the only American golfer under the age of 30 with three victories in his PGA Tour career and has since been joined by Dustin Johnson in that category. Five weeks after he blew a five-stroke lead in the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational and finished second to Tiger Woods, O'Hair made four birdies on the back nine Sunday at Quail Hollow and held on to win despite carding bogeys on his last two holes.

CHAMPIONS TOUR: Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic at Fallen Oak Golf Club in Biloxi, Miss., Friday through Sunday.
TV: Friday, 6:30-8:30 p.m. EDT; Saturday, 6:30-9:30 p.m. EDT, and Sunday, 7-9:30 p.m. EDT, on the Golf Channel each day.
Last Year: Inaugural event.

LPGA TOUR: Tres Marias Championship at Tres Marias Country Club in Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico, Thursday through Sunday.
TV: No live television in the United States.
LAST YEAR: Defending champion Lorena Ochoa of Mexico thrilled the Mexican fans by shooting 5-under-par 68 in the final round to beat Suzann Pettersen of Norway by one stroke for her 26th LPGA Tour victory and the second of 2009. Ochoa, who last week announced that she will retire from golf after defending this title, was tied for the lead with Pettersen before taking control with birdies on the 15th and 16th holes in the final round. Pettersen, who also closed with a 68, made a birdie on the final hole, but it was not enough.


NOTES, QUOTES
--Organizers of the Heritage, which has been one of the most popular events on the PGA Tour since 1969, are looking for a title sponsor.
Verizon ended its relationship with the tournament after it was played two weeks ago. Tournament director Steve Wilmot said the event at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, S.C., is safe for at least one year without a sponsor because of the financial stability of the Heritage Foundation, which runs the tournament.
But after that, it is anyone's guess.
Players at this year's tournament did not want to think about losing the event, played annually the week after the Masters.
"I hope that a company can see how valuable this could be for them, to step in and take the place of Verizon," said Stewart Cink, the reigning British Open champion who won at Hilton Head in 2000 and 2004.
" ... It's quite special. It's always one of my favorites, if not my very favorite tournament of the year. It's such a relaxed field. The golf course is really unique and special. It's like the anti-Augusta."
Davis Love III, who has captured the Heritage a record five times, is a member of the PGA Tour Players' Advisory Council and has spoken to potential sponsors directly about the possibility of hooking up with the Heritage.
"I've been on the board; this is my fourth time," Love said. "I leave here, I'm meeting with the commissioner (Tim Finchem) and then the PAC meeting. I'm intimately involved with (all tournaments looking for sponsors).
"I kind of look at this one like San Diego. It's just such an iconic tournament. If we didn't have such a bad economy, it would be one people would be standing in line for. We have to find the right fit, and it's a harder search now.
"But hopefully something will come up sooner than later, to give everybody a little comfort."
The viability of Wilmot's declaration that the Heritage would be safe for one year ultimately is up to the PGA Tour and Sea Pines Resort. Normally, that is a mere formality, but nothing is certain in the current economic climate.
Even though the Heritage, known for the candy-striped lighthouse behind the 18th green at Harbour Town, does not release attendance figures, it is believed the tournament attracts in the neighborhood of 130,000 spectators ever year.
Clemson University conducted a study in 2005 and claimed that the event has an impact of $84 million to the region every time it is played.
"As a player, (I think) it stinks that the PGA can't help them out," said Boo Weekley, whose only PGA Tour victories came in the Heritage in 2007 and 2008. "That's my feelings. Why can't the PGA Tour -- they help everything else out -- why can't they come in here and say, 'We're going to help you all raise enough money to do this'?"
Rick George, executive vice president and chief of operations for the PGA Tour, said his organization is doing everything to ensure the tournament will be played next year and beyond.
South Carolina lawmakers voted to lend the tournament $10 million from the state's insurance reserve fund to keep the Heritage going if no title sponsor is found.
"It's very much appreciated, but I don't think we will need that," George said, apparently believing that a new sponsor will be found. "I don't want to go in that direction."
Arnold Palmer won the first Heritage, and Jim Furyk beat Brian Davis of England in a playoff to win two weeks ago.
--The United States Golf Association announced last week at the U.S. Open will be televised later than ever before in prime time on the weekend when it is played at Pebble Beach on June 17-20.
Coverage on NBC will end at 11 p.m. EDT in the third round on Saturday, and the final round on Sunday will go to 9 p.m. EDT.
"Playing the Open on the West Coast in June allows us to showcase this championship in prime time," said Dick Ebersol, chairman of NBC Universal Sports and Olympics.
"It should make for a great Father's Day weekend, with the best golfers in the world competing on one of golf's most picturesque courses in prime time."
U.S. Open coverage went into prime time on the weekend for the first time at Torrey Pines two years ago, when it ended at 10 p.m. EDT on Saturday and 9 p.m. EDT for the final round.
That led to the highest rating for a U.S. Open in six years and the third-best Sunday rating in U.S. Open history. Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate were tied after 72 holes, and Woods won in a playoff that went 19 holes the next day.
The U.S. Open will return to Pebble Beach for the first time since 2000, when Woods broke the major championship record by claiming a 15-stroke victory.
ESPN went into prime time with its weekday coverage of the U.S. Open that year, ending its telecast of the first round at 10:30 p.m. EDT and the second round at 11:22 p.m.
The U.S. Open will have more than 30 hours of live TV coverage, nearly twice as much as the Masters.
--European captain Colin Montgomerie has overseen nearly $750,000 in changes made to the golf course at Celtic Manor in Newport, Wales, where the Ryder Cup will be played in September.
However, the changes have not been made to give the Euros a home-course advantage, which has been done in past Ryder Cups.
"All along, Colin has insisted that he was not interested in gaining a home advantage," said Jim McKenzie, Celtic Manor's director of golf courses. "If Europe does regain the Ryder Cup, he wants it to be because they have played the better golf and not because the course has been tricked up.
"And in all my dealings with Colin since he was appointed Europe's Ryder Cup captain, I have to say he has not been over-demanding."
Montgomerie has had many of the bunkers at Celtic Manor deepened, had the rough made consistently thicker than it was for the Wales Open on the European Tour in 2008 and 2009, and insisted the greens be firmer and less receptive.
The alterations were implemented even though the Celtic Manor course has received much acclaim after being built at a cost of $8 million and opened for play only two years ago.
The European Tour's top players will get their first taste of Montgomerie's changes June 3-6 when Celtic Manor stages the Wales Open.
---Rich Beem, the 2002 PGA champion, underwent back surgery last week and will be out of action indefinitely.
Beem said he had not felt right for most of the year, but it got dramatically worse when he felt a burning sensation from his right shoulder down his arm. A trip to the neurosurgeon, who called for an MRI exam, revealed damage to the C-6 and C-7 vertebrae.
"(The doctor) said if I was in a different profession this probably wouldn't be necessary at this point, but for a professional golfer it had to be done," Beem said. "And the sooner the better.
"I didn't want to do surgery, but I need to have surgery to get back to my profession. I have no power in my right arm, and you can't play golf that way."
Beem, who began feeling numbness in his upper back late last year, had greatly diminished strength in his right arm, and he withdrew from the Honda Classic last month because of shoulder pain that might have been related to the disk problem.
The doctor said Beem must rest for three weeks after the surgery before he can begin chipping and putting, and it will be another three weeks after that before he can hit full shots with his driver.
The date for his return to the PGA Tour is uncertain.
"I'm hoping to get out there sooner rather than later," Beem said. "We'll figure it out."
Beem defeated Tiger Woods by three strokes to win the 2002 PGA Championship at Hazeltine.
--Volvo officials confirmed last week that the Volvo World Match Play Championship will return to the European Tour schedule, but no one knows exactly when.
After HSBC withdrew from the title sponsorship in 2007, Volvo stepped in last year with a revamped format after a one-year break and moved the event from Wentworth Club in England to Finca Cortesin Golf Club in Malaga, Spain.
However, the 2009 date clashed with the co-sanctioned Barclays Singapore Open, which drew criticism from some quarters, and the Match Play event does not have a spot on the 2010 schedule.
"We will definitely see such a prestigious tournament back in the future," said Per Ericsson, president and chief executive officer of Volvo Event Management.
"There was no secret that we weren't happy that we had to share the date with a very good tournament in Asia in Singapore, and this is why we are to be decided on the schedule we are discussing."
Ernie Els, who has captured the tournament a record seven times, criticized the timing of the 2009 Match Play event after he was unable to defend the title he won at Wentworth in 2007 because of contractual obligations to play in Singapore.
"It's a complex world and everyone involved knows the Volvo World Match Play has a special position for the players in the world because of its heritage," Ericsson said.
"The changes we made in Spain were good; they were well received. The venue was extremely well accepted and we were lucky with the weather, but it is not the best time of year to play golf in Spain with some rain."
Arnold Palmer won the first World Match Play title in 1964. Other winners include Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Seve Ballesteros, Greg Norman, Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam, Hale Irwin and Vijay Singh.
Ross Fisher captured the title last year with a 4-and-3 victory over Anthony Kim in the scheduled 36-hole final.
--Lorena Ochoa of Mexico, No. 1 in the Women's World Golf Rankings, stunned the LPGA Tour when she announced last week that she will retire after defending her title this week in the Tres Marias Championship at Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico.
The 28-year-old Ochoa said she will compete in the future only in the Lorena Ochoa Invitational, which is held in November.
"This is a very special day, full of happiness," said Ochoa, who has claimed 27 victories, including two major championships. "There are so many things that I will miss, and this has not been an easy decision to make. But this is my moment and I dreamed of it this way.
"I am leaving the LPGA Tour as the top player, No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings, so I am proud of myself and satisfied. I would like to thank so many people who have been by my side all these years, most of all my LPGA partners who welcomed me from my very first day on the tour.
"When I started to play golf 23 years ago, I had the dream to become the best player in the world, to win many tournaments, and this is why now is the best time to leave, full of great memories that I am going to share with my family for the rest of my life."
Ochoa was married in December to Andres Conesa, chief executive of Aeromexico airlines. He has three children from a previous marriage. She said that retiring will allow her to concentrate on her family and her charity foundation.
Annika Sorenstam, No. 1 women's player in the world, was 37 when she retired at the end of the 2008 season.
"I must admit that I was surprised, but not shocked, when I heard the news ... that Lorena is going to retire," Sorenstam wrote on her blog.
"She has always said she would play for maybe 10 years and then leave the game to start a family. She just got married and obviously feels that she is ready for that next chapter in her life."
Sorenstam married Mike McGee, son of former PGA Tour golfer Jerry McGee, in January of last year. She gave birth to their first child, Ava Madelyn, in September.


COURSE SOURCE
IN THE PUBLIC EYE: St. Johns Golf and Country Club in St. Augustine, Fla.
THE LAYOUT: There are dozens of golf opportunities on Florida's Golf Coast, but for the price and experience, St. Johns is one of the best.
Architect Clyde Johnston carved a magnificent 7,236-yard track out of a pine forest that winds through natural wetlands, playing to a par of 72 with a USGA rating of 74.7 and a slope of 132.
However, only low-handicappers can play from the gold tees and must get permission in the pro shop. There are five other tees down to a 2,500-yard family layout that make the course enjoyable for players of all handicaps.
St. Johns, considered by locals to be the equal of its higher-priced neighbors near Interstate 95, has played host to the PGA Tour qualifying school in the first round five times, the 2006 PGA Level II Qualifying School and U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship local qualifying the last several years.
Before heading out onto the course, warm up on the state-of-the-art practice facility, which includes a 10,000-square-foot putting green, a double-sided driving range and several practice bunkers.
HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Dan Zimmer.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: Even though there are 63 bunkers on the course plus several waste areas and water comes into play to one degree or another on 14 holes, St. Johns offers wide driving areas and spacious yet challenging green complexes.
After a relatively straightforward opening hole, a 400-yard par 4 where the primary obstacles are a large oak tree and fairway bunkers on the left, Johnston challenges the golfer with a meaty 552-yard par 5. Get past the fairway bunker on the right side of this slight dogleg left and there is water along that side of the fairway all the way to a green guarded by sand and grass bunkers.
After a beautiful 210-yard par 3 with water and sand to the right, the fourth hole is a tantalizing par 4 at 382 yards from the tips, but the lake on the right comes into play off the tee and on the approach.
The front nine wraps up with two magnificent holes.
The 565-yard eighth, rated No. 1 on the card, plays through a corridor of trees, and even though the water is almost out of play on the left near the green, seven bunkers pockmark the trip home. Don't be fooled by the traps short of the green because the putting surface is actually 40 yards beyond.
If you are ever going to hit a straight drive, No. 9 is the place, with water on the left and sand on the right. Hit the fairway and more bunkers plus mounding provide a challenge on the approach to the green, but take a peek at the magnificent view of the stately clubhouse across the water behind the hole.
There is only a trace of water on the first three holes of the back nine, but the par-3 13th, which plays 194 yards from the tips, is almost completely surrounded by it. Even a breath of wind makes club selection dicey, with a single bunker protecting the front of the green.
As good as the rest of the course is, St. Johns is one of those layouts that saves the best for last, starting with the 557-yard, par-5 16th, where water is reachable on both sides of the fairway from the tee. The fairway narrows so an accurate layup is required, and the wraparound bunker behind the green on the left is not a bad spot compared to the water beyond.
The 212-yard par-3 17th is a dangerous beauty, with water and sand to the left, a steep slope and grass bunkers on the right. Make par and run to the final tee.
No. 18 is considered the best finishing hole in the area, other than the famous one on Pete Dye's Stadium Course at nearby TPC Sawgrass. Right is the sensible path off the tee because the lake from No. 17 runs all the way down the left side of this hole and three bunkers sit in the middle of the fairway. That's also the best angle from which to approach the green without having to carry the water, which protects the left side. Into the wind, this hole can play two or three clubs longer.
Add up your score and enjoy post-round refreshments in the Grille Room or on the back patio overlooking the ninth and 18th greens.
OTHER COURSES IN THE AREA: St. Johns is located in what might be called the golf capital of the United States because the headquarters of the four major golf tours in the country are nearby.
Not only that, the World Golf Village and the World Golf Hall of Fame are only a few miles away, also in St. Augustine. Located there are two championship courses, the Slammer and the Squire (designed by Robert Weed and named for Sam Snead and Gene Sarazen), and the King and the Bear (named for Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, who collaborated on the design).
Right down the road in Ponte Vedra Beach is TPC Sawgrass, home of the PGA, Champions and Nationwide tours. On the property are Pete Dye's Valley Course and the Stadium Course, with its infamous island 17th green, site of the Players Championship in May.
About an hour's drive down Interstate 95 in Daytona Beach is LPGA National, home of the LPGA Tour, plus the Legends Course designed by Arthur Hills, and the Champions Course, designed by Rees Jones.
Also in the area are Royal St. Augustine Golf and Country Club, St. Augustine Shores Golf Club, the Golf Club at South Hampton in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra Golf and Country Club at Sawgrass, the Ocean Course designed by Jack Nicklaus at Ginn Hammock Dunes Resort in Palm Coast, Queens Harbor Yacht and Country Club in Jacksonville, Magnolia Point Golf and Country Club in Green Cove Springs, and Eagle Harbor Golf Club in Orange Park.
WHERE TO STAY: Stay and play on the grounds of the World Golf Village at the Renaissance Resort, the Comfort Suites, Laterra Resort and Spa or the Grande Villas, which all have golf packages for the Slammer and the Squire, and the King and the Bear.
Historic St. Augustine is the oldest European settlement in the United States, first visited by Ponce de Leon on 1513, and there are numerous hotels and B&Bs in and around the city. Among the best are the Bayfront Marin House, the Casa Blanca Inn on the Bay, Casa Monica Hotel, the Bayfront Westcott House, St. George Inn, Our House Bed and Breakfast, Alexander Homestead Bed and Breakfast, the Pirate Haus Inn and the Carriage Way B & B.
In Ponte Vedra Beach are the Sawgrass Marriott Resort and Beach Club, Ponte Vedra Beach Inn and Club, Augustine Inn, the Lodge and Club at Ponte Vedra Beach, the Hilton Garden Inn and the Fig Tree Inn.
Golf resorts in the area include the Ginn Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast and Amelia Island Plantation.
ON THE WEB: http://www.stjohnsgolf.com/index.php.

THE LAST RESORT: Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C.
THE LAYOUT: Only a 10-minute drive from the famed Pinehurst Resort, Pine Needles -- site of the 2007 U.S. Women's Open, won by Cristie Kerr -- is a Donald Ross masterpiece in the Sandhills of North Carolina.
The course was renovated in 2005 under the direction of Arizona-based designer John Fought to make it more closely resemble the course that opened in 1928. Tee boxes were lengthened, greens and bunkers were restored to their original sizes and positions, and native turf grasses were re-established.
Pine Needles, which plays to a par of 71, has been lengthened by about 300 yards to a total of 7,015 yards.
You can take a lesson from famed instructor Peggy Kirk Bell, whose family has been a presence at the resort for three generations. Also on the teaching staff is Donna Andrews, winner of six events on the LPGA Tour, including the 1994 Nabisco Dinah Shore.
DIRECTOR OF GOLF: Chip King.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: Michael Campbell of New Zealand set up camp at the Pine Needles Lodge the week before the 2005 U.S. Open at Pinehurst with his Florida-based instructor Jonathan Yarwood, who refined Campbell's chipping and putting strokes for the inverted saucer greens at Pinehurst.
After Campbell's remarkable victory at Pinehurst on the No. 2 course, perhaps' Ross' most famous course, the winner returned to celebrate on Sunday night in the Rough Lounge at Pine Needles.
Pine Needles boasts an exceptional set of par 3s, three of them from elevated tees, so choosing the correct club is a must. The 145-yard third, the signature hole and shortest on the course, is the most picturesque, requiring a tee shot over a lake and wetlands area to a green that slopes dramatically from back to front.
The sixth hole, a 459-yard par 4, might be the best on the course. You hit your tee shot up to the fairway, and long hitters can catch the downslope to get an extra 30 yards of roll. The approach plays downhill to the green.
As part of the renovation, the 14th and 15th holes, perhaps the best on the back nine, have reverted to their original shot values. No. 14 is a daunting 454-yard par 4, followed by the 530-yard par-5 15th.
OTHER COURSES IN THE AREA: Pine Needles' sister property next door, the Mid-Pines Inn, boasts another Ross classic, Mid-Pines Golf Club. Of course, a few miles down the road is Pinehurst Resort and Club, with eight courses, including the prized No. 2 course.
Also in the neighborhood are the Mid South Club in Pinehurst, designed by Arnold Palmer; Legacy Golf Club in Aberdeen, designed by Jack Nicklaus II and host of the 2000 Women's U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship; National Golf Club in Pinehurst, designed by Jack Nicklaus; and Tobacco Road Golf Club in Sanford, an innovative course designed by Mike Strantz.
Others worth a look are the Pit Golf Links, Talamore Golf Club, Little River Farm and Pinewild Golf Club.
WHERE TO STAY: The Carolina Hotel is a National Historical Landmark in the center of Pinehurst that has been offering exquisite service to go with Southern charm since 1901.
Four U.S. presidents have stayed at the Holly Inn in Pinehurst, which opened its doors in 1895.
The Manor Inn has been one of Arnold Palmer's favorite hangouts since he visited Pinehurst with his father as a boy.
In addition to Pine Needles Lodge and the Mid-Pines Inn, other quality accommodations may be found at Sandhills Golf Lodge in Pinebluff, Amble Inn Acres Bed and Breakfast in Vass, the Blacksmith Inn in Carthage, Hyland Hills Resort in Southern Pines and the Old Buggy Inn in Carthage.
ON THE WEB: http://www.pineneedles-midpines.com.

Tiger and the Masters

INSIDE THE ROPES
By TOM LaMARRE
The Sports Xchange
Like any other recovering addict, Tiger Woods must get on with his life, and Thursday is the first day of the rest of his brilliant career.
Call it group therapy, witnessed by an audience of millions.
There are those who believe Woods took the easy way in choosing the antiseptic atmosphere of the Masters for step one of his comeback, but this will be no walk in the park despite the azaleas and dogwood trees.
"He's made a career out of exceeding expectations," Geoff Ogilvy said. "He's spent his whole life under a microscope, but this is going to be on a level he's never seen before."
His history tells us that the effects of his marital problems, sex addiction and/or dependency to prescription drugs will be more difficult challenges to overcome than the fairways and greens at Augusta National, which does not bode well for a storybook finish this week.
Woods has bounced back from physical problems to play well immediately after long absences, but it took him longer to get back into form following the death of his father and mentor, Earl, in 2006.
The No. 1-ranked golfer in the world came back last year after missing eight months because of major knee surgery and was knocked out in the second round of the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship by Tim Clark. But he tied for ninth in his first stroke-play event, the WGC-CA Championship, before winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational his next time out.
Twice in his career, Woods has gone nine weeks without competing before showing up at a major championship.
In 2006, he tied for third in the Masters and did not play again until the U.S. Open because of the death of his father. He was far off his best form at Winged Foot as he missed the cut in a major for the first time in his pro career.
Two years ago, Woods had a preliminary surgery on his right knee after finishing second at Augusta and returned to capture his 14th major title by outlasting Rocco Mediate in an epic 19-hole Monday playoff in the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.
This situation certainly is more emotional than physical even though there might be some rust on his game -- it will have been 144 days since he last played competitive golf when he stands on the first tee.
However, those who know best are warning not expect a sleeping Tiger.
"Do I think Tiger Woods can be a competitive factor at the Masters? I can't believe you're even asking that question," Stewart Cink said. "We're talking about Tiger Woods, the best player that's ever played golf.
"I've seen the players who are usually in that conversation. I've never seen anybody that plays golf like Tiger Woods does. So the answer to that question is, 'Yes, I believe he can be a factor.'"
Said Ernie Els: "Tiger is just a different player. He's different than most players. He's the one guy that probably could make a success (after such a long layoff)."
Added Phil Mickelson: "He seems to have not had a problem with (playing well after a long layoff) in the past, looking at his U.S. Open win in 2008. He had a lot of time off before that, and he came back from being injured and was able to win. He seems to be able to do remarkable things throughout his career."
Woods will not only have to deal with his peers, but the media and the fans, in addition to, as always, the expectations.
Most of the pros recognize that Woods has been their meal ticket, so there should be few problems in that area although it might be awkward at first, and he has dealt with the media throughout his career and knows there will be the good and the bad.
But what about the fans and the expectations?
Colin Montgomerie, who has made a career of coming up a little short in both areas, addressed that recently.
"I sometimes got it wrong," he said of playing the villain, especially in front of galleries in the United States. "But it did fire me up, there's no question. ...
"I've heard where he said that he's nervous to come back, and that's the first time I've ever heard Tiger say those words, and it's going to be interesting. ... He'll get over those nerves and he will be as determined as anyone has ever been on a golf course to prove that he's still the No. 1 player in the world, and in my opinion, the best player ever to play the game.
"He wouldn't be entering Augusta if he didn't think he could win."
So after nearly five months of the type of publicity the PGA Tour would rather do without, Woods again will be the one person who for all the right reasons consistently puts golf on the front page and at the top of the news hour.
Millions will be rooting for him to succeed, while the public-opinion polls indicate that millions more, many of whom never paid much attention before, want him to fail.
But no matter which side they are on, they will watch, especially if he is there on Sunday.

COMING UP
PGA TOUR: The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., Thursday through Sunday.
TV: Thursday, 4-7:30 p.m. EDT on EPSN; Friday, 4:30-7:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN; Saturday, 3:30-7 p.m. EDT on CBS, and Sunday, 2-7 p.m. EDT on CBS.
LAST YEAR: Angel Cabrera of Argentina, who had to sink an 8-foot putt for par on the first playoff hole to stay alive after hitting into the trees, made a routine par on the second extra hole to outlast fading 48-year-old Kenny Perry. Cabrera brought the green jacket home to Argentina 41 years after countryman Roberto de Vicenzo signed an incorrect scorecard after finishing in a tie with Bob Goalby and was relegated to second place. Perry had a two-stroke lead before making bogeys on the last two holes of regulation and then made another bogey on the second playoff hole. Chad Campbell dropped out of the playoff when his 6-foot par putt lipped out on the first extra hole.

CHAMPIONS TOUR: Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am at TPC Tampa Bay in Lutz, Fla., April 16-18.
TV: Friday, 12:30-2:30 p.m. EDT on the Golf Channel; Saturday, 4-6 p.m. EDT on NBC, and Sunday, 1-3 p.m. EDT on NBC.
Last Year: Nick Price overcame three double bogeys in the first 11 holes of the final round with three consecutive birdies on the back nine and claimed his first Champions Tour victory, by two strokes over Larry Nelson. The 52-year-old Price, who won 18 times on the PGA Tour, including three major championships, was 0-for-38 on the Senior Circuit before breaking through. He blew a three-stroke lead early in the final round but posted seven birdies while closing with an even-par 71 that he said was one of the strangest rounds of his career.

LPGA TOUR: The Mojo 6 on Cinnamon Hill Golf Course at Rose Hall in Montego Bay, Jamaica, April 15-16.
TV: Tape delayed on May 1 and 2 from 2-3 p.m. EDT on CBS.
LAST YEAR: Inaugural event. The tournament will be played among 16 players in the Raceway Golf format, a series of six-hole matches that eventually decide the champion. Among those in the field are Suzann Pettersen of Norway, Cristie Kerr, Angela Stanford, Morgan Pressel, Yani Tseng of Taiwan, Christina Kim and Anna Nordqvist of Sweden.


NOTES, QUOTES
--Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England, will be host to The Open Championship in 2014, it was announced last week by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews.
Tiger Woods claimed the Open title at Hoylake in 2006, where the oldest golf championship in the world had not been played since Roberto De Vicenzo of Argentina captured the title there in 1967.
When Woods won at Royal Liverpool while hitting his driver only once because of the fast and dry conditions, he became the first player to capture consecutive opens since Tom Watson in 1982 and 1983.
Padraig Harrington won in 2007 and 2008 to join the list of back-to-back winners, which includes Tom Morris Sr., Tom Morris Jr., Jamie Anderson, Bob Ferguson, J.H. Taylor, Harry Vardon, James Braid, Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones, Bobby Locke, Peter Thomson, Lee Trevino and Arnold Palmer.
Harold Hilton captured the first of 11 Opens contested at Hoylake in 1897. Other champions at the venue include Taylor in 1913, Hagen in 1924, Thomson in 1956 and Jones as part of his Grand Slam in 1930.
Arnaud Massy became the only Frenchman to claim the Open title in 1907 at Hoylake, where Fred Daly became the first Irishman to do so in 1947. De Vicenzo is the only South American to capture the Claret Jug.
--The HSBC Champions Tournament in Shanghai, which last year was designated as one of the four World Golf Championships events, will count as an official PGA Tour victory if it is won by a member of the tour.
The PGA Tour policy board also decided last week to have the only event in the WGC series that is played overseas offer a three-year exemption for the winner, who also would receive a berth in the winners-only SBS Championship.
PGA Tour spokesman Ty Votaw said the decision is not retroactive to include Phil Mickelson's victory last November, the first time the tournament was conducted under the WGC umbrella.
Mickelson claimed the title by one stroke over Ernie Els to earn $1.2 million and 66 points toward the World Golf Rankings, but he was not happy that it did not count as his 38th PGA Tour victory.
Only 24 players, a little more than one-third of the 67-man field, were PGA Tour members. Votaw said prize money from the $7 million purse will not count toward the PGA Tour money list.
--J.P. Hayes disqualified himself from the second stage of the 2008 PGA Tour National Qualifying Tournament when he realized that on one hole he had used a prototype golf ball that had not been officially approved.
That gave him limited status on the circuit last year, but he regained his PGA Tour card at Q-school in December and is well on his way to keeping it.
The 44-year-old Hayes tied for seventh in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, recording his third top-10 finish of the season. He also tied for fourth in the Mayakoba Golf Classic one week after he tied for fifth in the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
"Very encouraging," Hayes said. "I was looking for a good start on the West Coast, but I've never played well over there. To get off to a start like that is awesome. It's quicker than I anticipated.
"It definitely makes the rest of the year, I wouldn't say more enjoyable, but certainly (it is) from the standpoint of not having to play catch-up like I've been doing the last couple of years."
Hayes finished in a tie for 55th last week in the Shell Houston Open and ranks 39th on the money list with $609,396, leaving him about $100,000 away, by an educated guess, from locking up his card for 2011.
--Paula Creamer was forced to miss the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the first major championship of the year on the LPGA Tour, last week after undergoing surgery on her left thumb.
There was no timetable for her return in a statement made by IMG Golf, Creamer's management company, which said only that she will return to play after the necessary rehabilitation and training schedule.
"Paula had ligament damage in the MCP joint of her left thumb, which needed to be repaired," said Dr. Thomas Hunt, who performed the surgery in Birmingham, Ala. "The surgery to reconstruct this ligament went beautifully, and I expect Paula to recover fully and be back on the golf course soon."
Creamer suffered the injury last season and tried various adjustments in her grip and swing to lessen the impact, but she re-injured the thumb in her first round of 2010 in Thailand.
She was forced to withdraw from that tournament and visited several hand specialists in February, seeking opinions and possible treatment options.
The injury was diagnosed as stretched ligaments in her left thumb, which led to hyperextension of the joint. On the medical advice of all the doctors she consulted, she worked with occupational therapists to find alternative treatment options.
Recently, it was determined that surgery was the best long-term course of action.
"While I am disappointed that I will have to miss time, the most important thing was to find the source of the problem and correct it, which my doctors are confident we have done," Creamer said in a statement.
"We looked at many options to try (to) continue playing, including splints and braces, but if surgery was going to be inevitable, we agreed that it made sense to go ahead with it, so I could return to play pain-free as soon as possible.
"While I will miss being on tour for a while longer, I will be working just as hard through the rehabilitation and look forward to getting back to competition."
The 23-year-old Creamer, who has been bothered by a mysterious stomach ailment the last two years, was No. 10 in the Women's World Golf Rankings last week.
--Fred Couples and Greg Norman will do an encore at the 2011 Presidents Cup.
Couples, who led the United States to a 19 1/2-14 1/2 victory over Norman's International team in the matches last October at Harding Park in San Francisco, again will be in charge next year at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia.
"Serving as U.S. team captain in 2009 was an incredible honor, and the week itself, the entire experience, was phenomenal," the 50-year-old Couples said. "It was one of the best weeks of my life, including those I've competed in as a player.
"I knew as soon as the last putt dropped on Sunday in San Francisco that I would do this again in a heartbeat if I were fortunate enough to be asked. I'm looking forward to returning to Royal Melbourne, this time as a captain, and to have Greg Norman again as the International team captain, in his home country, is going to be great for all of us involved, for the fans and for the Presidents Cup itself."
It will be the third time since the Presidents Cup began in 1994 that captains served in successive matches. Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player were captains for three consecutive Presidents Cups.
The 2009 Presidents Cup marked the first time in the history of the event that both captains were former participants in the matches.
"I've always said that some of my best memories in golf were playing in and winning the Presidents Cup in Australia in 1998," Norman said. "And then after the incredible experience of serving as captain of the 2009 event, that went to the top of my list.
"So to have the opportunity to be International team captain once more and to return to Royal Melbourne to do so, it's beyond words how thrilled I am. Freddie and I are great friends, so to have him on the other side as captain makes it all the better.
"I think it will be a joy to go to my home country and a golf club that I'm a member and try to finally win the Cup back after 13 years. It will be an honor."
The Americans lead the series, 6-1-1, the only International victory coming at Royal Melbourne by a 20 1/2-11 1/2 margin.


COURSE SOURCE
IN THE PUBLIC EYE: Harding Park Golf Course in San Francisco.
THE LAYOUT: After years of neglect, a $16 million renovation that was completed in August of 2003 has restored the grandeur of Harding Park, which was designed by Willie Watson and opened in 1925.
The remodeling of the aging clubhouse, which dated to the opening of the course, and other facilities was made possible by an agreement between the PGA Tour and a group of local citizens, spearheaded by Sandy Tatum, former president of the United States Golf Association.
Culmination of the project was the 2005 World Golf Championships-American Express Championship, in which Tiger Woods outlasted John Daly on the second hole of a playoff.
The agreement with the PGA Tour secured Harding Park five PGA tournaments over a 15-year span, and each of those events is expected to infuse $50 million into the local economy.
Harding Park hosted the Presidents Cup matches last October, with Fred Couples captaining the United States team past Greg Norman's Internationals by a score of 19 1/2-14 1/2, to take a 6-1-1 lead in the series.
The reworking of the course was so successful that in 2004 Golf Magazine selected Harding Park as No. 50 on its "Top 100 Golf Courses You Can Play." It was rated as the third-best municipal course in a major metropolitan city in the United States, behind Bethpage Black in New York and Torrey Pines in San Diego.
The course, which is almost surrounded by picturesque Lake Merced on a peninsula in the southwest corner of San Francisco less than a mile from the Pacific Ocean, plays to a par of 70 and measures 7,137 yards from the back tees. It has a USGA rating of 72.8 and a slope of 126.
Harding Park had hosted the PGA Tour before, when the Lucky International was held there between 1961-66 and in 1968. All you need to know about the quality of the course is that the winners were Gary Player, Gene Littler, Jack Burke Jr., Chi Chi Rodriguez, George Archer, native San Franciscan Ken Venturi and Billy Casper.
The great Byron Nelson came to Harding Park in 1944 and captured the Victory Open, which was the name of the San Francisco Open during World War II, and returned to successfully defend his title before winning 11 consecutive tournaments on the PGA Tour in 1945.
PGA DIRECTOR OF GOLF: Rodney Wilson.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: Although Harding Park is quality all the way around, the back side was reworked by Jack Fleming in the late 1950s and is considered one of the finest nines in Northern California.
Fleming was Alister Mackenzie's construction supervisor at Cypress Point and in his later years worked for the San Francisco Recreation & Park Department as the supervisor of the city's public golf courses.
In addition, Fleming lengthened the fourth hole, which was a par 4 in the original Willie Watson design, into a sweeping 560-yard par 5 that was considered a monster in those days and still rates No. 1 on the card. The hole doglegs dramatically to the left off the tee, but instead of trying to drive the ball over the trees, a controlled draw is the smart shot and might allow the longer hitter to reach the green in two. However, this is a three-shot hole for most players and the golfer should favor the right side all the way to green, which is tucked away in the cypress trees to the left behind two bunkers.
No. 8 is the longest par 3 on the course, measuring 200 yards, into the prevailing breeze off the ocean, so be sure to take enough club. When the pin is placed in the right or front of the green, hit to the left and the slope will take the ball right toward the hole.
The last five holes play along a ridge several hundred feet above Lake Merced, where you might see the local college rowing crews at work, and offer as good a stretch of golf as you can find anywhere. Even there, the course does not lose what the British would call its parkland feel.
The 14th hole is a demanding 440-yard par 4, downhill from the tee and uphill to the green, with a fairway that slopes dramatically from right-to-left toward the lake. Stay below hole on the long, narrow green because it slopes dramatically from the back.
Try to take advantage of the short par 4 16th, which measures only 330 yards from the tips, but you must be accurate off the tee not to be blocked out on the approach behind trees on the right and left. The short-iron approach can be tricky because traps right and left create some tight pin placements.
Even if you don't play from the back tees, take a look at the visually intimidating tee shot the pros faced over a corner of Lake Merced and the trees on the 440-yard finishing hole. Try to avoid the two deep bunkers in the driving area and take at least an extra club when playing uphill to the green. And the putting surface can be deceiving, as Daly learned when he three-putted from 15 feet and lost to Woods, missing a three-footer for par on the second extra hole.
OTHER COURSES IN THE AREA: Harding Park is located near San Francisco's famed private courses, the Olympic Club, Lake Merced and San Francisco Country Club, but unless you know a member you will have to be content to play the very good public courses.
Presidio Golf Club, opened in 1895 and once part of the military base overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, has been open to the public since 1999 and is operated by the Arnold Palmer Golf Co. No. 2 is a terrific 528-yard par 5 that features a blind shot to an elevated green.
Lincoln Park Golf Course, which opened in 1910, is a sporty par-68, 5,149-yard layout that winds around the hillsides on the grounds of the De Young Museum and the Legion of Honor. The 242-yard 17th is stunning and treacherous par 3, with views of the Golden Gate.
Also in San Francisco are three fun 9-hole courses -- Golden Gate Park Golf Course, Gleneagles International Golf and the Fleming Nine at Harding Park.
WHERE TO STAY: The venerable Fairmont San Francisco, flagship of the world-wide chain, has stood sentinel over the "City by the Bay" for more than 100 years from its perch on Nob Hill.
The Fairmont survived the Great Earthquake of 1906, when it was finished but not yet open, and housed many displaced San Franciscans over the next several years.
The landmark hotel has been fully refurbished to its original grandeur, from the 591 guest rooms and suites, to the magnificent grand main lobby with marble floors and Corinthian columns trimmed in gold.
Dine at the Fairmont in the Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar, which offers exotic Asian cuisine and the best Mai Tai in San Francisco in a tropical rainforest setting, or the Laurel Court Restaurant & Bar, a typical Northern California dining experience.
The Fairmont is located at the only crossing of San Francisco's three cable car lines, with Chinatown, the Embarcadero, the Financial District, Union Square and Fisherman's Wharf nearby.
Also in the neighborhood on Nob Hill are the Mark Hopkins Intercontinental, the Renaissance Stanford Court, the Huntington Hotel and the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco.
Other fine hotels in San Francisco include the Mandarin Oriental, La Meridien San Francisco, the Westin St. Francis, the Hyatt Regency San Francisco, the Hilton San Francisco, the Marriott San Francisco, the Palace Hotel and the Sir Francis Drake Hotel.
ON THE WEB: www.harding-park.com.

THE LAST RESORT: Pinehurst Resort and Country Club in Pinehurst, N.C.
THE LAYOUT: There are eight championship courses at Pinehurst, one of the finest golf resorts in the world, four designed by architectural giant Donald Ross.
The others have been designed by George and Tom Fazio, Reese Jones and Dan and Ellis Maples.
Pinehurst No. 2, of course, is Ross' masterpiece -- which has been recognized since its opening in 1907 as one of the most challenging layouts in the world. It plays to 7,252 yards from the tips, with a par of 72, and has a 75.9 USGA rating with a slope of 138.
No. 2 has been the site of more championships than any course in the U.S. and was the host the 2005 U.S. Open, in which Michael Campbell of New Zealand held off Tiger Woods to win by two strokes.
The United States Golf Association will stage the U.S. Open and the U.S. Women's Open at Pinehurst No. 2 on consecutive weeks in June in 2014, the first time a course will host national championships on consecutive weeks.
DIRECTOR OF GOLF: Donald Padgett II.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: The beauty of the No. 2 course belies the difficulty, with the subtlety of Ross' design coming into view only after the golfer lands in the strategically-placed bunker or had his ball trickle off one of the crowned greens.
However, the course is playable for even the weekend golfer because the fairways are wide and forgiving.
Make your birdie or par on the easier third and fourth holes, because the diabolical fifth, a 483-yard par-4, and sixth, a 225-yard par-3, await with as punishing a one-two punch as golf can provide.
No. 14, at 471 yards to a green with trouble everywhere, is considered to be among the best two-shot holes in America.
Many a duffer has stood on the 18th green and tried to see if he could sink the same 15-foot putt the late Payne Stewart drained to beat Phil Mickelson and win the 1999 U.S. Open.
Ben Hogan won for the first time as a pro on No. 2, beating Sam Snead by three strokes in the 1940 North and South Championship.
OTHER COURSES IN THE AREA: If you don't get enough golf at Pinehurst, there is plenty nearby in the Sandhills of North Carolina to keep even the golf-aholic busy all day, seven days a week.
Ross also designed gems at Pine Needles Lodge and Mid Pines Inn, both in neighboring Southern Pines.
Also in the neighborhood are the Mid South Club, designed by Arnold Palmer, in Pinehurst; Legacy Golf Club in Aberdeen, designed by Jack Nicklaus II and host of the 2000 Women's U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship; National Golf Club in Pinehurst, designed by Jack Nicklaus, and Tobacco Road Golf Club in Sanford, an innovative course designed by Mike Strantz.
Others worth a look are the Pit Golf Links, Talamore Golf Club, Little River Farm and Pinewild Golf Club.
WHERE TO STAY: The Carolina Hotel is a National Historical Landmark in the center of Pinehurst that has been offering exquisite service to go with Southern charm since 1901.
Four presidents have stayed at the Holly Inn, which opened its doors in 1895. The Manor has been one of Arnold Palmer's favorite vacation hangouts since he visited with his father as a boy.
Other quality accommodations may be found at Pine Needles Lodge in Southern Hills, Sandhills Golf Lodge in Pinebluff, Mid Pines Inn and Golf Club in Southern Pines, Amble Inn Acres Bed and Breakfast in Vass, the Blacksmith Inn in Carthage, Hyland Hills Resort in Southern Pines and the Old Buggy Inn in Carthage.
ON THE WEB: www.pinehurst.com.

Eagles claim they're reloading - not rebuilding

The Eagles bolstered their bounty of 2010 draft picks to 10 by dealing cornerback Sheldon Brown and outside linebacker Chris Gocong to Cleveland on Friday.

Philadelphia received fourth- (105th overall) and fifth-round (137th) picks, in addition to linebacker Alex Hall. Hall is one of the key pieces to the deal, as he'll compete with 2009 seventh-rounder Moise Fokou for the strong-side job - along with anyone else the Eagles add to the mix in the draft.

A seventh-round pick by Cleveland in 2008, Hall has started two of 30 career games, and brings good size at 6-feet-5 and 250 pounds.

"Alex Hall is a big, athletic linebacker who we've had our eyes on over the last couple of years and he'll have a chance to compete at the SAM linebacker spot," said Eagles general manager Howie Roseman. "He'll have an opportunity to put his hand down on third down, as well. (Hall is an) interesting prospect for us. He was productive for Cleveland a couple years ago and didn't have as much of an opportunity in the last year."

Brown's departure creates an opportunity for Joselio Hanson to earn the starting job opposite Asante Samuel. Brown has spent all eight of his NFL seasons with the Eagles, but created friction with the front office by requesting a trade last offseason when the team declined to renegotiate his contract.

The team also expects to get Ellis Hobbs back from the neck injury that ended his 2009 season. A third-round draft choice of the Patriots in 2005, Hobbs played in eight games during his first season in Philadelphia in 2009 after being acquired in a draft-day trade last April. He recorded 14 tackles and returning 20 kickoffs for 481 yards (24.1 average), but underwent surgery for anterior cervical decompression and fusion for a herniated disk in December after being injury in a Nov. 8 primetime game against Dallas.

"We think Ellis Hobbs is a good starting corner in this league," Roseman said. "We think we have other players on this team who can step into that spot and contribute. Obviously we have some options here going forward in the draft and we'll just see what other things become available here."

Macho Harris, who played free safety as a rookie, could also figure into the mix at cornerback.

In Cleveland, Gocong and Brown will be reunited with former Eagles general manager Tom Heckert.

Roseman, who was promoted after Heckert was hired by Mike Holmgren, disputed the notion the Eagles are rebuilding as they get younger - even amid reports that quarterback Donovan McNabb is being shopped, which would hand the starting quarterback job to untested Kevin Kolb.

"The word rebuilding will never enter our vocabulary. We're trying to win. We're trying to win right now," Roseman said. "I think we're just trying to get better in all areas. We're trying to build a team that this city can be proud of. We're excited about that. We've got a lot more work to do."

The Eagles also have draft picks in the first (24th overall), second (55th), third (70th, from Seattle and 87th), fourth (121st), sixth (200th, from Indianapolis) and seventh rounds (243rd and 244th, both compensatory).

"I think it's exciting," Roseman said of the flexibility the Eagles now have in the draft. "I think it allows us to have a lot of options on draft weekend. If we wanted to go and move up or move around, I think that gives us those options."

And more could be on the way before the April 22-24 draft.

Coach Andy Reid publicly acknowledged the Eagles were "entertaining offers" for their three quarterbacks, and there have been published reports that McNabb was close to being dealt to the St. Louis Rams and the Oakland Raiders. But nothing has happened yet.

"(Reid) said they are listening to offers for all three quarterbacks, and you (media) guys decided that means they're trading McNabb," said McNabb's agent, Fletcher Smith.

There has been very little interest in Mike Vick and the Eagles really aren't interested in dealing Kolb, who they drafted in the second round of the '07 draft to eventually replace McNabb.

They had been discreetly shopping the 33-year-old McNabb for weeks, hoping to acquire at least a first-round pick for him. But after getting no offers that were to their liking, they decided to go public with their "entertaining offers" comments.

Reid has insisted that it's still possible that all three quarterbacks will return -- "I can see that happening; that's a pretty good situation for a coach" -- but now that their willingness to trade McNabb is out in the open, there is little chance he will be back with the team for a 12th season.

While Kolb is essentially untested -- he's started just two games in three years, though he threw for 300-plus yards in both -- Reid and his offensive coordinator, Marty Mornhinweg, feel he is ready to be a starter in the league. The fact that the Eagles probably have the best receiving corps in the franchise's history will help Kolb make the adjustment to a starting role.

"It's been very interesting," said Pro Bowl wide receiver DeSean Jackson of the trade talk concerning McNabb. "I'm not really used to anything like it. It's really out of my control. It's not like I'm the GM or the owner. As far as the team is concerned, we're not going to pick and choose as far as who we want. At the end of the day, we all have a job to do. We've all got to go out and do our business, regardless of who the quarterback is."

McNabb has yet to participate in the Eagles' offseason workout program. He has been training in Phoenix, where he lives during the offseason. Both Kolb and Vick have been working out at the Eagles' training facility, but have declined to comment on the team's quarterback situation.

"I know (Kolb) just wants the opportunity to be able to go out there and play," said Jackson, who had nine touchdown catches last season and averaged 18.5 yards per catch. "Anytime you're on a football team and you're not starting and you're not playing, it's a very competitive game, so you would only expect him to want to have an opportunity. He's just waiting for that opportunity to come, and I think he'll definitely take advantage of it."

After last season, there appeared little chance that Vick would return to the Eagles in 2010. He made it clear that he wanted an opportunity to start somewhere, and the Eagles were hopeful of getting an early-round pick for him in a trade.

But there has been little interest in him. The Eagles paid him a $1.5 million roster bonus last month and would have to give him another $1 million in guaranteed salary if they released him.

 

Adams' release leaves Cowboys very thin at key spot

   The Cowboys’ quiet offseason jumped into overdrive Friday with the team parting ways with a veteran on each side of the ball and opening competition at two key spots.

   Left tackle Flozell Adams’ 12-year run with the team has come to a close as he was officially released.

   "He has enjoyed his time in Dallas with his teammates and the Cowboys' organization," agent Jordan Woy told the Dallas Morning News. "Now it is time to move on to a new team. Flo feels he has several good years in front of him."

   That came shortly after safety Ken Hamlin announced he had been released by the Cowboys – a move the team later confirmed.

   "I would like to say to all of my fans that I appreciate all the love that you have showed me in Dallas. It was a good run..... Thanks," Hamlin said on his Twitter account.

   The Cowboys were expected to add depth along their offensive line – and particularly at tackle – even before Adams’ release. He has slowed in recent seasons, which contributed to 39 penalties over the past three years, according to the paper.

   With right tackle Marc Colombo 31-years-old, Dallas is very thin at tackle outside of Doug Free, who showed promise filling in for Colombo last season. Four-year veteran reserve Pat McQuistan is the only other tackle on the current roster, and depth is also thin at guard.

   Hamlin, a solid tackler who isn’t a great last line of defense in deep coverage, was scheduled to make $5.596 million in 2010. He has just one interception since signing a six-year, $39 million deal in 2008.

   His likely replacement is Alan Ball, who showed potential while starting three games when Hamlin was injured last season.

   "He struggled the first week with some things, another week out there helped," defensive coordinator Dave Campo said after Bell’s second start last November. "There's no substitute for playing the game, that's the key. The longer and more he plays, the better he'll be. He's doing really good. A smart guy. His biggest thing is to be a good angle tackler, something that he hasn't been used to more than anything else."

   The team has also met with several safety prospects in this year’s draft, according to the Dallas Morning News, including Texas’ Earl Thomas, Georgia Tech’s Morgan Burnett, LSU’s Chad Jones and South Florida’s Nate Allen – all rated as top 64 picks by NFLDraftScout.com.