Notebook

"With Tiger's work ethic, intelligence and talent, it's just a matter of time before he puts it together," Pelz adds. "He'll start having more weeks on the greens like he did at Pebble, and that secret weapon he has—the ability to make the big putt—will become even more powerful."

Armed for the Old Course
Illegal Drivers Galore at British

There's no way of knowing for sure until the first round of the British Open is under way, but about a fifth of the 156-man field at St. Andrews is expected to use one of the 11 titanium drivers that have been outlawed by the USGA. The drivers, ruled to have excessive springlike effect, are banned in the U.S., Canada and Mexico but can still be played in the rest of the world, which is governed by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.

Several players who have tried the clubs, which are under review by the R&A, have reported gains of between six and 20 yards in distance but a loss of accuracy. St. Andrews is an ideal site on which to try the drivers because the Old Course has exceptionally wide fairways.

At the moment, the most prominent player using one of the illegal drivers is New Zealand's Michael Campbell, ranked 31st. Third-ranked Colin Montgomerie put one in play for the first round of the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open in May but switched to his old club after hitting a few drives in the rough. No U.S.-based players have said they will definitely use one of the clubs at St. Andrews, but David Duval and Steve Elkington have been experimenting with them. "No one is saying what he's going to do," says Olin Browne, "but my guess is that there will be some surprises. Elk told me that he is just killing it, and I know if I were playing [ Browne did not enter the tournament], I would definitely have that club in my bag. Why not?"

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