Big 4 Together at the Buick

Golf's Big Four - Vijay Singh, Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson - are together for the first time in 2005 at the Buick Invitational, which teed off Thursday at Torrey Pines in San Diego, California.

But it was Tom Lehman who stole the show on Day 1, shooting a sizzling 62 on the North Course. Singh and Woods played the South Course, Singh shooting a 1-under 71 while the flu-weakened Woods came in at 69.

Also on the South Course, Mickelson, playing his first event of the year, carded an even-par 72. Ernie Els did much better, making five straight birdies at one point in his round of 65 on the North Course.

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• New Driver for Els: Ernie Els is using a new driver, he's just not sure he likes the sound of it. He is sure, however, that he likes the length of it.

"It's a 905 from Titleist, and they sent it to me last year in Ireland, and I actually used it in Ireland and I won with it," Els said. "But it's a weird sound that the ball makes off the club face."

Els said he kept telling the Titleist Tour reps that he wanted a driver that sounded like his old 983, and that he even switched back to the 983 because the sound of the new one bothered him so much.

"Then we went to the test center yesterday, and I started hitting these drivers and this one that makes the weird sound was carrying by far the furthest - it gave me the perfect spin ratio and the launch angle was perfect, too."

Els said he was a little embarrassed during his first round at the Buick Invitational on Thursday by the sound, but because of the distance he's getting with it, "I'm going to stick with it. ... I'll just put earplugs in my ears."


Tiger Woods follows his drive during Thursday's first round of the Buick Invitational.
Photo by Zeke Quezada, About.com Las Vegas for Visitors Guide

• Woods Battles the Flu: Tiger Woods is still feeling the effects of the flu that he suffered through last week. It left him exhausted following the first round Thursday.

"I'm grinding out there," Woods said. "I don't have the skills that I normally do, but, hey, I've just got to go out there and play and just try and survive and hopefully feel a little better tomorrow and hopefully get stronger each and every day."

And what was Woods planning following the round - perhaps some work on the driving range or practice green?

"No, I'm going to bed," Woods said.

• Lehman's Swing Coach? Tiger Woods: Tom Lehman has a secret swing coach, and it's Tiger Woods. Following his 10-under par round of 62, Lehman said that he's improved his short game by watching Tiger's.

"I think he's got the greatest short game out here," Lehman said. "Just watching him chip, trying to understand from just watching what his technique is and then working on that. And I realized, in layman's terms, the arc of my club was going way too much to right field as I was chipping and had a lot of flip."

But where does a busy man like Lehman - the U.S. captain in the 2005 Ryder Cup and still playing a full PGA Tour schedule - find the time to watch Woods?

Easy, Lehman said: "He's always on TV."

• Sergio Putts for Dough: The swing changes the Sergio Garcia began working on two years are starting to pay dividends. He closed strong in 2004, and many believe 2005 will be a breakout year for the young Spaniard.

Garcia thinks his swing is pretty good right now, but he needs to get some production out of his putter.

"I'm swinging it really nicely," Garcia said. "I feel like I have a lot of control with my ball flight, and you know it's just a matter of ... getting my putter going a little bit. ... I feel like I'm getting a nice roll and just a matter of time of waiting for it to happen."


Sergio Garcia's swing changes are paying off. Now, he says, he needs a few putts to fall.
Photo by Zeke Quezada, About.com Las Vegas for Visitors Guide

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