TEEING OFF

By THOMAS BONK

May 31, 2007 12 AM PT

Five things to keep an eye on this weekend on the pro golf scene:

1. NBC’s Johnny Miller doesn’t just sound like an expert, he is one, at least when the subject is Oakmont Country Club, where Miller shot a final-round 63 and won the 1973 U.S. Open. With the Open returning to Oakmont in two weeks, Miller said the obvious player to pick is Phil Mickelson -- not Tiger Woods.

“Tiger’s won two U.S. Opens, one of them at Pebble Beach in probably the greatest performance in golf history, but the U.S. Open and Tiger Woods are not the best of friends, the way he drives the ball.

“If he drives like he did at the Players, Phil is the guy to beat. He’s the clear favorite. [Butch] Harmon and Mickelson and [Dave] Pelz, that’s a tough team to beat. Right now, Phil could be the best player in the world.

“Tiger and Phil have more talent than anyone, but if Tiger wasn’t around, everybody would be bowing down to Phil.”

Miller also likes the Open chances of Geoff Ogilvy, Retief Goosen, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh.

2. Mickelson is busy enough with the Memorial starting today, but Mickelson started his week early when he showed up at Oakmont, Pa., on Monday for a couple of days of scouting the U.S. Open layout.

Mickelson, who played a practice round with club pro Bob Ford, used a three-wood at the 288-yard par-three eighth and hit it into a ditch to the left of the green. Mickelson said he probably would use his hybrid off the tee at the Open. He hit a driver, a hybrid and a wedge at the 667-yard par-five 12th.

The eighth was officially 244 yards at the 1973 Open. For the record, Miller hit a four-wood on the last day.

3. It has more bite than bark now. Oakmont was more like a parkland layout when Ernie Els won the 1994 Open, but more than 5,000 trees have been removed in the decade afterward so that the course more closely resembles the links-style course envisioned by designer H.C. Fownes.

Said Miller: “It looks almost off-the-charts great. The course is always regarded as the hardest course in America and a lot of it had to do with the greens. The only ones that come close are Augusta National and Oakland Hills. But they’re nothing like Oakmont.”

4. MacKinzie Kline, 15, of Encinitas, is making history, playing her first LPGA Tour event at the Ginn Tribute and becoming the first player to be allowed to ride a cart during her rounds. Klein was born with heterotaxy syndrome, meaning her heart had one ventricle instead of two. Her liver was transverse and she did not have a spleen.

Because she can’t walk long distances, a cart is a necessity, and the LPGA issued a landmark ruling to allow her to use one. Annika Sorenstam, the tournament host, gave Kline a sponsor’s exemption.

5. His playing schedule totally dependent on sponsor’s exemptions, John Daly accepted another one at the Memorial and withdrew once again because of a shoulder injury. Daly has five missed cuts and four withdrawals in 12 PGA Tour events this year. He hurt his shoulder at the Honda in late February, trying to stop his swing because a fan was taking his picture.

Daly, 41, has either missed the cut, withdrawn or been disqualified in more than 45% of his PGA Tour events since his first year as a pro in 1991.

THE TOURNAMENTS

PGA TOUR

Memorial

* When: Today-Sunday.

* Where: Muirfield Village Golf Club (7,265 yards, par 72), Dublin, Ohio.

* TV: Golf Channel (Today, noon-3 p.m., 5:30-8:30 p.m.; Friday, noon-3 p.m., 7:30-10:30 p.m.) and Ch. 2 (Saturday, noon-3 p.m.; Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.).

* 2006 winner: Carl Pettersson.

LPGA TOUR

Ginn Tribute

* When: Today-Sunday.

* Where: RiverTowne Country Club (6,588 yards, par 72), Mount Pleasant, S.C.

* TV: Golf Channel (Today, 3:30-5:30 p.m., 9:30-11:30 p.m.; Friday, 5:30-7:30 p.m., 11:30 p.m.-1 a.m.; Ch. 4 (Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m.).

* 2006 winner: Inaugural event.

CHAMPIONS TOUR

Boeing Championship

* When: Friday-Sunday.

* Where: Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort, the Raven Golf Club (6,904 yards, par 71), Destin, Fla.

* TV: Golf Channel (Friday, 3:30-5:30 p.m.; Saturday, 1-2:30 a.m., 3:30-6 p.m., 10 p.m.-1 a.m.; Sunday, 3:30-6 p.m., 10 p.m.-midnight).