LA JOLLA, Calif. -- Go ahead and hire a real-estate attorney or conduct a lien or title search, but the conclusion will remain the same.
The city of San Diego owns the deed to this beatific slice of property overlooking the Pacific Ocean, but Tiger Woods has the long-term lease.
Professional golf returns to Torrey Pines Golf Course this week, annual site of the Buick Invitational as well as last year's locale for the U.S. Open -- tournaments won in memorable, momentous fashion by Woods.
Ever since he turned pro, Torrey has been his quarry, especially lately. Woods has won six of the past seven PGA Tour-sanctioned events staged at the municipally owned course perched on the sandstone bluff overlooking the Pacific.
Yet as anybody with a TV remote is acutely aware, Woods hasn't played since he won the Open here last summer, and his exact return date remains uncertain. That development, in the grand scheme, hasn't been great for golf.
But in microcosm, to the privileged few who will play this week, that's crackling good news. For the first time in a decade, the Sunday outcome doesn't feel like a fait accompli. Just ask the locals.
San Diego native Pat Perez, who won his first tour title two weeks ago at the Bob Hope Classic, grew up on the Torrey Pines golf course and worked in the cart barn. For once, he feels like he has a chance this weekend. Care to quote odds?
"As good as anybody. Better than Tiger -- he's not here," Perez cracked. "Somebody else has got a chance to win now other than Tiger."
The latter knows it, too. After seven long months on the bench since winning the Open, Woods is apparently experiencing cabin fever. It's surely exaggerated this week, since he's skipping a trip around the grounds where he has reeled in a jaw-dropping $7.08 million in career earnings.
In an interview this week to promote one of his endorsements, Woods was quick to ask about his old stomping grounds. And by stomping, we mean that's what he has done to his foes.
He's pining away on the pine.
"How's the course out there?" Woods asked the New York Times from his pad in Orlando on Tuesday.
It's there for the taking, pal. Wish you were here.
Of course, those sentiments don't hold true for the 156 guys playing this week for money. For the first time in over a decade, they aren't playing for second.
"I don't think guys pay attention to that," said Charles Howell, who twice has finished second to Woods at Torrey. "I don't think anybody really worries about who is in the field."
Guess again, Chuckie.
"I mean, anytime Tiger is not in the field, you feel like you have somewhat of a better chance just because he wins 30, 40 percent of the tournaments he plays in, or whatever ridiculous stat it is," said Luke Donald, another two-time runner-up at Torrey, once behind Woods. Actually, his batting average at Torrey Pines, including the U.S. Open, is a blistering 7-for-12. The Woods pedigree there is so incredible and indelible, the only player in the '09 field to have won the Buick in the past 12 years is Phil Mickelson, who almost blushed when that odd footnote was broached this week.
"I didn't realize that," Lefty laughed. "I wasn't really reading through the fine print of the program."
Torrey has produced all caps and bold type for Woods, who is playing every day at home, knocking the rust off his game, his exact return date uncertain because of the projected birth of his second child sometime this month.
"I think that this tournament certainly misses his presence," said Mickelson, who lives in San Diego, so he ought to know. "You know, he's been such a mainstay of this event, he's played so well here.
"I miss the opportunity to compete against him, we all do, and we hope that he gets back out soon, and it looks like he will be out soon."
Until then, while the cat's away ... Rocco Mediate, the runner-up in last year's historic 91-hole Open showdown pulled out with an injury this week, so it's truly a tough tournament to handicap.
Before this week, Woods had teed it up at the Buick Invitational for 10 consecutive years and compiled a record that was as least as breathtaking as the views from the seaside cliffs. He won the past four in a row, and five of the past six. He never finished worse than 10th and in the remaining nine starts was never lower than fifth. His record against his friends at his home track, Isleworth, probably isn't that good.
In winning five of the past six Buick titles, he has averaged 68.5 strokes, which is pretty darned strong considering the tour annually plays the difficult South Course -- a venue tough enough to host a national Open -- in three of the four rounds. In his last 43 rounds at the Buick, he has finished under par 38 times and only once has he failed to shoot par or better.
"Obviously," Donald said, "you have a better chance if he's not playing."
So, go ahead, guys, make the most of his absence. You've sublet the joint for the week from the real landlord.
