"Par is just a number."

Doug Ferguson wonders why Torrey Pines South's No. 6 has to be a par 4 for the U.S. Open and gets Tiger's thoughts.

The sixth hole played as a par 5 at 560 yards last week, and it's worth noting that Woods never reached the green in two in any of his three rounds on the South Course. He didn't even make a birdie at No. 6 until the final round.

The hole will be just over 500 yards as a par 4 in the U.S. Open.

"The USGA just thrives on that,'' Woods said. "Par is just a number. What I mean by that is that Pebble could set up for a 72, and I would have been what, 16-under par? So under par doesn't really matter that much. It's just going out there and shooting a number.''

More than anything, it's a head game.

"When you have four par 5s in a U.S. Open, you always feel a little bit more comfortable because you're going to have some more birdie opportunities,'' he said. "When you get to par 70s and 71s, those opportunities are taken away.''