"It has a little bit to do with the ball."

In Doug Ferguson's account of Tiger's switch to a slightly harder cover in preparation for the Open Championship, it is suggested that his improved driving distance is a combination of ball and improved mechanics.

"The more I keep playing, the better I get," Woods said Saturday after recovering from an atrocious start to shoot even-par 70, making up little ground in the AT&T National. "It has a little bit to do with the ball."

Woods still uses a One Tour, this ball marked with a star symbol between the two words. He started using it this week at Aronimink, most likely as part of his preparations for the British Open in two weeks at St. Andrews, where the wind is often a major factor.

The world's No. 1 player often has talked about how he uses one of the softest golf balls on tour, which gives him greater control around the greens. This version would be helpful in windy conditions because it spins less.

This is the real eye-opener:

Once among the longest hitters in golf, Woods was 21st in driving distance last year. Going into the AT&T National, he was ranked 78th based on two measured drives per round. Through two rounds on a fast, firm Aronimink course, Woods was leading the tournament in driving distance at just over 328 yards.

His additional length was most evident during the second round, when he was playing with Dustin Johnson. On consecutive holes, Woods hit one drive 26 yards past Johnson, and another 10 yards past him. Both led to birdies.

So, we've heard all of these years that the ball is not the real reason for distance gains over the last decade. And we've been told that rolling back the Overall Distance Standard via new ball rules would be complicated and in general, not feasible. Yet here we have Tiger switching balls (and perhaps improving his swing), but we are seeing a serious difference in his driving distance with a simple switch.

Why can't we contemplate a future with a ball that has the characteristics of the pellet Tiger's been using?  A little spinnier, but sharing many of the components that make the modern ball last longer?

"It was confirmed that because he did nothing illegal, he is not the subject of any criminal investigation."

Interesting confirmation from Mark Steinberg that Tiger met with the FBI.

"Tiger willingly spoke to the authorities and cooperated fully," Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, said in an e-mail to the Associated Press Wednesday. "It was confirmed that because he did nothing illegal, he is not the subject of any criminal investigation. Because there is an ongoing investigation involving others, there will be no further comment."

"While this scenario could cause consternation for many players, it will be the choices of a chosen few which are dissected and analyzed, celebrated and criticized."

Jason Sobel makes a strong case against the PGA Tour's proposed "designated tournament" option to improve fields at events not drawing stars. Sobel's point? This is all really about Tiger and Phil and therefore, is a waste of time.

While this scenario could cause consternation for many players, it will be the choices of a chosen few which are dissected and analyzed, celebrated and criticized.

It is because of this that should such a law be enacted, it could hardly cause a ripple on the PGA Tour, save for one or two more events being played by one or two more superstar competitors.

"Everybody seems to refer to this as a Tiger and Phil issue; it's really not," said PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, who intimated that details of the plan wouldn't be ironed out for a few months. "It's really about having a representative number of top players week in and week out."

That's some solid commish-speak, but the simple fact is, not many other guys can move the needle. Let's face it: Nobody is buying tickets to watch Scott Verplank. No one is clamoring for more Tim Clark. No offense to either player -- each of whom is ranked in the top 50 on both the OWGR and the FedEx points list -- but if this rule is being built to showcase the big names at more venues, it might as well be referred to as the Tiger-Phil Formula.

Hank: "It didn't get dysfunctional; it always was dysfunctional."

Do not miss Guy Yocom's gripping interview with Hank Haney, where the floodgates open up and we learn about the fricking weird unique relationship between student and teacher.

The day before we got to Augusta, I felt like he became more committed to what I had been telling him to do. When he got there, Sunday was good. Monday he struggled, but that was the day of the press conference, so I knew he had a lot on his mind. Tuesday and Wednesday he did well. Thursday and Friday he did well. Saturday he did well, too. Yet somehow, when he came to the range after his round Saturday, which was the only time he had practiced after a round all week, he said he felt like he hadn't hit it well. He said he hit it terrible. And I didn't understand what he meant by that.

It sounds like communication was breaking down.

At that point you just have to ride it out. Six years of that. And then on Sunday when he warmed up, he wasn't open to suggestions. He wasn't asking what he should do. At one point, I asked him if he was open to ideas, and in his way he halfheartedly did what I suggested. He struggled on Sunday. That was it.

Jaimee and Rachel can relate.

I talked to him only two times after that. That was his way of blaming me. Maybe I'm reading too much into it; maybe I'm being too sensitive. But when someone doesn't talk to you...

You felt the onus was on him to call you?

Right. I sent him an e-mail on everything I thought he should do and work on. I got no acknowledgement at all, but that wasn't unusual. Then it got to the point where I didn't know what he was doing or thinking. Yet the whole time he was telling the media I was still his teacher and that I was going to continue to be his teacher and I was talking to him every night.

It sounds like it became dysfunctional.

It didn't get dysfunctional; it always was dysfunctional.

Jaimee and Rachel can relate.

Was Tiger generous with you? Did he express his appreciation to you in unusual ways, such as signing flags for you or dropping you notes?

Generosity is relative. It was generous of him to give me the job. I don't have anything signed by Tiger, no. Not one thing.

Did Tiger pay you well?

I don't want to answer that. There's no reason for me to go there.

Jaimee and Rachel can relate. Well, maybe not Rachel.

"As they waited to hit, neither Watson nor Woods exchanged glances, much less niceties, their cold shoulders turning the tee into an outdoor icebox."

Karen Crouse on the lack of Stanford brotherly love when Tiger Woods and Tom Watson shared the 10th tee Wednesday. Thanks to reader Tim for this.

As they waited to hit, neither Watson nor Woods exchanged glances, much less niceties, their cold shoulders turning the tee into an outdoor icebox. The distance between them was accentuated when the golfer Jason Gore made his way to the hole and received a warm hello and a hug from Woods who, like Watson, has won a United States Open here.

Standing between Woods and Watson like a buffer was another Stanford golfer, Joseph Bramlett, who was playing with his childhood idol, Woods, two days after going through graduation ceremonies. It was three generations of Cardinal golfing royalty sharing a moment that could have been captured only by the widest of wide-angle lenses.

"Woods was feeling so comfortable he let loose with a few quips Tuesday, although the obsequious press corps laughter that used to accompany his humor has largely dissipated."

If my spellbinding Tweets didn't capture the mood of the Tiger Woods pre-U.S. Open press conference, Christine Brennan's piece in today's USA Today should do the job.

Woods was feeling so comfortable he let loose with a few quips Tuesday, although the obsequious press corps laughter that used to accompany his humor has largely dissipated.

You've heard the one about the tee shot he hit on the gorgeous 18th hole 10 years ago, the shot that went into the Pacific?

"I hit it halfway to Japan, yeah," he said.

When asked to choose the sites of the four majors he would love to play in a season, he said, "I'd probably pick St. Andrews all four times."

Tiger was getting into a days-of-yore groove relatively early in the news conference when, out of nowhere, a journalist dared ask a newsworthy and legitimate question.

"On the basis that all our professional lives are affected by our personal lives, can you tell us if you've got any resolution one way or the other with Elin yet?"

"That's none of your business," snapped the man who once willingly posted family pictures on his web-site to sell an image that ultimately was a lie, clearly suppressing every ounce of his new kinder, gentler, Buddhist nature.