"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."

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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.

It Never Rains In California: Your Future Open Venue Weather Roundup

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This post is for all of the USGA Committee folks and staffers who don't have time this week to study the USA Today weather page.

Looks like we're not missing a thing in DC this week, and the same goes for Pinehurst. Hot and weather warning central!

So why couldn't we have had this with Bethpage last year?

There's acceptable weather in Pennsylvania for their two upcoming Opens at Merion and Oakmont, but alas, you can't air those Opens in prime time.

They would have sold a lot of rain jackets and sweaters at Chambers Bay in 2015, but the weekend is at least promising.

Needless to say, San Diego and San Francisco are the only two without any thunderstorms in the forecast.