The attention of the golfing world turns to San Diego next week for The Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines Golf Course, slated for Feb. 5 through 8. The event kicks off with practice rounds on Monday, Feb. 2, and Tuesday, Feb. 3, followed by first-day play on Thursday. Play continues through Sunday, with the final round slated to kick off Feb. 8 at 8:30 a.m. Golfing fans are mostly asking if Tiger Woods, who captured the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines last summer, will play in the event. Woods, who has won five of the last six Buick Invitational tourneys in San Diego, has not played since the U.S. Open last summer due to knee surgery. While Woods could defend his title, he has until tomorrow, Jan. 30, to let tournament officials know. Woods has not played in any events since his surgery, but he is back to a regular practice schedule. The PGA stop in La Jolla follows action last weekend at the Bob Hope Classic in LaQuinta, where Pat Perez captured his first PGA Tour victory, winning by three shots. As eyes turn to Torrey Pines this next week, tourney officials note that with months to get both the North and South courses ready for the event, both courses will be in good shape for the likes of local resident Phil Mickelson, player of the year Padraig Harrington and many of the world’s other top male golfers. For ticket information, visit www.torreypines.com/buick-invitational.asp BIRDIES: The purse for the four-day event is set at $5,300,000. CBS will have live coverage of the final two rounds on Saturday and Sunday. The Buick Open, although under several different names over the decades, has a rich history in San Diego. From 1952 to ’53, the tournament was held at San Diego Country Club in Chula Vista, prior to spending 1954 at Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe. One year later, the event moved to Mission Valley Country Club in San Diego, and after the 1956 event was played at Singing Hills Country Club in El Cajon, it returned to Mission Valley until 1961. In 1962, Mission Valley Country Club changed its name to Stardust Country Club (now known as Riverwalk Golf Club) and the event stayed there from 1962 to ’63; after spending 1964 at Rancho Bernardo Country Club (now Rancho Bernardo Inn) in San Diego, it returned to Stardust Country Club until 1967. The event moved to Torrey Pines in 1968, where it has been played since.
