Teeing Off

Five things to look for on the professional golf scene:

1. George Lopez's two-year run as host of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic has come to an abrupt halt, after his name . . . "hosted by George Lopez" . . . was removed from the tournament website.

There is no longer any mention of Lopez on the home page, although his image is still used.

For the 46-year-old comic who threw himself into his job headfirst and called in some favors to get buddies Andy Garcia, Ray Romano, Kevin James and Samuel L. Jackson into the Hope field, being removed in such a way doesn't appear to add up to a lot of respect.

Tournament President John Foster said the Hope is a couple of weeks away from announcing something different for next year.

"We're trying to bring a special guy out of the hat," he said.

That would probably be Arnold Palmer, who would serve as the host for the 50th anniversary of the tournament, if it all works out. Palmer, 78, won the first edition of the event in 1960.

As for Lopez, Foster said, "George will still be around, he'll still be a part of the tournament and hopefully play in the tournament."

Maybe not.

Said Lopez: "My intentions have always been about what's best for the tournament. Arnold Palmer, he's an icon of golf; who doesn't respect him? I wish the tournament all the luck in the world.

"As for whether I'll play, it's going to depend on my schedule."

2. Tiger Woods is back after a two-week break, carrying his five-tournament winning streak into the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. After Woods played his pro-am round Wednesday, he said that the greens aren't in very good shape, but that they're not in very good shape for everybody.

Woods has won four times at Bay Hill, but since his last victory in 2003 (which was his fourth in a row), he has tied for 22nd, tied for 20th, tied for 23rd and tied for 46th.

But with the Masters coming up the week of April 7, Woods said he's already thinking about Augusta National, specifically Amen Corner.

"It's more difficult than people think," he said. "The shot that Larry Mize hit, you can't hit that shot anymore because they have raised the green. . . . It slopes more toward the water. Twelve is just 12, it's the same as it has been.

"Thirteen, with the tee moving back a little bit to the left and now they have got the rough up there and plus more pine needles . . . you used to be able to blow it up there and have a shot, and now you don't.