Eldrick Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods has a four-tournament winning streak, but it won't be at stake next week at Riviera Country Club because he's skipping the Northern Trust Open, sources close to Woods said. Woods doesn't have to officially decide until Friday, but some sort of announcement about his plans is expected as early as today. Woods has played the former Nissan Open nine times as a pro and twice as an amateur, but not since 2006 when he shot 69-74 and withdrew because he was ill.

MARANA, Ariz. -- He may lose to someone, sometime, somewhere, but no one's beaten Tiger Woods any time, anywhere for quite a spell. After he climbed out of bed Saturday at 3:45 a.m., Woods spent the next 12 hours playing 34 holes, making nine birdies and one eagle, winning two more matches and moving to within striking distance of his fifth consecutive PGA Tour victory.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- By the way Tiger Woods beamed at the discussion of Arnold Palmer, you'd think the two traded barbs, clubhouse fries and sand wedges every Sunday. After Woods tied Palmer's total of 62 wins at the Buick Invitational in late January -- a mark he surpassed four weeks later at the WGC-Accenture Match Play -- Woods talked about how Palmer "gives me the needle," and how he'll have the verbal edge once he reaches 63.

Of course, Tiger Woods can't win every tournament he plays; it's just that he's making it look that way. It was probably about the time his ball scooted across the 18th green at Bay Hill on Sunday, felt the tug of gravity and dived into the hole, when everyone started figuring out what's next. As in, what's next after five consecutive PGA Tour victories? Well, how about six consecutive?

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- The last player to win the Masters back to back was Tiger Woods, as you may have guessed, in 2001-02. Before that, Nick Faldo in 1989-90. And the only other player in the last 42 years to successfully defend a Masters title was Jack Nicklaus in 1966. With the 72nd Masters set to begin in two days, that's probably not so comforting to Zach Johnson. The self-proclaimed nobody from Iowa may be the defending champion, but he's not anybody's favorite.

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Welcome to the Masters, where the world's best golfers have gathered this week to carry on a tradition like none other. Kissing up to Tiger. Have you ever heard anything like it? In a sports world whose very pulse is pumped by the heartbeat of competition, would this happen anywhere else? Tiger Woods showed up here this week reiterating his understandable belief that he can win this summer's golf Grand Slam. Then his opponents -- exasperated gasp -- agreed with him.

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- It wasn't only cheers raining through the pine trees. It was also rain. And just as predictable as precipitation at the Masters, there was Tiger Woods raining his ball out of a tree jail at the 18th hole, dropping it gently onto the 18th green at Augusta National, delivering a special delivery message. He's still around. Woods isn't in the lead of the Masters as the final round begins today, but after his four-under-par 68, he has managed to get everyone's attention.

Tiger Woods, who has been out for more than five weeks after arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, did not put his name on the list to play next week's $6-million Memorial, and apparently won't return to competition until the U.S. Open, June 12-15. Woods hasn't played since finishing second at the Masters. The Memphis tournament follows the Memorial and is the week before the Open. Woods' normal routine is not to play the tournament the week before a major.

Tiger Woods said he won't play next week at Memphis, Tenn., but that his surgically repaired left knee is improving and he is on track to play in the U.S. Open in two weeks. Woods, who had arthroscopic surgery to correct cartilage damage in his left knee April 15, just after he finished second at the Masters, decided he wasn't ready to play in this week's Memorial tournament, or next week's PGA Tour event at Memphis.

No one can be sure who's going to win the 108th U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, but there's already a leader. That would be Torrey Pines itself, surely destined to look splendid in its prime time close-up. Torrey Pines is primping for the royal treatment from television to showcase a golf course nestled on a bluff against rugged cliffs, yawning canyons and a grand expanse of water with foamy surf slapping oatmeal brown sand.