BUICK INVITATIONAL NOTEBOOK: WOODS MUM ON PLAYING RIVIERA.

Byline: JILL PAINTER Staff Writer

SAN DIEGO - Tiger Woods hasn't said no to the Nissan Open. He hasn't said yes, either.

It's unknown whether Woods will play at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades next month. Since he turned pro in 1996, the only time he hasn't played the Nissan was in 2002.

Woods won the Buick Invitational on Sunday, extending his PGA Tour stroke-play winning streak to seven tournaments. Byron Nelson set the record of 11in 1945.

When asked where he would next defend the streak, Woods said: ``I'm going to Dubai.''

The Dubai Desert Classic, which starts Thursday, is not a PGA Tour event.

Riviera Country Club has not been kind to Woods. He is 0 for 9 in professional starts there and hasn't won in 11 tournaments, if you count the two he played as an amateur. It is the only tournament in which he's made at least three starts that he hasn't won.

He finished second in 1998 and tied for second in 1999. Last year, he withdrew after the weekend because he was sick.

``As far as when I'm going to play, I don't know yet,'' Woods said. ``Going to go to Dubai, play over there, come back and see how I feel. I always feel that it's always hard to get back for some reason over that time zone when I come back. I don't know why. But we'll see how it goes. Hopefully, I'll come back and play but we'll see what happens.''

He has until Feb. 9 to enter the Nissan Open, which will take place Feb. 15-18.

If Woods doesn't play at Riviera, he's likely to receive criticism for trying to protect his streak.

``People can say whatever they want,'' Woods said. ``That's their opinion. They are entitled to it.''

If Woods decides not to play, it would be a serious blow for the tournament. Phil Mickelson usually doesn't play the Nissan Open. The last time he did was 2001, when he missed the cut.

Snedeker's smile: Brandt Snedeker led during all four rounds of the Buick Invitational and finished third, which was good enough for him to win $353,600. It was more money than he won on the Nationwide Tour all of last year, when he won two tournaments.

Snedeker, the darling of the tournament, never seemed to show nerves until he tried to eat breakfast on Sunday.

``I tried to get some eggs down, and I told (my caddie), `I can't get my breakfast down. It might be a long day,''' Snedeker said. ``Eventually, we got my nerves under control and I got hungry, so that was a good sign.''

Snedeker was able to eat a couple of bananas during his final-round 70.

He said the past week was an experience he'll never forget.

``It's just been an unbelievable experience for me to be in the last group the last two days, to play with that kind of pressure on me and respond the way I did, even though I didn't play great,'' Snedeker said. ``I would've loved to come away with a win, but I lost to two great players in Tiger Woods and Charles Howell (III) and learned a lot.

``Hopefully, I can build on this and come back and try to compete again.''

Also: Charlie Wi (Westlake High) saved par on the final hole to finish with a final-round 71 and a tie for ninth place. A top-10 finish guarantees players a spot in the next tour event, which will be the FBR Open in Scottsdale, Ariz. ``I hit the ball probably the best I hit all week,'' said Wi, who is 34. -- USC freshman Justin Lovemark, the only amateur who made the cut, got to play the final round with Phil Mickelson and Mark O'Meara. He finished in a tie for 39th after a final-round 72. If he had been playing as a pro, Lovemark would have earned $23,400.

[e-mail]

[phone]

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

PGA Tour rookie Brandt Snedeker finished in third and earned $353,600.

Denis Poroy/Associated Press