NOTES : THESE THREE SHOULD BE QUITE A CROWD.

Byline: Associated Press

It is a pairing made for Generation X: John Daly, Tiger Woods and Corey Pavin.

They represent power, youthful charisma and skill on a golf course. And they will tee off at 12:20 p.m. Thursday in the first round of the U.S. Open at storied Oakland Hills Country Club.

``I think it is going to be lot of fun,'' said Woods, the 20-year-old junior from Stanford University. ``I know John. I just saw him on the putting green and he is excited to play. I am sure Corey is just going to grind away like he always does.

``I think we are going to have a lot of fun out there.''

Daly and Pavin, of course, are seasoned professionals. Woods is perhaps the best-known amateur since Jack Nicklaus. He has drawn the biggest crowds during the first two days of practice for the 96th Open.

For one thing, the 6-foot-2, 160-pound Woods can crank the ball just as far off the tee as the free-swinging Daly. So he won't be intimidated.

``Because of his long swing, John can carry it past me on the fly,'' Woods said Tuesday. ``But on a firm fairway, I hit a lower ball and turn it over a little bit. If my ball hits hot, it will roll.

``Here, he will probably outdrive me all day, because it's soft. At Augusta, it is a different story because . . . it's like hitting on this table here. So, I was able to run it past him.''

Ball launch: Spalding is using the U.S. Open to begin marketing a new golf ball. But the multi-layer Top-Flight Strata Tour already had quite a launch before the launch, so to speak.

Touring pro Mark O'Meara has been using the ball for several weeks.

In that time, O'Meara has won the Greater Greensboro and Memorial tournaments, finishing second at the MCI Heritage and Kemper Open. O'Meara is $678,600 richer and 51-under-par since he began playing the ball.

According to Spalding, the multilayer design of the ball - designed for pros and top-level amateurs - combines a soft Balata cover with a firm inner layer and high-energy core. But it isn't cheap. The suggested retail price is $52 per dozen.

Planning ahead: The Pinehurst, N.C., region just staged the U.S. Women's Open last week at Pine Needles Resort, but organizers aren't wasting any time getting ready for their next test, the 1999 U.S. Open.

Pinehurst representatives are at Oakland Hills this week. They are studying the overall setup but merchandising in particular. At Oakland Hills this week, a 20,000-square-foot merchandise tent sits adjacent to the first green. It has been open to the public since Sunday. The tournament doesn't begin until Thursday, but some items, particularly sweatshirts, already are becoming scarce.