TIGER: TOUGH IT OUT FOR TRADITION.

Byline: JILL PAINTER GOLF

Tiger Woods is thinking about skipping the Nissan Open this year.

Say it isn't so.

This just wouldn't make sense. Sure, Woods has never won at the Nissan, which means he'd put his seven tournament winning streak on the line. He'd also strip the streak of its integrity by not playing at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades.

The late Byron Nelson, a man Woods admires, had the same problem in the L.A. Open. He was 0 for 11 before he finally won in 1946, his final season, and that meant the world to Nelson.

Woods has always been the main attraction, as he is at any tournament. The Nissan Open is rich in tradition, and for Woods to miss it wouldn't be right.

Here are 10 reasons Woods should tee it up at Riviera:

1. The streak.

Woods has won seven consecutive stroke-play events on the PGA Tour. Only Nelson had a better streak -- 11 in a row in 1945.

But if he dodges this tournament, put a big fat asterisk next to that streak. PGA players can pick their own schedules, so if they don't want to play a tournament, they don't have to. When Kobe Bryant had his streak of 40-point games (he had nine in a row) going, he didn't skip a game against a good team to jeopardize the streak. LaDanian Tomlinson -- a good friend of Woods who had dinner with him at last week's Buick Invitational -- didn't skip an NFL game so he could keep his streak of three consecutive games with three touchdowns alive.

Why should Woods have that luxury? He does, but he should choose not to exercise it.

2. The challenge.

Riviera Country Club is one of the few courses in the world Woods has yet to master. He should want to play here. All the greats played here. And all the greats won here. Woods will go down as the best player in history, and the more times he plays here, the more chances he'll have to win. This is the only tournament he's played in at least three times and never won. His resume will have a hole without a win here.

3. It's his hometown tournament.

Woods grew up hitting balls in his Cypress garage, about 40miles from Riviera. He hit into a net while listening to rap music, which made his dad, Earl (who fancied jazz), cringe.

Woods played all the courses in Southern California on the junior golf circuit. He teed it up as a 16-year-old amateur in his first pro tournament here. There's a picture of him as a wide-eyed 16-year-old in the golf shop.

4. Woods looks really bad if he doesn't.

Woods can say he doesn't care what other people think, but this time, he should. Woods is always up for a challenge, but he's dodging one if he skips this. Nissan Open officials are still in limbo. Do they advertise with Woods or without him? Do they make John Daly, who earned a sponsor exemption, the face of the tournament? Or Fred Couples? It would be nice to know. The tournament starts in 16 days.

5. Because he can.

The season just started, for crying out loud. I know he's got an 18-hour flight back from Dubai after this weekend, but he's off the following week and has plenty of time to recover in Florida. Plus, flying on a private jet is hardly the same as flying coach. How rough can that be? He's 31, physically fit and proclaims that he doesn't sleep much, anyway.

6. Phil's not here.

Phil Mickelson hasn't played Riviera since 2001, and with the four FedEx Cup tournaments filling his end-of-the-year schedule, he might never play here again. Woods and Mickelson co-exist, but neither likes the other much.

Why not take advantage of this opportunity to avoid awkward moments in the clubhouse and on the putting green?

7. He can take in a Lakers game.

Woods is a big sports fan. He can check out Bryant and Phil Jackson live against either the Cavaliers or Knicks -- provided Bryant isn't suspended.

8. He can win.

Woods is playing extraordinary golf right now. He's never won here, but when he's playing like this, no one -- or nothing -- can beat him. Maybe not even Riviera. Why not try Riviera on for size when his game has never been better?

9. Tom Pulchinski will keep his sanity.

The Nissan Open tournament director would have a major headache trying to sell the Nissan without Mickelson and Woods. When Woods withdrew after tworounds in 2005 because he was sick, the galleries were predictably smaller.

10. He can practice his rain game.

It always rains at Riviera. The tournament isn't a real tournament without rain. In 2005, Woods' caddie, Stevie Williams, committed the ultimate gaffe and forgot to pack an umbrella. A fan let him borrow one. A good golfer can play in all sorts of inclement weather.

Another grand opportunity.

Rookies show promise on PGA Tour

This year's group of PGA Tour rookies might be the real deal.

Golf has been waiting for some young, talented golfers to hit the scene, but the game's youngest stars haven't panned out the past few years.

If the Buick Invitational's final leaderboard is any indication, times might be changing. Rookies fresh off the Nationwide Tour secured three of the tournament's top seven places. Brandt Snedeker, who led after each of the first three rounds, finished third, while newcomers Andrew Buckle and Jeff Quinney finished tied for fourth and seventh, respectively.

Tiger Woods expected nothing less.

``Without a doubt. Without a doubt,'' Woods said. ``These guys all have wonderful games. They all hit the ball pretty long, and it's just a matter of, you know, being there enough times to understand what to do.''

Buckle is one of Australia's promising new talents. He's 24 and seemed calm, cool and collected when he took the lead into the back nine Sunday at Torrey Pines. He double bogeyed the 12th hole, and Woods took over from there on his way to winning his seventh consecutive PGA Tour stroke-play victory.

Quinney squandered a lead on the back nine,too, but the experience was beneficial for the rookies.

Snedeker won twice on the Nationwide Tour last year. He led every round en route to winning the Permian Basin Open. Leading three rounds of the Buick provided valuable experience.

``I think it made my game a little better,'' Snedeker said. ``I just need to make a few less mistakes and try to make more birdies. I didn't come out on the right end, but it was fun trying to figure it out.''

Charley Hoffman, who made his debut on the PGA Tour last year, is doing just fine as well. He earned his first win in the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic on Jan. 21 and tied for 31st in the Buick Invitational. Bubba Watson, who was a rookie last year as well, tied for fourth in the Buick Invitational and hits the ball farther than just about anyone on the planet.

It's just a start, but the PGA Tour's young guns might be on to something.

CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

The Riviera Country Club has been a tough place for Tiger Woods in his career -- all the more reason he needs to play in the Nissan Open.

Stephen Dunn /Getty Images

Box:

(1) THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE

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