DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) -- Golf research guru Tom Ierubino, former managing editor at GOLF Magazine, came up with some historical nuggets that don't bode well for Tiger Woods at the U.S. Open.

The previous nine U.S. Opens in California (Riviera, Olympic Club, Pebble Beach) were won by nine players.

And while no one has won multiple majors in the Golden State, some of the game's greatest players have come hauntingly close upon their return.

Ben Hogan won in 1948 at Riviera, and the next U.S. Open in California was at The Olympic Club in 1955, where Hogan famously lost a playoff to Jack Fleck.

Jack Nicklaus won at Pebble Beach in 1972. The next time a U.S. Open was held in California, he finished second to Tom Watson at Pebble a decade later. After that two-shot victory in 1982, Watson next played a U.S. Open in California at Olympic Club, where he finished second to Scott Simpson.

Woods won the most recent U.S. Open in California at Pebble Beach in 2000. Next up is Torrey Pines.

For those curious about those other U.S. Open winners -- Fleck, Billy Casper, Simpson, Tom Kite and Lee Janzen -- none finished in the top 10 upon their Open return to California.

MIXED SIGNALS: Jack Nicklaus has been barking about technology for at least a decade, with seemingly no help from the USGA. But he took part in an announcement earlier this month when golf's governing body in the United States and Mexico announced it had signed its fourth corporate partner in the last 18 months.

He was asked about any perception that the USGA is more interested in getting corporate support than governing the game.

"I wish I had a good answer to that," Nicklaus replied. "I haven't had a good answer from the USGA on it. I think their heart is in the right place. I don't think they're trying to avoid being a good steward to the game. They're probably between a rock and a hard place.

"Their efforts in the grassroots of the game, being involved in youth, certainly has been good," he said. "They do so many good things. It's just the one thing they aren't having success at is controlling the length of the golf ball."

WHO'S NO. 3? Tiger Woods has rendered moot the argument over who's No. 1, building a lead that is nearly double the points of Phil Mickelson at No. 2. But Mickelson is carving out a pretty strong niche at No. 2.

With his victory at Colonial, the points gap between Mickelson and Ernie Els at No. 3 is roughly equal to the gap between Els and Ben Curtis at No. 80.

DIVOTS: Steve Stricker has missed the cut six times this year, after missing the cut only six times the last two years combined. Stricker withdrew from the Memorial on Tuesday. ... Phil Mickelson joined Ben Hogan (1947) and Sam Snead (1950) as the only players to win at Colonial and Riviera in the same season. ... The AT&T Classic outside Atlanta, and opposite-field events in Mexico and Puerto Rico, are only PGA Tour events this year where the winner did not automatically qualify for the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone because of field-of-strength requirements.

STAT OF THE WEEK: In the seven times that a stroke-play major was held on the same course of an official PGA Tour event, only once was the lower score posted in a major -- Steve Elkington (267) at Riviera in the 1995 PGA Championship. Corey Pavin won the Los Angeles Open earlier that year at 268.

FINAL WORD: "Missing the cut on your home course has to be about as bad as it gets." -- Ernie Els, who missed the cut at the BMW PGA Championship for the first time since 1992. Els has a home at Wentworth and redesigned the West Course.

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