Hilton Head must be a hard place for Will MacKenzie to play golf, what with all the various water-sports going on just beyond the O.B. stakes. He's a surfer and a kayaker, but also a superb iron player, who really should play well on the oldish Pete Dye gem here.

I don't think you'd call him a gifted putter, but it's not for lack of trying. At the Honda Classic last month I saw him on the practice green with a windbreaker over his head, and he's tried all manner of grips. But I think he's a real believer in the claw, and I'll be eager to see how he makes out on the tiny greens at Hilton Head, the kind of course where you can make the cut on the number, as MacKenzie did, and still get in the hunt.

Anyway, the reason I think he must be a true Claw man is because of a photo I saw the other day in The New York Times. It showed Willie Mac in caddie gear, helping his attractive wife, Alli, line up a one-yarder. It was a charity thing, with all the ladies wearing the same thing: funky two-toned shoes; argyle above-the-knee socks; a short white skirt; and (in the case of Mrs. Will MacKenzie) a kinda tight blouse, Paris Hilton glasses, windblown hair and a white golf glove. She looked very nice but not like she was going to get a sponsor's exemption into an LPGA event anytime soon. And her putting grip? THE CLAW!