GOLF NOTES

updated 8:13 p.m. ET Jan. 22, 2008

SAN DIEGO - Kenny Perry is starting his 20th year on the PGA Tour and has seen just about everything. He has won nine times, played on four Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup teams and lost a playoff in a major in his home state.

Tuesday might have been the first time he really got nervous.

Perry and the rest of the players at the Buick Invitational spent part of their day in a mandatory meeting with PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem and administrators of the tour’s new anti-doping policy. Testing begins July 8.

“It scared me a little bit, not knowing what’s in some of that stuff,” Perry said.

The tour has made drug experts available at every tournament starting with the Sony Open to educate players on the drug testing procedure and penalties, and everyone was sent a 40-page manual that includes seven pages of what is prohibited.

The message some players took from the meeting was to be careful with supplements.

Finchem has resisted an anti-doping policy for the last seven years, but golf finally agreed to a program as it became prevalent in other sports, with baseball getting most of the attention the past couple of years.

“But for the problems in other sports, I doubt we would be at this point,” Finchem said last fall when the plan was announced.

Tiger Woods, who said two years ago the tour should begin testing immediately, was in the morning session, but left without comment. Finchem also was not available to speak until Wednesday.

“Tim doesn’t think someone is going to test positive for a performance-enhancing drug,” Kevin Sutherland said. “I think he’s more concerned about someone testing positive because he made a mistake. They really stressed supplements, knowing what’s in them.”

That’s what got Perry’s attention.

He said all he’s ever taken are vitamins, and he’ll give those a closer look. He also talked about a diet program he tried last year.

“I was taking protein shakes and a lot of vitamin B supplements,” he said. “I’ve got to see what’s in that stuff.”

Sutherland and Perry said the tour’s new cut policy that caused such a stink at the Sony Open never came up in the morning meeting, with the attention squarely on drug testing.

“He said it’s something we have to do to comply with other sports,” Perry said. “It’s a shame the tour has got to spend $1.5 million for something I don’t think we really need.”

Mickelson recovers
The Buick Invitational will have the Nos. 1 and 2 players in the world, after all.

After three days of bed rest and antibiotics for respiratory problems, Phil Mickelson said Tuesday he was feeling better and will play in the pro-am Wednesday at the Buick Invitational, paving the way for him to make his ’08 debut at Torrey Pines. He also has a practice session planned with swing coach Butch Harmon.

“I’m feeling much, much better,” Mickelson said. “I’m happy about that and looking forward to working with Butch to make sure everything is in order for this week.”

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Mickelson has not played since winning the HSBC Champions in China in November. He suspects the respiratory problems, which included shortness of breath, stemmed from either cleaning up debris outside his San Diego County home after the wildfires, or something he picked up in Asia during a two-week stint last fall.

Mickelson is a three-time winner of the Buick Invitational, ending Tiger Woods’ six-tournament winning streak in 2000 and last winning in 2001 in a playoff.

Woods is the three-time defending champion.

Hall ballot
Ballots for the World Golf Hall of Fame were mailed out last week, and among the favorites to get elected are the late Craig Wood and former PGA champion Lanny Wadkins.

Sixty-five percent of the vote is required for election. If no one gets 65 percent, the player with the most votes will be elected provided he gets at least 50 percent of the vote.

Wood, whose 21 victories include the 1941 Masters and 1941 U.S. Open, received 57 percent last year. Wadkins, with 21 victories and a PGA Championship at Pebble Beach, received 50 percent.

One player who won’t get any consideration is John Daly.

The two-time major champion was removed from the ballot for not receiving 5 percent of the vote in two straight years.

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