One of These Players Is Ready to Jump the Shark

Times are good in the Land Down Under, where it’s a great time to be a pro golfer and an Australian.

Peter Lonard of Sydney won at Hilton Head on April 17, and then Adam Scott of Adelaide won the Johnnie Walker in Beijing last weekend.

That’s not all. Stuart Appleby won at Kapalua and Geoff Ogilvy won at Tucson this year. Throw another shrimp on the barbie and ring Crocodile Dundee right away.

Add the four Australians’ PGA Tour victories and they have 12 -- six by Appleby, four by Scott -- but that’s still a long way from the former No. 1 headliner from Australia, Greg Norman from Mount Isa, Queensland, who won 20 times on the PGA Tour, including the British Open in 1986 and 1993.

Norman remains golf’s Australian icon, even though at 50 he rarely plays anymore.

Scott, 24, said all that’s missing in Australian golf is a hero. He wouldn’t mind being the one.

“I believe that’s what is missing, honestly,” Scott said. “Greg Norman is playing a lot less now, and he’s not No. 1 in the world like he was for so many years. I think if we did have a hero, that would be fantastic.

“Can I be Greg Norman? I honestly feel I can follow Greg’s footsteps as far as his achievements. I feel that’s kind of a goal of mine. ... Greg has a charisma about him and an aura that he carries, and I don’t know whether that comes with success or you’ve just got it ... I don’t know if I’ve got that; only time will tell.”

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Phil Mickelson, who ends his three-week break when he plays at the Wachovia next week, will appear tonight on the “Tonight Show” with Jay Leno. Mickelson will talk about his book, “One Magical Sunday,” which is about his victory in the 2004 Masters. He was 10th this year.

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The quote of the week is from Vijay Singh, who beat John Daly in a one-hole playoff at Houston after Daly hit his ball into the water: “Somebody has to win, somebody has to lose, and fortunately for me, it was John.”

The quote of the week, Part II, is from Scott, who was asked whether he wore his white cap and shirt Sunday because he expected to win: “No, this is just what was clean after the end of the week so I didn’t smell.”

The quote of the week, Part III, is from Retief Goosen, asked his reaction to finishing second to Scott: “It’s better than third.”

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Tiger Woods is the only player in the top 10 in driving distance who has won a tournament this year.

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Most under par this year is Singh, who is 104 under in 11 tournaments. Mickelson is 89 under in eight tournaments. Woods, 72 under par in seven tournaments, will be at the Wachovia next week and will also play at the Byron Nelson the following week.

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Comparing apples with apples, or money with money, or the PGA Tour’s $5-million event at Houston with the LPGA’s $1-million event at Morelia, Mexico: The disparity is striking -- not only did Singh earn $900,000 for winning compared with Carin Koch’s $150,000, a top 20 finish (actually a tie for 18th) was worth $70,000 at Houston compared with $11,986 (tie for 16th) at Morelia.

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Gwyn Edwards Dieterle, sister of the late Bruce Edwards, is helping raise money to fight Lou Gehrig’s disease through the sales of green, rubber bracelets with “THINK ABOUT IT” printed on them.

The phrase was a favorite of Edwards, the longtime caddie for Tom Watson. Edwards died in April 2004 after a 16-month battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Edwards’ 10-year-old stepson, Brice Moore, came up with the idea of the bracelets, which cost $2. All proceeds go to Project ALS, the Robert Packard Center for ALS Research at Johns Hopkins and the ALS Assn.

Details can be found at www.alsbracelet.com.*

Long driver champion Gerry James will appear at a clinic at the Barlow Respiratory Hospital tournament May 6 at Robinson Ranch in Santa Clarita. The event benefits programs at the hospital. Details: (213) 250-4200, Ext. 3202, or www.barlow2000.org.