When his globetrotting tour players run into a problem, they simply telephone Jacobs for some expert help.

"I ask them what the ball is doing on a shot from a particular lie, or under certain conditions, and we can usually work out the solution," Jacobs says. Nine times out of ten, it's some swing fault or habit that has never been fully conquered.

I was telling a fellow at the club about this, and I could see the light bulb suddenly flash on over his head.

"Wow," he said, sitting up erect on his stool. "Wouldn't it be great if we could get our pro to do that. Think of the money we could save! A couple of minutes on the phone instead of that larcenous half-hour fee on the teaching tee!"

Did I mention that he still believes in the Tooth Fairy?

Jack couldn't resist. "Anything legal?" he needled with a chuckle.

Insiders say Palmer is still dazed by the negative uproar from his faithful ranks following his endorsement of the non-conforming Callaway ERC II driver. And the results of dozens of polls that indicate an overwhelming portion of American golfers would not play with an illegal club aren't likely to soothe his feelings.

On the other hand, Palmer's embrace of the ERC II, combined with the rift between the USGA and the R & A over what is legal and what is not, has encouraged more start-up and smaller equipment companies to market nonconforming clubs. And, shoppers report, there's an ample supply of non-conformers, purchased from foreign outlets, in off-course shops. Some with price tags running as high as $1,000.

Indeed, as he approaches his 25th birthday, there are signs developing that indicate the blocks in his path to becoming "the greatest of the greatest" could be his own celebrity and a developing urge to demand a bigger check. This is precisely what some forecasters have been saying, that as he piled up victory upon victory, endless entries in the record book, and additional millions in the bank, that the opponent to beat would not be on the golf course, but somewhere around the rim.

After only four years on the pro tour, his career has been perfection, as if it was following a carefully crafted script. He has functioned like a golfing robot, beating the best players, obliterating the toughest courses, and gathering a huge following as he went his way. The color of his skin was no burden. He was generally regarded as a "good fellow," courteous, well spoken, surprisingly mature except for an occasional expletive after a near-miss putt. That bright picture seems to be clouding a bit now.

In the wake of his salvo at the PGA Tour, he made another headline when the Screen Actors Guild fined Woods $50,000 (reduced from $100,000) for filming a commercial for Buick while the union was on strike. And, a few days later, one of the supermarket scandal sheets trumpeted its reasons why Tiger will never marry his blond girlfriend of the past two years.

To play winning golf on the tour, especially at Tiger's incredible level, requires total concentration. Every one of the best players will tell you that. Distractions can turn winners into runners-up. Woods has heard that from many sources by now, and he'd better take heed. The test is at hand.