"It doesn't make a hill of beans to me one way or the other which way they do it; you still play the same golf course."

Jack Nicklaus answered questions for a conference call plugging the upcoming Wendy's Senior Skins and was asked about the change of par at U.S. Open venues.

Q.  As we go back to Torrey Pines this year for the U.S. Open, it will go as a par 71.  If a course like Torrey or Pebble Beach has been at 72 since it opened, why does it need to be anything less than that just because the U.S. Open's in town?  Any thoughts on that?

JACK NICKLAUS:  The USGA seems to do that with every golf course.  I don't know why they do it.  They seem to do it.  And I don't know if it makes it 18 under par, you get 10 under par with the same golf course if you make it a par 70.  I suppose it takes 10 under, so it looks better and sounds better.

Frankly it doesn't make a hill of beans to me one way or the other which way they do it; you still play the same golf course.  They've made changes at Torrey Pines, and I don't really know what they've done, and I don't really remember the golf course that well.  But the thing that would be different for the guys is that Torrey Pines will more than likely not have any rain after probably March or maybe even February.  And the golf course will have a chance to get fast and hard.

The rough will be probably pretty high.  My guess is the ball will run off.  There's a lot of pitch in those fairways.  Run off the fairways pretty easily.  It will certainly be a different golf course than they played a week ago. I haven't seen it at all since they made changes in the golf course.