Everything about Kim is different

He injured his left knee when he slipped off a paddle board in the Pacific Ocean the weekend before the season opener in Kapalua, and it wound up keeping him out of golf until the middle of March. Then, he suffered a rib injury at the Masters, but played through it the next week at Hilton Head, the only PGA Tour event in his native South Carolina.

"You guys wrote about Freddie (Couples) at Augusta, you expect him to drive through those gates and play well and he loves it there," Glover said. "And that's how I am here. I was here last Sunday and played with some friends, and it was probably the best round I've played Titleist 712 AP2 Irons all year. And I know it was practice, and I know it doesn't matter and nobody cares, but just being here, there's something about it for me."

"They asked me if I wanted to play and my answer was I was too old for that. It was too dangerous," Foster said from the caddie tent, crutches at his side. "I was just there to watch. Before the match, they were kicking the ball around, like I do at home with my boys. I stretched, and as soon as I planted, my knee collapsed. I heard it rip and crack, and I knew I was in trouble."

"It's devastating," Foster said. "Lee is playing as good as he has ever played. I'm just clumsy."

The book on his six years as the swing coach for Tiger Woods reached No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list on April 15 for combined print and ebooks. It reached as high as No. 2 for two weeks Mizuno MP-69 Irons under hardcover nonfiction, and has only fallen to No. 5 this week.

The tournament is played June 18-24, the week after the U.S. Open.

He also has early commitments this year from other top names such as Anthony Kim, Vijay Singh, Padraig Harrington and Webb Simpson.

"It is always good to win no matter where you play and even though it was my first-ever victory here in Spain the feeling of winning is always the same," he said.

Larrazabal expects to see Javier Ballesteros, who tied for 14th in Barcelona, one day competing on the European Tour.

However, a final-round 71 left Larrazabal in a share of third and three strokes from South African Thomas Aiken.

"We've always been very stingy on these special exemptions," he said. "In general, we don't want to give up any special exemptions unless there's a compelling reason."

Grube said the tournament's strategy of courting up-and-coming golfers has paid off as those golfers' careers have discount golf clubs progressed and they have remained loyal to The Travelers.

"I think any time you come somewhere you've had success, it gives you that little bit of confidence — even if it's been a strange year for you," he said.

He tied for fourth, then won his first U.S. Open a year later at Oakmont. As for that tree?

He said he likely would be out for six to eight weeks, and that's the best-case scenario. That could force him to miss the U.S. Open and British Open.

"But then the Spanish Open is always a special week for all the Spanish players and after winning last week in Barcelona, it would be wonderful now if I could win here in Seville."

"Javier is a great young guy and while he doesn't have the magic of Seve, he has something there that is quite special," Larrazabal said. "He shot 65 the first day to be just one behind me.