Well, now that another riveting Ryder Cup has ended, there’s nothing really much happening in golf this week. Just your basic “two-fer,” one being a World Golf Championships event in England and the other a PGA TOUR event in Mississippi steeped in tradition.

Nope, nothing much going on, except for two contests that offer a combined $10.5 million in prize money. One is in Hertfordshire, England, at The Grove, a relatively new Kyle Philips design, where the eighth World Golf Championships-American Express Championship will be staged. Meanwhile, in Madison, Miss., the 38th Southern Farm Bureau Classic returns to Annandale Golf Club, which Jack Nicklaus designed.

Nothing much going on, except that Tiger Woods is going for his sixth straight PGA TOUR victory, which would equal his personal best that straddled the 1999-2000 seasons. His current streak, fifth best all-time, already includes two majors and a World Golf Championships title and winnings of $5.1 million. He’ll add $1.375 million from the grand $7.5 million purse if he can win his fifth American Express title. Oh, by the way, he’s the defending champion. Oh, and in 21 World Golf Championships appearances he has 11 wins and 19 top-10 finishes.

In Mississippi, there are two defending champions. Heath Slocum won the 2005 edition opposite THE TOUR Championship. Fred Funk was in Atlanta last year playing with the top-30 money winners and didn’t defend his title in Mississippi. He’s in the field this year and gets a pass from the TOUR Insider since he had business elsewhere in ’05.

Nothing much going on as we catch our breath after the Ryder Cup. Catch your breath quickly, or you might miss some glorious golf.

Last year’s American Express Championship: Tiger Woods outlasted John Daly in a playoff at Harding Park Golf Course in San Francisco to win his fifth title of the season and his 10th WGC title. Woods, who closed with a 67, had to rally on the home stretch to tie Daly at 10-under-par 270 before Daly bogeyed the second playoff hole with an ugly three-putt, including a missed three-footer for par. Daly also three-putted the 17th in regulation that denied him outright victory.

How he did it: Despite hitting just 22 of 56 fairways and 48 greens, Woods found a way to win, this time with his putter. He led the field in putting average (1.625) and converted 63 of 65 putts from under 10 feet. When it counted, Woods hit eight of his last nine greens to shoot 32 to Daly’s 35, forcing the playoff that he eventually won.

Last year’s Southern Farm Bureau Classic: With his father, Jack, on the bag, Heath Slocum fired a closing 6-under-par 66, and his 21-under 267 was good for a two-stroke victory over Loren Roberts and Carl Pettersson. Slocum, who grew up 55 miles from Madison, Miss., and Annandale Golf Club, won his second TOUR title at an event his father played on nine occasions, with a best finish of 26th.

How he did it: By making 25 birdies, most in the field, including 12 over the final two rounds to go with an eagle. Slocum didn’t make a bogey over his final 40 holes. Slocum ranked ninth in putting to augment hitting 72 percent of his greens in regulation.

Strange but true: There have been only two events in which the winner didn’t shoot at least one round in the 60s. One was the U.S. Open at Winged Foot, which is no surprise. The other: the Mercedes Championships, which is played on the par-73 Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort.

True but not so strange: Tiger Woods has successfully defended a title on the PGA TOUR 15 times. He goes for his 16th this week.

Worth knowing:

•Don’t expect to see Phil Mickelson the rest of the official PGA TOUR season. If he does show up, be surprised. “I would say this is my last event of the year,” the Masters champion said last week at the Ryder Cup. “I don’t know for sure. Who knows, I might add three events, but I would say the chances are better I won’t play anymore.”

•The American Express Championship is one of four events that Woods has won at least four times. The others: Bay Hill Invitational (2000-03), Masters (1997, '01, '02, '05) and the NEC Invitational (1999-01, '05, ’06).

•Stuart Appleby remains the only player to compete in all 22 official World Golf Championships, with his best finish a tie for second at the 2003 American Express Championship.

•Sergio Garcia, coming off a stellar Ryder Cup performance, has five top-10s in six starts at the American Express Championship and nine top10s in World Golf Championships events.

•John Daly is making his fourth trip to Annandale Golf Club and his sixth in the Southern Farm Bureau Classic. His last appearance was far from memorable; he missed the cut with rounds of 76-83.

•As previously mentioned, Fred Funk, missed his Southern Farm title defense in ’05 to play in the TOUR Championship. Watch him closely; twice he’s won the event, and in his last three visits he’s finished first, third and sixth.

•New Zealand golfer Phil Tataurangi, who has fought a series of injuries, missed the cut at the Valero Texas Open, but was at least back in action after suffering a bout of food poisoning prior to the 84 Lumber Classic. He is completing this season on a medical exemption, but has earned just $55,792 in 16 starts. He is slated to play at Annandale.

•Because of the pregnancy of his wife, Candace, Ben Curtis isn’t likely to appear on the PGA TOUR the rest of the season after his second win of 2006 at the 84 Lumber Classic. But Curtis has had a swell season already, proving his 2003 British Open win is no fluke and joining Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson, Geoff Ogilvy and Stuart Appleby as multiple winners this year. He leads the TOUR among players in their 20s with three victories.

TI’s power ranking for the WGC-American Express Championship: 1. Tiger Woods, 2. Sergio Garcia, 3. Luke Donald, 4. David Howell, 5. Retief Goosen.

TI’s power ranking for the Southern Farm Bureau Classic: 1. Shaun Micheel, 2. Fred Funk, 3. Jeff Sluman, 4. Heath Slocum, 5. Daniel Chopra.

Parting shot: "I just love the Ryder Cup. I couldn't live without it, definitely, and it's just amazing. So, I guess that drives me to try even harder … and it's always nice beating Tiger, no doubt about that.” – Sergio Garcia on why he excels in the Ryder Cup