You won't see Tiger Woods at either tournament, but the Greater Milwaukee Open and National Golf Association/Hooters tourneys are creating plenty of buzz as they come to Wisconsin all in one week.

Much has been written, including several columns by this writer over the years, about the GMO's difficulties in attracting leading money winners from the PGA tour. Scheduling problems near the British Open and other factors have kept Woods and many other top names away.

But, defending champion Jeff Sluman still will lead a field of excellent golfers next Thursday through Sunday. Tom Lehman and defending GMO champs Shigeki Maruyama, Carlos Franco and Mike Springer will be in the field.

You might not know their names, but Chad Campbell, Woody Austin, Kirk Triplett and Briny Baird all rank among the top 30 money winners on the PGA tour. There are others who rank high in the money and have names familiar to golf fans.

The GMO officials, and grounds crew at Brown Deer Golf Course, always go out of their way to make the tournament a pleasant experience for the golfers and spectators.

Of course, this writer predicted at the start of the year that Jerry Kelly would become the first Wisconsin golfer to win the GMO this season. Kelly, along with fellow state golfers Steve Stricker, Skip Kendall, J.P. Hayes and Mark Wilson, all are expected to play.

Although part of the event conflicts with the GMO, the addition of the NGA/Hooters tourney at Fox Hills in Mishicot has only created more interest among area golf fans. The Hooters tourney will be played Monday through Wednesday, so you could take in golf all week by starting there

The NGA event coincides with the GMO on Thursday through Sunday, but depending on when certain golfers are teeing off you can make the trip an hour or so north for the morning rounds and still catch the afternoon rounds at the GMO.

In case, you're not familiar with NGA/Hooters, it is made up primarily of young players who hope to make it to the PGA tour. Elliot Gealy, a 27-year-old former Clemson golfer, leads the tour with about $63,000 in winnings.

The buzz over the Bucks continued on several different fronts. First, GM Ernie Grunfeld left, to take a similar job with the Washington Wizards.

Before leaving, Grunfeld drafted guard T.J. Ford, and promptly traded Sam Cassell and Ervin Johnson. The trade with the Timberwolves showed two things: 1) that the Bucks are going to make every effort to sign Gary Payton and 2) that they have a great deal of confidence that Ford can become their floor leader of the future.

This writer has been writing for several years that Sam Cassell would not lead the Bucks to the next stage of competitiveness. At his age, Payton might not either, but he could serve as a great mentor for Ford, who might get them to the next level some day.

Meanwhile, the short term success of the deal could hinge on whether former No. 1 pick Joe Smith becomes the player everybody thought he could be when he was first drafted. If so, Smith could give the Bucks the offensive frontcourt player they have needed.

Of course, the biggest buzz of all -- the rumored sale of the team to Michael Jordan -- did not happen. There were rumors that Grunfeld's departure, draft pick and trade were all orchestrated by Jordan from the wings, but then Senator Herb Kohl announced Sunday that talks with Jordan had broken off and he was not now interested in selling the Bucks.

Maybe Jordan didn't come up with one of the two prerequisites to a deal which were mentioned in last week's column -- a guarantee that the team would remain in Milwaukee. Kohl bought the team to save it from moving. He is serious about not selling it to somebody who would move it.

But, Milwaukee basketball fans and city movers-and-shakers can't expect Kohl to run the team as a charity case forever. If they don't want a Michael Jordan or other outsider with deep pockets to buy it, then those in power have to come up with a way of updating the Bradley Center, so the team looks more attractive to local investors.

If we want to be major league in this town -- whether it is in pro basketball or baseball -- then we have to compete financially with other cities, rather than just keep looking for a sugar daddy to run the franchise as a community service or field a franchise that can barely afford to compete on the court or field. This also need not mean big expenditures of taxpayers' dollars. Instead, the investment community needs to be creative.

Geoff Jenkins is this writer's pick as the Brewers' All Star representative, but expect Richie Sexson to more likely be the selection because he ranks among the leaders in home runs.

Outfielder Scott Podsednik also deserves consideration, although he has virtually no chance in a National League full of topnotch outfielders. Podsednik has been a very pleasant find, however, and is still eligible for rookie status. Right now, he'd have to be considered one of the top candidates for Rookie of the Year.

Marquette's Dwayne Wade became the highest state player ever picked in the NBA draft when the Heat took him fifth. Downtown Freddie Brown, a Milwaukee Lincoln star and Iowa guard, was selected sixth by Seattle in 1971 ... Should the Packers trade for former UW star Ron Dayne and develop him into William Henderson's successor at fullback? ... David Guzik of Madison and Heather Haviland of Waukesha won the elite division titles in the first ever triathlon in the Badger State Games at Stoughton. Cross Plains' Jodeen Waelti had a victory of another kind in the event when she completed the swimming competition in Lake Kegonsa. Waelti nearly drowned 30 years ago and has had a fear of water since ... Speaking of nearly drowning, Elm Grove's Tim Kent, who came close when his boat capsized near Bermuda, was still looking for the Everest Horizontal at the time of this writing. A couple reported sightings of the 50-foot boat had not yet led to recovery.

Nick Guy of Sparta/West Salem High School recently won calf roping, steer wrestling and team roping titles in the Wisconsin High School Rodeo State Finals in Richland Center and qualified for the National Rodeo Association finals later this month for the fourth time ... Eau Claire's Malinda Johnson, a member of the UW golf team, won the Wisconsin State Women's Open with a two-day total of 1-under par 143 at Quit-Qui-Oc in Elkhart Lake ... The Oaks, a 6,300 yard, par 71, golf course opened Monday in Cottage Grove. It can be seen from I-94 between Milwaukee and Madison ... Eric Morel of Madison retained his World Boxing Association 112-pound title with a unanimous decision over Isidro Garcia in Puerto Rico. Morel is unbeaten in 33 fights.

The Brewers return home for a 10-game homestand, starting with the Colorado Rockies this weekend. Game time is 4:05 p.m. on Friday, 6:35 p.m. on Saturday and 1:05 p.m. on Sunday. The Pirates and Reds follow the Rockies into Miller Park.

Wave United hosts the Seattle Sounders at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Uihlein Field.

Then, of course, get ready to watch plenty of good golf, starting Monday at Fox Hills.