San Diego ? See? I told you Tiger wouldn’t win the U.S. Open. How could you have doubted me?

To quote myself, I wrote in last Wednesday’s Free Press: “Tiger has no chance of winning the U.S. Open this week at Torrey Pines Golf Course.”

Well, I may have been a little bit off in my analysis.

Oh, yeah, I also wrote: “I might go as far as to say that Tiger would probably miss the cut. And that’s also a very real possibility.”

I now have to hurry and start apologizing before my editors revoke my editorial license. Judging by the 100 or so e-mails and voicemails you gentle readers have been so kind to leave me, I hereby offer a mea culpa. I was wrong to have ever doubted Tiger.

“To quickly get to the point; Tiger has proved AGAIN that you should never count him out or bet against him; NO MATTER WHAT!!! … Hopefully this will be the last ‘Tiger is Vulnerable’ story we will see.”-Kevin Kyles, Farmington Hills, Mich.

Kevin, good point, but why all the shouting? How could I have not seen that a two-month layoff had Tiger poised to win the hardest golf tournament on the planet? How could I have not seen that not having walked 18 holes since the Masters had Tiger primed for a run to the title? Let’s face it, I was wrong, but it took what Tiger himself called his second-best performance ever to prove me wrong.

“If Tiger wins Sunday, was your earlier prediction just writing to fill space? If he does win, I suggest you write an article called”The man with the toughest mental attitude alive.'” -Bob Burkett, Westland, Mich.

Just to set the record straight, I didn’t write the column last week just to take a contrary position. I truly believed Woods had no chance. Of course, I was 100% wrong, and Tiger deserves full credit for turning in one of the most impressive performances-physically and mentally-we’ve seen in sports history.

“I believe you even doubted he’d make the cut. My opinion was that it was a big mistake to underestimate Tiger because he IS less ‘human’ than the other guys out there. Heck, he might even be an android!”-Mike Priebe, Novi , Mich.

Mike, I could swear I heard some strange machine noises coming out of Tiger and saw caddy Steve Williams squirting some oil on him at some point. He is nearly inhuman the way he plays and blocks out distractions.

“And (by the way), Tiger showed how much you know about golf. Now show you’re a man and eat crow in print.”-Len Nosal, White Lake, Mich.

Crow. It’s what’s for dinner. Kind of tastes like chicken, I hear.

“Maybe you should stay out of the predicting business. I enjoy your writing and reporting but I am very glad I did not bet your sure thing. So who do you like in the British??”-Ken Brundage, Northville, Mich.

Ken, I have to go with Phil Mickelson for the British. I hear he’s going to put eight wedges, a mashie niblick and a spoon in his bag, and he’ll carry only one ball.

“I hope, when Tiger lifts the U.S. Open trophy on Sunday (may be Monday following a playoff now) you will have the character and strength to say, ‘I am sorry for doubting you, Tiger.’ “-Don Hooper, Livonia

Don, I like it. Simple and straight to the point.

I am sorry for doubting you, Tiger. Oh, and by the way, congratulations.