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The amenities are nice. So are the perks. Jack Nicklaus long ago modeled his own PGA Tour event after the Masters and wanted the players who participate in the Memorial Tournament to feel as if it is something special.

The fact that so many of them are at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Ohio this week is likely a combination of deference to the Golden Bear, the top-notch competition and an excellent golf course. No doubt, some also will have their eye on the U.S. Open, which is just two weeks away.

It is inevitable that such talk would begin this week, simply because so many of the world's best players have congregated in the same place. Can Tiger Woods win his first U.S. Open in five years? Can Phil Mickelson erase the memory of Winged Foot with a victory at Oakmont? Can Ernie Els, who was just 24 years old when he won his first Open in the Pittsburgh suburbs, re-energize his career with another major title?

These are all thoughts to be pondered as the world's best try to win Nicklaus' prestigious tournament.

But does winning it matter in the overall scheme of things? Does a victory this week portend good things when the U.S. Open rolls around?

The quick answer: no.

In 2000, Woods was the last player to win his last start before claiming the U.S. Open title. That year, Woods won at Memorial, then went to Pebble Beach and obliterated the field with a 15-shot victory. Of course, his season was so amazing, you almost can't count it when considering what a victory two weeks before a major really means.

Since then, Retief Goosen, Woods, Jim Furyk, Goosen, Michael Campbell and Geoff Ogilvy have captured the U.S. Open. None of them won their last tournament before the Open. Ogilvy was tied for 18th last year the week prior at the Barclays Classic. In 2005, Campbell was an afterthought, having had to endure international qualifying in England just to make the field.

In other words, don't expect this week to tell us much about what will happen two weeks from now.

"It is a little bit like a major because you've got a similar field, the same players that do play in a major," said defending champion Carl Pettersson, who got a handshake from Nicklaus and a ride on his private plane after winning last year, then went on to miss the cut at the U.S. Open. "The golf course is set up quite different from a major championship. I know the rough is thick here but you've got wide fairways, usually, and in major championships the fairways are about half the size of these. Part of the field is like a major, but the golf course is set up a little different."

That is not to say we can't get some clues about players this week. A poor driving performance by Woods, say, or perhaps some shoddy short-game work by Mickelson might not bode well for two weeks from now.

Then again, Woods will head to Isleworth next week to work out any kinks. And Mickelson is considering playing in Memphis to hone his competitive edge before Oakmont.

So a good week at the Memorial would be nice. But it's certainly not imperative.

QUICK TAKE
Annika Sorenstam returns to the LPGA Tour this week at her own tournament, the Ginn Tribute Hosted by Annika, after two weeks off to deal with neck and back issues. And it will be interesting to see how she performs. Nobody should expect a victory from the game's now No. 2 player, but seeing much she has slipped -- if any -- might give us a glimpse into her future. It wasn't that long ago that Sorenstam, 36, appeared a lock to catch Kathy Whitworth and her LPGA record of 88 wins. But Sorenstam has just three victories since the start of the 2006 season -- none this year -- and is 19 wins away. That seemed like a lock when she was winning six or eight times a year. Now, it no longer looks so certain. "The competition still means a lot," Sorenstam said recently. "There's nothing like going down the 18th fairway with your adrenaline pumping, and when I get that chance, I don't think about other things. But when you've got the tournament weeks, the practice ... until you get to Sunday, it's tough to get that match lit."
MAILBAG: ASK BOB HARIG
Got a question about the PGA Tour? Ask ESPN.com golf writer Bob Harig, who will answer some inquiries in his column each week. Q: How are handicaps determined for each hole of a golf course? Who determines which hole is the most difficult on down to the easiest? Rick Gillespie, Ill. A: It is often determined by the club itself, although sometimes a course will hire an outside agency to determine the handicaps of each hole. Many are ranked on their perceived difficulty instead of their actual difficulty, which is why you often see a par-3 as the easiest hole on the course when it might be much more difficult than that. For equity purposes, each side of a golf course is either even or odd numbered by handicap. Q: Is there a rule prohibiting cell phone usage on the PGA Tour? I understand the desire to block advice from being given, etc., but I was wondering if a cell phone would be permitted in a special circumstance. Michael Houston A: Most PGA Tour sites ban cell phones for spectators so they do not disrupt the players, not because they are concerned about players getting advice. There is a good chance, however, that players carry cell phones in their bags for emergency purposes.

Bob Harig covers golf for the St. Petersburg Times and is a frequent contributor to ESPN.com. He can be reached at harig@sptimes.com.