The question wasn't intended to be funny, but Charles Howell got a chuckle out of it anyway.

What's different about playing a tournament as defending champion?

Like he'd know.

"The first tournament I won sent them running straight to the LPGA Tour," Howell said of the 2002 and final Michelob Championship. "I drove this one to a new title sponsor."

At least the Augusta-bred golfer has a place to go back to this time. Howell snapped a frustrating five-year winless streak with a playoff victory over Phil Mickelson at last year's Nissan Open. He returns this week to Riviera Country Club to defend what is now called the Northern Trust Open.

"Winning at Riviera last year was a huge confidence boost," Howell said last week during a conference call. "You know, between the wins, I had had nine runner-up finishes and I think every time I finished second, the gap between first and second got bigger. And when I did win last year, it certainly didn't feel like I had won or done this before."

Howell can only assume what it will be like to return to the scene of his ultimate success on the PGA Tour.

He's consistently played well at Riviera, losing another playoff in 2003 to Mike Weir. So the comfort factor on the classic golf course is strong.

"I think knowing that I have won on the golf course before, knowing that I have had success there is always a help going into a week as opposed to going into the week where, nah, never really played great around here, it doesn't fit me as well," he said. "So probably going into it a little more comfortable than otherwise."

Here's what Howell had to say on a variety of subjects before stepping into his unfamiliar role of defending champion:

On winning something Tiger Woods hasn't: "I think it's the only thing I have on Tiger, and I do remind him of it quite often. ... But he mentions all of his green jackets quite quickly, and that has a very quieting effect on me."

On why Riviera has vexed Woods: "I have no idea because every time there's ever been a golf course or a style of golf that someone thought Tiger couldn't do, he ended up proving everyone wrong."

On where his game went after the win: "I didn't build on it. I didn't really do anything with it like I wanted to or could have. You know, that being said, a lot of the work I did in the latter part of last year, along with the short game, was on the driver. You know, I'm much happier right now with the way I'm driving the ball than I was really for any part of the second half of last year."

On changing equipment after eight years: "It was time for a change. Through testing equipment, the big sell with Bridgestone for me was the golf ball. In working really hard on my short game, the golf ball that I'm playing now is a little bit softer and, you know, quite frankly it's a lot more versatile around the green."

On other changes to his pro routine: "If you look at my record, I've played really well on the West Coast, I've played average in the middle and I've played a little bit better at the end. And I will definitely take more time off in the middle of the year this year. ... As it's proven, 30 tournaments doesn't seem to do me much good toward the middle of the year."

On his 2008 goals: "Well, my number one goal is to make the Ryder Cup team. I've played two Presidents Cups, no Ryder Cups, and that's a big deal. ...

"I need to start winning golf tournaments consistently and start getting in the mix of golf tournaments consistently. The only way that you're ever going to be ranked high in the world is to perform consistently well. ... If by the end of the year I'm ranked in the top 10 in the world, then that's a great goal for me."

On what is better about Woods now: "I think, number one, is he's so confident in what he's doing, he's not spending as much time practicing. He's got that calmness about him. This off-season and seeing him practice at home, you just could tell because every single day he was out working he was having real short sessions. Very focused, but short sessions. And you could tell he wasn't working for it, he was much more refining it."

On what he'd like to steal from Woods: "I would take his putting. If he's not already, he will go down as the greatest putter of all time. ... I don't know that anyone has made as many clutch putts as Tiger Woods has. For the stuff that you can't see, his mind. I still think his mind is heads and shoulders above everyone else's."

On the new cut rule that paid him for not playing the weekend in Hawaii: "I just thought it wasn't very well thought out. ... I mean, nothing good can come from the rule the way that it is now. It isn't right to pay somebody money that hasn't competed four rounds of golf. So in its current standing, nothing is good about it whatsoever. It doesn't allow you to move up; it doesn't allow you to do anything toward the Ryder Cup because (it's based on money). It doesn't allow you to go have a heck of a weekend and really do something special."