Tiger Woods returns to the event where he was toppled from the world number-one ranking in 2004 as a clear favourite when the $5,5-million United States PGA Championship opens on Friday.
The reigning Masters and British Open champion seeks his sixth victory of the season at the 7,415-yard, par-71 TPC of Boston course. Woods comes off a victory in last month’s World Golf Championships NEC Invitational.
”I feel like I’m playing better. The things that I’ve worked on have really, really started to solidify,” Woods said. ”I’ve put together some good events this summer.”
Woods’s run of 264 consecutive weeks atop the world rankings came to an end here in 2004 when Fiji’s Vijay Singh won a final-round man-to-man duel with Woods to capture the tournament by three strokes and claim the top ranking.
Woods settled for a share of second last year alongside 2003 Deutsche Bank winner Adam Scott. This time, Woods will have neither Singh nor Scott to contend with in quest of a $990 000 top prize.
Singh, who won nine times last year, blamed his withdrawal on a back injury suffered while playing table tennis with his son. Scott has gone home to Australia for a rest before the Presidents Cup team matches later this month.
South African Ernie Els is absent while recovering from knee surgery and PGA Championship winner Phil Mickelson is not entered either. Long-hitting John Daly withdrew on Thursday, citing personal issues.
In 2004, Singh captured player-of-the-year honours and the money title, while Woods struggled with swing changes.
This year, Woods has dominated with two major crowns, a US Open runner-up effort and US tour leads in scoring average and money.
”I think that solidifying my whole swing and the thought process [means] I don’t have to work on so many things because a lot of things are starting to feel natural now for the first time,” Woods said. — Sapa-AFP