Tiger begins Grand Slam quest

2008-04-04 13:28

Georgia - Tiger Woods's quest for a Grand Slam begins - or ends - next week at Augusta National Golf Club.

With a victory in the Masters, the first major championship of the season, the superstar could set himself up for a run at golf's holy grail: victories in all four major championships in one year.

Woods has already completed the so-called "Tiger Slam" of four major triumphs in a row, ending with his 2001 Masters victory.

With the swing changes he has painstakingly made in recent years now paying dividends, and with the benefit of experience garnered in 13 major triumphs, the 32-year-old American has spoken confidently of the possibility of achieving the elusive Grand Slam in 2008.

"For most of my career, I've won more than four tournaments in a year," Woods said. "It's just winning the right four."

Woods is a proven winner at Augusta, where his four titles tie him with Arnold Palmer for second in career victories, two behind Jack Nicklaus.

Overwhelming favourite

Woods's most recent start, at the World Golf Championships CA Championship at Doral last month, saw his streak of seven straight global victories come to an end.

That defeat did nothing to dent his status as the overwhelming favourite to win the Masters and make further inroads on Nicklaus's record of 18 major triumphs.

"You don't really get remembered for number of wins in a career," Woods says. "It's the number of wins in major championships. Those are the biggest events. If you win one major a year, it turns a good year into a great year."

Australian Geoff Ogilvy, who captured the victory at Doral, arrives at Augusta seeking to add another major crown to the US Open he captured in 2006.

Ogilvy said he didn't find Woods's dominance on the course oppressive, but he was frustrated by the attitude in some quarters that other golfers had basically surrendered.

"It's frustrating that everyone in the world basically says no one else is trying," Ogilvy says. "'You guys aren't trying. You guys aren't good enough. This guy is just making you look silly.'

"That's frustrating because we are trying. He's just good. There's a lot of good players, so he's very good at closing the deal."

Runner-up

While Woods took two weeks off heading into the Masters, world number two Phil Mickelson teed it up in the last US PGA Tour event before Augusta, the Houston Open.

Mickelson opened his season with a PGA Tour victory in Los Angeles and runner-up finish in Scottsdale, Arizona, but has cooled since, finishing no higher than 17th in three straight starts.

World number three Ernie Els of South Africa has been erratic. He claimed his first US PGA Tour victory since 2004 at the Honda Classic, then missed the cut at the PODS Championship in early March. Els withdrew from the last Masters tune-up in Houston with flu.

Fiji's Vijay Singh has made a strong start to the season but has yet to post a win.

Singh has two runner-up finishes and third-place in his last five starts, and whether he can add another Masters green jacket to the one he won in 2000 will likely depend on his putter.

Defending champion Zach Johnson, who faced down Woods to win the green jacket last year, has had an indifferent season so far, with just one top-10 finish in eight starts.

Green jacket

Rory Sabbatini, who finished tied for second with Woods and fellow South African Retief Goosen last year, hasn't finished higher than 33rd since January.

Justin Rose believes he has the game to grab a green jacket for Europe, nine years after Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal completed his second victory and 12 years after fellow Englishman Nick Faldo completed a hat-trick.

Rose was in contention with two holes to play last year until an errant drive at 17 doomed his hopes.

Fellow Englishman Luke Donald was in contention in the final round as well, until a triple-bogey at the ninth.

Three Asian players received special invitations to Augusta this year - China's Liang Wen-Chong, Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng and India's Jeev Milkha Singh.

Singh, a two-time winner on the European tour, made his Masters debut last year.

Liang won the 2007 European tour event in Singapore, and last year became the first Chinese player to win the Asian Tour's Order of Merit.

Liang, like US Masters newcomers Boo Weekley, Bubba Watson and JB Holmes, will face a steep learning curve on the fabled Augusta National course, Woods said.

"You not only have to hit the ball well but you also have to putt well. You have to do all aspects of the game," Woods said.

"Ever since they've lengthened it, narrowed it down and changed a lot of your angles, they've turned it into more of a complete test. You can't just putt well and you can't just drive it well.

"You have to drive it well, position it well and obviously think well."

- AFP