Tiger Aims at Fourth Buick Title in Eight Years

Tiger Woods makes his first appearance of the year at this week's Buick Invitational in San Diego, where he will be aiming for his fourth victory in eight starts at the tournament.
He won the title for the first time by two shots in 1999, triumphed by four in 2003 and completed a hat-trick of successes in foggy conditions 12 months ago by three strokes.
Last year's victory at Torrey Pines Golf Course was his first in a PGA Tour strokeplay event since the 2003 WGC-American Express Championship and paved the way for a season of dominance.
Woods went on to win a further five titles, including the U.S. Masters and British Open, and ended his campaign with player of the year honors and tour earnings of more than $10 million.
Never having finished out of the top 10 in eight attempts at Torrey Pines, Woods clearly has a strong affection for the Buick.
"It's a great tournament and it gets lots of local support," he said during last year's event.
"In general, this tournament has always provided a really strong field, with the guys wanting to get off to an early start in the year."
This year is no exception.
Apart from Woods, two other members of the world's top six are set to tee off in Thursday's opening round -- fourth-ranked Phil Mickelson and number six Sergio Garcia.
WOODS LINK
Mickelson, a San Diego native, has another link with Woods this week in that both are bidding to become the first player to win the Buick Invitational four times.
Left-hander Mickelson, making his second successive appearance of the season after tying for fifth at the Bob Hope Classic on Sunday, was champion at Torrey Pines in 1993, 2000 and 2001.
"This is a tournament that means a lot to me because, growing up from here, I was on the outside of the ropes looking in and dreamed of being a Tour player," Mickelson said last week.
"Whenever I play here, I always feel as though I am a 16-year-old kid looking from the outside in, wanting to be doing what I am.
"It gives me a great feeling that I'm realizing those dreams of playing the Tour."
Most eyes this week, however, will be on Woods as he aims to strengthen his grip on the game.
Fresh from a month-long break with his family, the 10-times major winner is about to embark on his 10th full season on the PGA Tour since turning professional in August 1996.
Already the winner of 46 Tour titles and career earnings of $55,770,760, there is still a great deal more he wants to achieve.
"I never thought I'd win 10 major championships in my 20s because that's never happened before," he said shortly before his 30th birthday on December 30 last year.
"Hopefully, my best years are still ahead of me.
"But I have a lot of work ahead of me, and a lot of things I need to do to make myself peak at the right times and get all the things coming together.
"Winning major championships is what I want to do for the rest of my career."

Harrington and Jiménez spearhead challenge for Maybank Malaysian Open

Ryder Cup players Padraig Harrington and Miguel Angel Jiménez will lead a powerful European challenge when the Maybank Malaysian Open gets underway on February 16.
Irishman Harrington heads for the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club for his first European Tour event in 2006 having won twice on the US PGA Tour last year.
Spain's Jiménez, meanwhile, will be looking to add to his 14 European Tour victories, a record that includes three wins in Asia.
Spearheading the Asian field will be two-time Malaysian Open defending champion Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand and China's best-known player, Zhang Lian Wei.
"The depth of the field in recent years just goes to show how far this tournament has come and how much players like Harrington and Thongchai like to play here," said Dato' Thomas Lee, president of the Malaysian Golf Association.
"This year's Maybank Malaysian Open is building up to be a feast of top-quality golf and intense competition."
The Maybank Malaysian Open has been a major fixture on The European Tour and the Asian Tour since 1999, when it became the first national Open to be granted co-sanctioned status.
Past champions include World Number Two and three-time Major winner Vijay Singh of Fiji and US-based Indian star Arjun Atwal.
"We're very excited to be involved in a competition of this calibre," said Agil Natt, deputy president of Maybank. "Hopefully, Maybank will one day help Malaysia produce a golf champion of an international standard."
Harrington, 34, will tee-off as favourite after his two US PGA Tour successes in 2005. His first was in March at the Honda Classic in Palm Beach, Florida, when he came from seven strokes off the lead after three rounds to beat Singh and Joe Ogilvie in a play-off.
If that victory was dramatic, his next, at the Barclays Classic in Harrison, New York, was astonishing. Three strokes behind with five holes to play, he sank a 65-foot eagle putt on the final hole to beat Jim Furyk by one shot.
Jiménez, 42, will be hoping for third time lucky in the Maybank Malaysian Open after tying for sixth in each of the past two years.
Thongchai, one of Asia's best-ever players, has a habit of making history. In 2004, he became the first Thai to win a European Tour event when he captured the Malaysian Open - a feat so significant the Thai government presented him with a diplomatic passport.
Then in February last year, he repeated the victory, making him the first Asian ever to retain a European Tour title. Next month, he will be going for a hat-trick.
While many eyes will be on these four stars, a talent-packed field will offer a stern challenge with Malaysia's Danny Chia keen to make an impact in his home tournament.
The Malaysian Open, which carries a prize fund of $1.25 million, will mark a new era for the tournament with Maybank signing on as title sponsor in an agreement that lasts through 2010.
It will also be the first time the tournament has been held at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club. The club boasts two par 72 championship golf courses, the East Course and the West Course, both designed by Canadian Neil Haworth from Nelson Haworth, the company that also designed the Bali Golf and Country Club in Nusa Dua, Bali and the Shan-Shui Golf and Country Club in Tawau, Sabah.

Should the PGA Tour use a uniform ball?

At the Sony Open two weeks ago, Bubba Watson wowed the galleries with his mammoth tee shots, knocking one drive an incredible 398 yards. So what does that mean for the little guys like, say, Fred Funk, who was paired with Watson in the third round and found himself 140 yards farther back of the rookie before his second shot?
There have long been rumors that the USGA -- or, more precisely, the PGA Tour -- might someday call for players to use a uniform ball that conforms to certain standards and won't fly as far as current models. Should this ever happen? ESPN.com's Bob Harig and Golf World's Ron Sirak debate in this week's version of Alternate Shot.
Should the PGA Tour limit players' length by requiring conforming golf balls?
YESThere already have been numerous drives recorded at more than 400 yards this year on the PGA Tour. Players routinely take the entire golf course away with the driver, leaving short irons to play holes meant for much more.
At some point, something has to give. Golf courses cannot contain players who continue to hit the ball farther. And it is a lot easier to fix the golf ball. The average guy wants to play the same equipment the pros play, and there is a romance about the fact that Joe Schmoe can use the same equipment as Tiger Woods.
Most of that is myth. Tiger and all the other pros have clubs and balls specifically suited to their games. We might use the same brand, but we are not using the same stuff. Not really. So what's the big deal if the manufacturers dial back their golf balls 10 percent just for use on the PGA Tour? They could still have the same spin characteristics, the same aspects the players like for putting and chipping and playing in the wind. They just wouldn't go as far.
Instead of a drive going 350 yards, it would go only 315. That's still plenty far. The longest players still would have the advantage. But it would not force golf course architects to stretch venues farther than they already are stretched.
And it might require some players to become adept at other parts of the game.
The long ball is great, and it will continue to be. But there comes a point when it is detrimental to the overall game. Jack Nicklaus has been preaching the need for a reduced-distance golf ball for years. So has Arnold Palmer. If it's good enough for them ...
NOThings seem to be working quite well exactly where they are. One of the most exciting television moments in golf last year was the aerial shot of Tiger Woods' golf ball as he drove the green on the par-4 16th hole at Doral in the Ford Championship.
And that came only a couple of hours after Phil Mickelson drove it 311 yards on No. 8 -- and Woods hit it 41 yards past him. Now that's entertainment.
Among the great things about golf are those risk-reward moments when a player must decide whether to gamble or play it safe. The game is now full of those kinds of decisions. The golf ball clearly goes longer now, but there are ways to defend against it. As we see at the British Open every year, putting a premium on accuracy puts more decision making into the game. Do I hit driver or a 2-iron off the tee on this par-4? Do I go for this par-5 in two or lay up?
The point of the game is still to get the ball into the hole in the fewest strokes. That rarely occurs with a tee shot alone. And remember, not only does the ball go farther now but misses are wilder. That brings into play the most exciting shot in golf -- the recovery shot.
Think about it: The truly memorable shots Woods has hit in his career are mostly recovery shots. Some would argue that the distance the ball goes now has made the game a one-dimensional power game. It has done the exact opposite.
Added length means added decision making. For the fan, that means more fun as a spectator, and for the recreational golfer, it means more fun on the golf course. Let's just leave things alone.

Top names in golf and entertainment to appear at the 2006 PGA Merchandise Show

Greg Norman, Jim Furyk and Annika Sorenstam are just some of the celebrities making special appearances this year.
Top names in the world of professional golf, golf instruction and entertainment will be on-hand to meet the more than 40,000 golf industry professionals and some 1,200 exhibitors who will gather for the world's largest and most influential golf exhibition and convention, the 53rd PGA Merchandise Show ... & Convention, Jan. 26-29, 2006, in Orlando, Fla.Greg Norman, Jim Furyk, Annika Sorenstam and Paula Creamer are among the professional golfers scheduled to appear on behalf of exhibitors. Meanwhile, a trio of golf's most renowned teachers -- Rick Martino, Butch Harmon and Dave Pelz -- will present several highly coveted "teach-the-teacher" clinics on the Show floor.Additionally, a variety of industry experts in the fields of merchandising, retailing, player development, golf event management, golf travel and business management will present programs within the education conference and in learning labs on the Show floor. And, bringing a rock 'n roll edge to this year's event, The Black Crowes will perform a Friday night concert sponsored by IzodG."Celebrity participation at the PGA Merchandise Show ... & Convention adds yet another level of excitement to the already energized atmosphere of product introductions, company launches, demo events, hands-on learning labs, business networking and live TV," said PGA Golf Exhibitions Vice President and Show Manager Ed Several. "It becomes just one more compelling reason to come experience all the golf industry has to offer in one setting, as we launch the new business year for golf."Special guests at the PGA Merchandise Show ... & Convention include: Greg Norman for GPS Industries, MacGregor Golf and the Greg Norman Collection; Jim Furyk for Srixon; Annika Sorenstam for Cutter & Buck; Paula Creamer for adidas Golf; Mark McCumber for Gaim Golf; Erica Blasburg for Puma Golf; Chi Chi Rodriguez for The Golf Network; Rick Martino, Butch Harmon and Dave Pelz presenting "Teach-the-Teacher" Clinics; The Black Crowes in concert for IzodG; Tom Pasha, Phil Immordino and Lisa Smith presenting in the Golf Event Magazine Tournament & Outings Pavilion; and PGA Merchandisers of the Year Ron Dunham, John Buczek, and Fabian McIntyre presenting in the Dream Golf Shop. (Full details for schedule of events and appearances are available on the media information page at http://www.pgamerchandiseshow.com/.)The PGA Merchandise Show ... & Convention, Jan. 26-29, 2006, in Orlando, Fla., is the world's most influential gathering of PGA Professionals, retailers, golf manufacturers and industry leaders. Attendees travel from more than 70 countries to test the latest products, find the hottest trends, learn cutting-edge business techniques and grow participation in the game. More than 1,200 golf-related manufacturers showcase their newest products and services within more than 500,000 net square feet of exhibit space in the Orange County Convention Center.GolfWeek's Golfest, a consumer demo weekend, kicks off Show week, Jan. 21-22, 2006. Demo Day, Jan. 25, 2006, marks the official opening of the Show for thousands of PGA Professionals, key retailers and media, as they test the products of some 80 participating manufacturers at the 42-acre practice facility of the Orange County National Golf Center and Lodge in Winter Garden, Fla.The PGA Merchandise Show, organized in partnership with The PGA of America, is one of four leading golf trade shows in PGA Worldwide Golf Exhibitions' golf portfolio, including the PGA Fall Expo in Las Vegas; the Ontario PGA Golf Merchandise Show in Toronto, Canada; and the PGA Merchandise Show of Australia in Queensland.Celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2006, The PGA of America was founded in 1916, and is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the game of golf, while continuing to enhance the standards of the profession. The Association is comprised of more than 28,000 men and women PGA Professionals who are dedicated to growing participation in the game of golf.