Tiger Woods is determined to start the New Year with victory at this week's season-opening Mercedes Championships. "It's always important to win early," he told reporters at Kapalua's Plantation Course ahead of Thursday's first round. "It's important to play well because it makes you feel better about the season."
Woods won the event two years ago, after beating Ernie Els in a playoff, and finished in a share of eighth last year, six shots behind winner Jim Furyk. "When I got here (on Tuesday), I was kind of fired up for this tournament. Today, I'm even more fired up. It's good. It's a good feeling to have to know that we've all got to start from scratch and start all over again," said Woods, who made a faltering start to 2001.
The world number one had to wait for six US Tour events last year before winning his first title. After winning the Bay Hill in March, he went on to clinch the US Masters at Augusta to become the first player to hold all four majors at one time. By the end of the year, he had racked up five US Tour wins, secured the money title for a third successive year and topped the scoring averages with an impressive 68.81. "I won a major championship last year. If I can do that the rest of my career, people can write slump all they want," he said.
The field in Hawaii is limited to the last year's US Tour title-winners. It includes the likes of British Open champion David Duval, US Open winner Retief Goosen, US PGA title-holder David Toms, Spaniard Sergio Garcia, Davis Love III, Scott Verplank and Hal Sutton. The par-73 Plantation Course is a 7,263-yard layout that features par-five closing hole of 663 yards.
Filed by Greg McKevitt
