Woods returns to tour action to head strong Buick field
Tiger Woods will be playing his first PGA Tour event in the United States for eight weeks when he tees off in the opening round of the Buick Open on Thursday.
The world number one has not competed in a regular tournament on American soil since his U.S. Open triumph at Bethpage Black in mid-June and he will use the Buick as a final warm-up for next week's U.S. PGA championship at Hazeltine.
Woods, 26, will be making his fourth appearance in the Buick Open at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club, having tied for eighth in 1997, shared fourth in 1998 and tied for 11th in 2000.
"Warwick Hills is always in excellent condition and I have really enjoyed playing the Buick Open over the years," said the reigning U.S. Masters and U.S. Open champion.
"I look forward to returning to Grand Blanc where the spectators have been very supportive."
Woods very rarely plays the week before a major championship and he did not compete at all in between the U.S. Open and last month's British Open after flu-like symptoms forced his withdrawal from the Western Open in early July.
His hopes of a calendar-year grand slam were then scattered in the howling wind and driving rain of the British Open's third round at Muirfield, where the world number one ballooned to a 10-over-par 81 -- his worst-ever score as a professional.
CAREER LOW
To his credit, he bounced back from that career low to fire a final-round 65 in benign conditions on the last day but he will still want to fine-tune his game at Warwick Hills this week with the final major of the year fast approaching.
The $3.3 million Buick Open event has attracted a strong field, which includes world number two Phil Mickelson and fourth-ranked Retief Goosen of South Africa.
David Toms, world-ranked six, is also playing this week and the defending U.S. PGA champion will be bidding to win his first title of the year, even though his consistent play in 2002 has lifted him into fifth spot on the U.S. money list.
But Toms does not enjoy the best of track records at Warwick Hills, sharing 35th place last year and posting just one top-10 finish in the Buick in five starts.
Other players taking part this week include defending champion Kenny Perry, 1998 winner Billy Mayfair and 1993 U.S. PGA champion Paul Azinger, who makes his first start since he withdrew from the British Open with a back injury.
A notable absentee is Steve Jones, the 1996 U.S. Open winner, who is to undergo laser surgery in Cleveland, Ohio next week to correct an irregular heartbeat.
The 43-year-old, who has been taking medication for the condition, is expected to be sidelined for at least a month.
