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Woods takes centre stage

Author: Rose Young
Date: 24/02/2009

The eyes of the world's media will be focused on Tiger Woods when he returns from an eight-month injury absence at this week's WGC Accenture Match Play Championship.

Woods, who has been out of action since limping his way to a 14th career Major at last summer's US Open, will face little known Australian Brendan Jones in the first round of the event starting on Wednesday at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain.

But while Woods' record in the event is fearsome - he's the defending champion and has won 31 of the 37 matches during his career - it remains to be seen whether he can return from surgery on a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and fractured tibia at anywhere near his best.

With question-marks hanging over Woods' form, the 2009 staging of what has become one of the most eagerly anticipated tournaments of the golfing year is perhaps the most open and competitive it has been for some time, with golf betting experts divided.

Phil Mickelson comes into the event on the back of a win at last week's Northern Trust Open and would appear to be the form horse.

However, the world number three's rather erratic showing at Riviera where he carded rounds of 63, 72, 62 and 72 hardly suggests that he is fully in the groove at this early juncture of the season.

American veteran Steve Stricker and popular Korean KJ Choi pushed Mickelson all the way last week - coming second and third respectively - and are solid outside chances as both are famously gritty competitors.

Kenny Perry arrives in Arizona at the top of the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Points table and the draw appears to have favoured the experienced American.

In round one he faces Matthew Goggin of Australia and on paper at least his first serious test could be Sweden's Robert Karlsson in round three.

On the other side of the draw it is hard to discount Stewart Cink as the US Ryder Cup star always fares well in the man-on-man format of the game and finished second to Woods 12 months ago.

The wily American's chances have been improved by the fact that the 7,800-yard course is at altitude which will not make it a big-hitters' paradise, while the large and undulating greens will make putting - Cink's forte - a determining factor in low scoring.

But for the ultimate dark horse consider South Africa's Rory Sabbatini.

Sabbatini is a feisty customer who doesn't budge an inch in match play and in his last three tournaments he has finished T12 twice and sixth on the other occasion.

Compatriot Ernie Els could also be worth considering as, despite the malaise that has gripped his game during the past 18 months, on his day the three-time Major champion also has an outstanding match play record.

Els won the World Match Play title seven times during its different guises at Wentworth, but has a surprisingly modest record in this WGC version during eight career appearances.

He finished fourth in 2001 but Els has already made clear his intention to improve his current world number 14 spot on the early weeks of the new season.

If his putting Achilles heel can be overcome, the veteran South African could well catch a few now bigger names by surprise.

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