Golf: Woods pines for elusive win

Tiger Woods. Photo / Getty Images

Having slipped to No 3 in the world rankings, Tiger Woods returns to a happy hunting ground this week as he tries to break his long golfing drought.

Woods will make his 2011 PGA Tour debut at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, a venue he has dominated throughout his career.

With German Martin Kaymer moving to No 2 in the rankings behind Lee Westwood after his win in Abu Dhabi last week, Woods declared on Twitter it was "game time" as he prepared for an event he has won in his last four attempts.

Without a win since the Australian Masters in November 2009, the 14-time major winner said he would "answer a few questions" before the event began as he tried to move on from the worst season of his career.

Stuart Appleby and Robert Allenby head a 12-strong Australian contingent aiming to stop Woods, who won at the course in 1999 and from 2005-2008.

Woods also won the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines and has never finished outside the top 10 at the venue.

"He has the number on this course, but his form has been a little scratchy of late so if there was a time when the door was open for the rest of us, I guess it's now," Appleby said.

"In saying that he has such a love affair with this place it could be the tonic to turn his game back on.

"I played with him here in 2006 and shot 66 to his 71 on the opening day, but by the end of the week he had run me and everyone else down and won the tournament."

Appleby is excited by the firmness of the south course at Torrey, the longest on the PGA Tour at 6920 metres.

Players must negotiate the north course once and the south course three times to win the title.

"Normally it's one of the softest places to play and nothing like this," the 39-year-old Victorian said.

"I'd love to see the course stay like this all week.

"It's not all carry like it has been before and it is faster and firmer than it was at the US Open, especially around the greens," Appleby said. "There is a chance for everybody here."

Australians have fared reasonably well at the picturesque southern Californian course in recent times, with Michael Sim and Marc Leishman finishing in a tie for second 12 months ago and Matt Jones coming fifth in 2009.

- AAP