Golf: Woods targets Japan's richest event

MIYAZAKI, Japan - Tiger Woods returns to Japan this week to defend his Dunlop Phoenix golf title.

The American world No 1 faces a challenging field of local and international players when the event tees off on Thursday.

Fresh from a second place finish at the Champions Tournament in Shanghai on Sunday, Woods arrives in top form and this year's US Masters and British Open champion will be confident of repeating his eight-shot triumph at this event 12 months ago.

New Zealand's US Open champion Michael Campbell is among the strong international contingent hoping to depose Woods, along with American Jim Furyk, Scotland's Colin Montgomerie and Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, a two-time Dunlop Phoenix winner.

Played on the par-70 Phoenix Country Club on the southern island of Kyushu, the tournament is the Japan Tour's richest with 200 million yen ($2.51 million) in prize money, helping it draw the strongest international field of the season.

The leading Japanese players competing in the 90-man field include Shingo Katayama, Keiichiro Fukabori and 2002 winner Kaname Yokoo.

- REUTERS