Tiger on the prowl in Asia

The American has already won six times in 2002, including the US Masters in April and the US Open, amassing nearly seven million dollars in the process, en route to consolidating his position firmly atop the world rankings.

His third consecutive victory at bay hill made him the first player to win three different tour events – the memorial (1999-2001) and the world golf championship NEC Invitational (1999-2001) – three straight times. When the USPGA season ended at the tour championship earlier this month, Woods had secured his fourth consecutive money title and his fourth consecutive scoring title.

However, his bid for an unprecedented calendar Grand Slam – winning all four major titles in one year – ended in rare embarassment when he ballooned to an 81 in the third round of the British open at windswept muirfield.

However, he rebounded to finish second to countryman Richbeem in the USPGA and then produced a breathtaking performance in Kilkenny (Ireland), to run away with the world golf championship event there. “Oh, it’s been a great year,” Woods said earlier this month. “One major in a year is a great year, and I’m Lucky enough to get two.”

Woods attributed the decision to make his third competitive appearance in Japan to close friend and rival David duval, who had spoken warmly to him of the 6,856-yard, par-71 Phoenix Country Club layout.

Defending champion Duval, who won the title last year ina play off against Taichi Teshima last year, could be left rueing that decision come Sunday night. Former British Open champion, Duval has endured adifficult season that has seen him to slump to 80th in the US Order of Merit.

Fourth place in the memorial tournament was his best finish of 2002 as he went winless for the first time since 1996. However, Duval has shown signs of returning to form sincethe ryder cup in september and his accuracy off the tee will be crucial in his bid to conquer the tree-lined fairways.

Garcia has shown tremendous consistency this year with top-10 finishes in all four majors, ending the season sixth on the European Order of Merit and 12th on the US Tour with one victory on each circuit. The Asian challenge will be lead by KJ Choi who became the first Korean to win on the USPGA Tour earlier this year at the Compaq Classic and followed up with his second at the Tampa Bay Classic.

However, a nagging shoulder injury has sidelined Japanese star Shigeki Maruyama, 33, from the lucrative event. Maruyama won the Byron Nelson Classic in may for hissecond career victory on the US PGA Tour and finished 16th on its money list this season, the best ever by a Japanese player.

The Dunlop Phoenix tournament includes Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman and Seve Ballesteros on its roster of former winners.