General / Editor / 10 May 2007 /

Overcast conditions and a testing early morning breeze greeted the world's best players as the early starters got their TPC Championship challenges underway at Sawgrass.

High winds, forecast to gust to 20mph during the day, and rain are also expected on the first day's play of the season's unofficial 'fifth major'.

Tiger Woods, who will tee off relatively early on Thursday, is bidding to improve on a mediocre record at Sawgrass by his own great standards.

The world number one has won just once in ten appearances at the Florida event, with only one runner-up finish, and remains the man to beat.

But Woods insists the tournament is wide open as Sawgrass does not favour long hitters.
"Anyone can win here," said Woods, who has won two of his past three starts.
"The beauty of this course is that we're all playing (second shots) from about the same spot.
"There really is no advantage to taking out a driver and bombing it down there, because of the trouble obviously, but also how everything pitches in."

The TPC has been moved to May, after previously being played in March, to improve the chances of fine weather because the tournament has been plagued by rain in recent years.

The tees, fairways and greens were rebuilt with new sand and a modern drainage system to encourage firm and fast conditions, while offline shots are more likely to roll into difficult spots among or behind 200 newly planted trees.

Trinidad-born Stephen Ames won last year's event which has previously thrown up surprise names, such as unheralded Craig Perks - the winner in 2002.

Woods is the 4.5 favourite in Betfair's Tournament Winner's market, ahead of great rival Phil Mickelson (11.5) and Vijay Singh (19).

Ames, with two Top 10 finishes in 2007, is 160 to repeat his Sawgrass victory of last year, while Perks is currently available at 260.

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