Money in the bank for Woods

Tiger Woods is returning on Thursday to the scene of former glory when he competes in the Deutsche Bank Open at St Leon Rot, Heidelberg. On its last staging there in 1999, Woods took top prize of £200,000 and before hitting a ball in competition this week, he can be sure of enhancing his coffers by a minimum of $2 million in appearance money.

After finishing in a share of third place behind Robert Damron in the Byron Nelson Classic on Sunday, Woods might be seen to be travelling in the wrong direction, given that his next major assignment is in Tulsa, Oklahoma. But Heidelberg is very much a part of a planned build-up for the US Open.

Texas, Germany and Ohio (the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village) will give Woods the 12 rounds he believes he needs before heading for Southern Hills on June 14th to 17th and the defence of a trophy he won by a record 15 strokes last year. And there was compelling evidence on Sunday of a game in very promising shape.

Woods had long departed the scene when the winning putt fell, but not before he had made a significant contribution to an exciting climax. In the first 12 holes of a closing 63, he carded seven birdies to tie for the lead, but eventually wound up three strokes back.

For the 1999 staging of the Deutsche Bank event, an opening 69 from Woods followed by three successive 68s saw him blitz a quality field to win by three strokes from Retief Goosen. Last year, Lee Westwood joined the elite group of rivals who could describe themselves as Tiger slayers when shooting a stunning, final round of 64 to capture the title and push Woods down into a share of third place.

Meanwhile, Damron acknowledged a debt of gratitude to Arnold Palmer, after Sunday's victory in a play-off with Scott Verplank. The 28-year-old gained his USPGA Tour breakthrough by holing a 15-foot birdie putt on the fourth tie hole.

His development as a tour player owes much to the decision by his parents to move to the Bay Hill development in Orlando, when their son was six years old. This, of course, is home to Palmer who has become a close friend to the family.

In fact it was Palmer who helped the player get into one of his first professional events, through a sponsor's invitation to the 1997 Bob Hope Classic.

"I don't really know what to say to Arnold Palmer," said Damron. "I know he was watching and I know he was happy. I'm sure he'll pat me on the back and we'll go on from there." Then, fingering a reward of $810,000 he added: "I think we should all thank him, because of what he did to make these cheques so big."

Born in a coal-mining area of Kentucky, Damron also acknowledged the influence of his father. "I never worked in the coalfields but my dad told me if I didn't play well, I would have to go back to college, which I really hated," said the player who lives three miles from Tiger Woods's Orlando estate.

"Mr Palmer and my dad will still play every day when they're in town together. It amazes me the way Mr Palmer still enjoys playing golf after all these years. He's still a competitor and still enjoys it."