Tiger Woods became the first player in 52 years to win six straight PGA Tour events when he won the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am on Monday, and he looks to further close in on Byron Nelson's "unbreakable" record of 11 straight victories this week in the comfortable surroundings of Torrey Pines. Torrey Pines, which plays host to the Buick Invitational, was the site at which Woods won a Junior World Title when he was 15.
Woods has also fared well in his two previous Buick Invitationals with a win last year and a tie for third in 1998. "That golf course is obviously one of my favourites," said Woods, who re-claimed the top spot on the money list. "I've always played well at Torrey Pines. I've had some pretty good memories about Torrey Pines, and I'm actually pretty excited about playing down there. "When you are defending a championship it is completely different than playing well and winning six times in a row, it's a different feeling. You are the owner of that title and the field has to knock you out of there.
"There is a sense of pride in the fact that you have won that tournament the year before and you don't want to let it go." In last year's event Woods overtook Ted Tryba in the third round after shooting a course-record 10-under 62. The former Stanford star would finish with a final-round 65 to tie the tournament record (266) and edge Billy Ray Brown by two strokes.
Bray's Keith Nolan will open his challenge on the North Course at Torrey Pines in the company of England's Paul Curry and young American Jason Carson.
Meanwhile, Greg Norman believes Woods's phenomenal success is entirely down to his state of mind, rather than a huge playing advantage.
"I think right now what you're seeing is a huge confidence mode that he's playing under," said Norman in Melbourne today.
"I wouldn't put Tiger that far ahead of everybody else playability-wise, I'd put him that far ahead confidence-wise.
"Don't get me wrong, he's one of the top players physically. Mentally he's that far ahead of everybody else because he's on this roll."
Norman saw a parallel with Jack Nicklaus's dominance in his lengthy heyday - but a significant difference in the scoring.
"I remember talking to Jack about it many years ago and he said, `All I want to do is put my name on the leader-board come Sunday and I was going to win because guys would back off'.
"He said, `I would shoot 68 and 69 and guys would shoot 73 and 74 and I'd win'.
"Tiger's in the same position right now but he's shooting 64s and 63s to do it."
Norman is some way from that sort of confidence level as he prepares to challenge for a seventh Australian Masters title at Huntingdale today against Sergio Garcia.
Local bookmakers have made Garcia favourite to win.
