Woods’ sights on world No 1

Tiger Woods is aiming to win his fifth PGA Championship

Tiger Woods can return as world No 1 for the first time in six years if he wins a second consecutive major at the PGA Championship.

The 43-year-old won his first major, and his 15th overall, since 2008 at last month’s Masters and after a four-week absence since his memorable triumph at Augusta has said he is “rested and ready”.

Woods, who last topped the world rankings in March 2013, is one of five players able to leave Bethpage with the No 1 spot, joining incumbent Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose, Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy.

Woods will play the first two rounds with defending champion Brooks Koepka

Both Rose and Koepka can overhaul Johnson win a win of their own, as is the case for world No 4 McIlroy, providing another compelling dynamic to the second major of the season, which was moved from August to May.

The American has not gone back-to-back in a major since following victory at The Open in 2006 with success in the PGA Championship at Medinah – the most recent of his four wins at the event.

Woods will become world No 1 once again if he wins the PGA Championship and if Johnson finishes worse than solo 11th and if Koepka or Rose don’t finish solo second.

Intriguingly, it was Koepka who denied Woods a sensational victory at the PGA Championship last August, after a thrilling final round at Bellerive.

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The Masters marked Woods’ second win in his last seven starts, after he won the season-ending Tour Championship last September for his first PGA Tour victory in five years.

This week’s PGA Championship will be his 20th start in the major and should he lift the Wanamaker Trophy for a fifth time on Sunday, Woods will also celebrate a record-breaking victory.

Woods will tie Sam Snead’s long-standing record for most career PGA Tour titles at 82 and there is a positive omen for him as he won at Bethpage Black in the 2002 US Open, going wire-to-wire.

When asked how best to put himself in contention, he said on Tuesday: “In order to win this one, driving is going to be at the forefront.

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Tiger Woods says he is ‘feeling great’ mentally and physically ahead of this week’s PGA Championship.

Tiger Woods says he is ‘feeling great’ mentally and physically ahead of this week’s PGA Championship.

“With the rough as lush as it is, it has grown up a little bit. I don’t know how much they’re going to cut it down or top it off, but it won’t be much.

“Fairways are plenty wide because it’s wet. It’s just you’ve got to hit it not only straight but you’ve got to hit it far because, as the week goes on and the greens dry out, the majority of the greens are elevated, and so trying to get enough spin, hitting the ball up to elevation with the greens firming up, you have to be in the fairway to do that.”

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