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Golf

Tiger shakes it up to gear up for major

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-07-31 11:05

Tiger Woods hits the ball out of the sand at the 15th green during the first round of the Buick Open PGA golf tournament at Warwick Hills in Grand Blanc, Michigan July 30, 2009. [Agencies]

GRAND BLANC, Mich: Tiger Woods will try something he has never done before and play in back-to-back events ahead of the PGA Championship as he prepares for his last chance to win a major title this year.

Returning to work for the first time since missing the cut at the British Open, Woods tees up at the Buick Open on Thursday in what will be the first of three consecutive events for the world No 1.

Woods is also scheduled to play the World Golf Championship event next week in Akron followed by the PGA Championship at Hazeltine to complete a rare run of three consecutive starts.

"It's something I don't think I've ever done is played two events prior to the PGA," Woods told reporters after finishing his pro-am at the Buick Open on Wednesday. "I usually have played one event and usually it's this event when it's the week prior to the PGA.

"But we're going to have a busy stretch and I think that's the way it's kind of turned out with the World Golf Championships, the majors, and then the playoff events."

If Woods is looking for a little confidence boost after a disappointing British Open, where he missed the cut in a major championship for only the second time as a professional, he could not have chosen two better events to provide a lift.

The Buick and the World Golf event in Akron both feature near or at the top of Woods' list of favorite venues.

Woods has never finished worse than 11th in eight starts at Warwick Hills and has twice driven away with the Buick title.

Next week's stop at the Firestone Golf and Country Club has also been a happy hunting ground for the 33-year-old American who has claimed the World Golf title there six times.

"I always enjoyed being here (Warwick Hills)," said Woods, who will be playing three consecutive events for the first time since returning from reconstructive knee surgery earlier this year. "The people here are absolutely fantastic.

"It's a small, kind of intimate atmosphere. That's one of the main reasons I like playing here and this year we're going to have to go low but I think everyone knows that."