Charity begins at home, warns in-form Woods

TIGER WOODS embraces charity and as such this week’s Target World Challenge will benefit his own foundation, but there will be no pre-Christmas hand-outs from the newly-crowned PGA Tour Player of the Year when he goes into battle against an elite field at the Sherwood Country Club.

The world number one is red-hot favourite to succeed Pádraig Harrington as winner of this invitational event and scoop the £750,000 jackpot which goes to the champion.

Since returning to the tour in mid-February, Woods has won five titles and earned £4million in prize-money. Even though he has failed to win a Major for the first time since 1998, Woods' year has been remarkable.

And there is no sign of Woods letting up, or showing any indication of winding down for the festive season.

Far from it in fact, because the Woods desire shows no indication of abating.

"It's the same desire. The desire is just to win. The goal, that's to win," said Woods.

"That's what gives me a tremendous amount of satisfaction in the game of golf is getting out there and winning because you know that there's no-one else that week that beat you, and that to me is a lot of fun knowing that you beat everyone out there on that field and they gave it their best.

"The goal has not changed, the desire is the same."

Woods is tournament host this weekend, and competing for the top prize are a number of the world's finest players, including Singh, Masters champion Mike Weir, PGA Championship winner Shaun Micheel and Ben Curtis the most astonishing of all Major winners in this or any year.

Curtis won The Open at Royal St George's despite being ranked 396th in the world immediately prior to the tournament.

Woods looks at Micheel, Curtis, Weir and US Open winner Jim Furyk and barely raises any concern that these players have won the big prizes.

Asked whether he would rather have had his or Weir's year, and Woods unequivocally responds: "Mine."