Tiger’s back with a point to prove

STUNG at his relegation to third in the world rankings, Tiger Woods emerges from his winter hibernation in this week’s Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego.

Tiger’s return is perfectly timed as the $5.8m (€4.2m) event is over one of his happiest hunting grounds, the North and South courses at Torrey Pines. It was here he captured the US Open in 2008 in a play-off against Rocco Mediate, despite a troublesome knee injury that subsequently necessitated major surgery. Woods has won the Torrey Pines event six times and is a short priced favourite to start the new campaign with a morale boosting victory.

If Woods is hurting after his world ranking slip, Phil Mickelson must be in a similar mood having fallen back to sixth after residing in second in September. Mickelson, who won the Torrey Pines tournament in 2000 and ‘01 and lives nearby in Rancho Fe, also seeks a good week having had to settle for a share of 37th in Abu Dhabi at the weekend.