Defiant Tiger Woods aiming to claw his way back to the top

Like most touring professionals, the world number 195 has an ambition to scale the heights in career terms and reach the pinnacle of his sport.

Unlike all but a handful, this world number 195 has already been there for quite some time, won 14 major championships in the process and would quite like to regain what he believes is his rightful position in a game which has heralded him as its greatest exponent.

We are talking about Tiger Woods by the way and in a season that began with a new swing coach in Chris Como that has seen him rebuild his game for the fifth time since turning pro there have been some new lows in a once glittering career. Some exceptionally bad play, a terrible short game, a back injury that forced him to lie low for two months and a worst ever professional round of 85 at the Memorial in his last appearance two weeks ago may point to a game in inexorable decline, but six months short of his 40th birthday, Woods is still convinced he has what it takes to reclaim his dominance.