Golf: Woods chasing more records

Tiger Woods, fresh from breaking two more records at the weekend, now has another in his sights as the countdown to the Masters continues.

No player has ever made a successful defence of the Players’ Championship - golf’s unofficial fifth major - in its 28-year history.

But Woods, boosted by his first victory of the season at the Bay Hill Invitational on Sunday, has the chance to do that against the strongest field gathered this year.

After needing 15 attempts to break 70 on the demanding TPC course at Sawgrass in Florida, the world number one finished with rounds of 69, 66 and 67 last March to beat Vijay Singh by one and Bernhard Langer by two in a thrilling battle which went into an extra day because of bad weather.

Woods inevitably has the main focus on him again after his latest win, one which made him not only easily the youngest man ever to lift 30 titles on the US Tour, but also the first to win three different tournaments three times in a row.

In three weeks’ time, of course, he will be attempting to defend his Masters crown at Augusta as well and if he can triumph again this weekend who would bet against him there?