No looking back as Woods focuses on new challenges

The great ones don't look back, and so it was with Tiger Woods. It's not often that he comes up short when in contention in a major, but he did on Sunday and, yet, rather than reflecting too heavily on what might have been, the world's number one cast his eyes ahead to his next two main challenges.

"I have two big tournaments coming up, two World Golf Championships, and they're ones that I want to win, and that's my focus now," said Woods.

The first engagement he referred to is this week's NEC Invitational in Seattle, the second is the American Express world championship in Mount Juliet.

Woods, who has won the NEC for the past three years, when it was played at Akron, will be seeking to join a rare club as a four-time consecutive winner of a tournament. Although he didn't win the US PGA, and obviously failed to add the title to the US Masters and US Open championships he claimed earlier this season, Woods still enjoyed one of the most successful major years in history.

Only two players - Woods himself in 2000, and Ben Hogan in 1953 - have managed to win three professional majors in the same year and, while Woods failed to become the first player to do so twice, he claimed to be frustrated rather than disappointed.

"Any time you can win one major in a year, it's going to be a successful year in the major championships and I've had two. I gave it everything I had and that's the way I play each and every time I tee it up. But I'm also going to learn from those mistakes coming in (back-to-back bogeys at the 13th and 14th) and I'm also going to learn from the way I approached those last four holes, as well," said Woods, who finished with four successive birdies to finish one shot behind winner Rich Beem.

Woods, who has completed a record 157 consecutive weeks at number one in the world rankings, and who now has been at the top for a total of 227 weeks, also confirmed that his relationship with coach Butch Harmon has changed.

"Every player, as you get a little bit better and you understand your own mechanics, and you understand your own game, you don't rely on a teacher quite as often. That's what has transpired with me. I still need Butch, yes, but not as much as I used to because I have got a better understanding of my own game and of the faults I have and how to fix them. Ball flight never lies. I know what the cure is for a lot of my faults I have while I'm playing, and that's the whole idea," explained Woods.

While Woods moved on to Seattle with great expectations, Padraig Harrington - who, given his physical injuries, produced an admirable performance at Hazeltine for tied-17th, and only one shot out of a top-10 finish in a major for the fourth time this season - made the same journey to the Pacific coast with far fewer expectations.

Harrington, who received intensive treatment prior to and during his round from sports therapist Dale Richardson, had set a target of a top-10 finish. "That was my goal, and it's a pity I didn't manage it. Considering the injuries, however, I'm delighted with how well I've done."

The neck injury was still causing him discomfort after he completed his final round and will probably restrict his preparations for the NEC this week. "Hopefully I'll be able to do some chipping and putting on Wednesday and, maybe, even get in a practice round. But if needs be, I'll just tee it up on Thursday," said Harrington.

Of greater concern to him, however, is the ankle injury, which recurred when he stood on a branch hidden in rough at the Dutch Open three weeks ago, and which was heavily strapped throughout the US PGA.

"I'm more worried about my ankle than my neck, because it will take longer to heal. There has been a definite improvement in my neck injury and it is nowhere near as bad as the last time it happened two years ago."

His expectations for this week are not great, however. "I am pencilled in to play in Germany next week and, in terms of being competitive, I have a better chance of playing well there. Hopefully this neck injury will be gone by Thursday but I will probably spend the rest of the week trying to get my swing back into sync."

Harrington is one of four Irish players competing in the NEC Invitational, which is the second leg of the four-part world golf championship series. Scandinavian Masters winner Graeme McDowell joins Harrington, Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley in the field for the $4 million tournament which has no cut.