Tiger focused for hat-trick

There are times when even the world's number one is thankful for a Tuesday morning, when Nike balls can splash into the pond to the right of a finishing hole and all he has to do is turn to his caddie Steve Williams, hold up a hand to catch another one, and try all over again.

The 18th hole here at the Atlantic Athletic Club is a monster, a 490-yard par four with water in play off the drive and again on the approach. Yesterday, Tiger Woods stood on the tee-box then whipped his body like a spring-coil and unleashed a huge drive down the sodden fairway. But he still needed a three-iron second shot to the green: the first effort plonked into the water, and so did the second. Third time round, he got it right. That's what practice days are all about.

Woods has owned the USPGA title for the past two years, and his desire to make it a hat-trick of wins remains as strong as ever.

"The day I am not nervous when I tee-off is the day I quit, because that would be the day I didn't care any more. I take great pride in what I do and obviously I'm going to be a little apprehensive, a little nervous and have a few butterflies . . . but that's good because it heightens your awareness, heightens you concentration," he says.

His build-up to this final major of the season has been a little untypical, in that Woods hasn't played a competitive round since the British Open at Royal Lytham. The month spent away from the course, however, has not been without its moments. On a fishing trip to Alaska with Mark O'Meara, the two were apparently chased by a mountain bear (they escaped!). Then, on Monday, Woods was accidentally hit in the face by an over-zealous autograph hunter - an incident that succeeded in scaring the player even more than the close brush with the bear.

Woods's time off, however, hasn't been entirely about escaping to the wilderness. Admitting that his game hasn't been as consistent this summer when compared to 12 months ago - "I have played better this year in spurts, but I haven't played as well for an entire tournament," he explained - the player has worked on facets that have brought him here determined to claim his second major of the year.

"Every time I have practised, there has been some type of purpose. Sometimes I'm there five minutes and I have accomplished what I want, other times it could take me 14 hours. But, whenever I practice, it has always been my thing to go out there and fix whatever I need to fix," explained Woods, in the sort of ominous tone that indicated a man who has solved whatever glitches were in his game.