More than a few eyebrows were raised by Colin Montgomerie among experienced scribes here yesterday. "After Tiger shot 69 in the first round last week, we knew the tournament was finished," said the Scot with stunning candour. It came across as a remarkable admission of defeat on the eve of the $6 million Players' Championship here on the Stadium Course.

But in Montgomerie's view, that's the way the majority of the field of 144 will be thinking this weekend, should Woods make a similar move in pursuit of what has become known as the game's fifth major. And it takes on further relevance given the presence of 49 of the world's leading 50 players.

Surprised that his audience were surprised, the Scot explained: "On a windy day Tiger was in third position, one behind. I think the view in the locker-room, without saying it out loud, was who was going to finish second." And did Montgomerie think that? "Yeah," came the reply.

It is a measure of the extent to which the world number one is bearing down on his would-be challengers after his latest triumph in the Bay Hill Invitational. And Montgomerie believes they should be honest enough to admit it.

Was it not defeatist of him to make such a public admission? "What do you expect me to say?" Other people wouldn't be so frank. "Well, a lot of people are kidding you, aren't they?" He added: "I mean the guy is very, very good. That's all I'm saying really. I never said I wasn't (very good)."

The fact that Woods hasn't broken 70 in three challenges in the Players' Championship doesn't really change anything, as far as Montgomerie is concerned. "He hadn't done so at Bay Hill either," he said. "But he did this year." In fact he shot a 64 in the third round on Saturday.

All of this is a reflection of how tournament players, especially highly-enlightened ones like Montgomerie, separate match-play performances from stroke-play. Otherwise it would be easy to dismiss suggestions of Woods's invincibility by pointing to Darren Clarke's splendid win over him in the final of the Andersen Consulting Matchplay at La Costa last month.

For his part, Clarke has put in considerable work here over the last three days since rounds of 72, 68, 72 and 75 earned him $10,800 for a share of 42nd place with Sergio Garcia among others, at Bay Hill. "My attitude is now very different every time I play over here," he said. "I really relish the challenge."

Meanwhile, local experts were taking issue with the current trend among tournament officials of seriously toughening courses which have produced record low scoring. As former Players' champion turned architect, Mark McCumber, put it: "Every time they have an Olympics, most of the swimming records get broken. But do they go to the next Olympics and put currents in the pool?"

In that context, it is interesting to note that the scores of the winners of last year's US Masters, US Open and British Open were a combined three under par, the highest since 1959. And when Woods won the USPGA Championship at Medinah on 11 under par, he had the benefit of rain-softened fairways and greens.

Montgomerie agreed with this assessment. "It was a very penal series," he said. "I have never putted on greens quicker than Augusta; I have never putted off greens as quickly as at Pinehurst; I never played a course as tough as Carnoustie and I never putted on greens as bad as Medinah."

In this land of sporting statistics for just about everything, McCumber had no difficulty in supporting his argument. For instance, the winning score on more than half of the 1999 events on the USPGA Tour was higher than the previous year. And on 10 occasions the winning score increased by as many as six or seven strokes.

So, it can be taken that an elite field will be severely tested here over the next four days. Though the rough has been trimmed down to four inches from the eight or nine inches of last year, it is very much thicker, due to the introduction of sprinklers.

Then there are the finishing holes, where water seems to beckon at every turn. As defending champion David Duval admitted: "The rough doesn't come into play for the guys who win or finish second, simply because they are playing well. But I knew what was going on last year on the 17th tee - and there wasn't a lot of wind blowing."

Duval, who will be attempting to become the first player to retain the title, added: "I also knew what was going on for my third shot into 16. And I felt the same thing standing on the 18th tee. Off the top of my head, I can't think of another golf course that presents a greater challenge with water, certainly over the finishing holes."

But the rewards are formidable. The first prize of $1.08 million will be higher than for any of the major championships this season. And traditionally, the champion here has gone on to success in the majors, sometimes as a multiple winner.

Apart from the course, however, there is the forbidding shadow cast by Woods. As if trophies and cash weren't enough, players have to contemplate his stroke average of 68.43 for the season so far; the fact that he has earned money in each of his last 45 events on tour; his ability to produce an average of one eagle in every 60 holes, and his victories in the Mercedes Championship, Pebble Beach Pro-Am and at Bay Hill already this season.

Montgomerie might have a point after all.