LOS ANGELES, 17 February 2005 — Tiger Woods could reclaim the world number one golf ranking from Fiji’s Vijay Singh this week by finishing in the top four at the PGA Nissan Open here.

Woods spent a record 334 weeks atop the rankings, including 264 in a row before being dethroned last September by Singh’s victory at Boston. Singh went on the win nine events last year and set a US PGA tour prize money record.

Singh stands at 11.97 points in the rankings with Woods second at 11.85 and South African Ernie Els third at 10.79. Players earn points over a two-year span with special emphasis on the past three months.

Singh, who is idle this week, could reclaim the top spot from Woods if he is passed with a strong showing in his next event in what could become a season-long duel for PGA supremacy.

Woods has never won at Riviera Country Club, where he played his first pro event as a 16-year-old amateur and where he tees off in round one Thursday.

While Woods might overtake Singh this week, Singh will be the top seed at next week’s World Golf Championships Match-Play event. Woods is seeded second with Els expected to skip the event, allowing Masters champion Phil Mickelson of the United States to claim the third seed.

Harrington Eyes Malaysian

Open Crown

In Kuala Lumpur, Padraig Harrington makes his first appearance of the year at the Malaysian Open today, looking to land the elusive title after several narrow misses.

The Irishman, ranked eighth in the world, has finished runner-up twice in Malaysia previously including a play-off loss to current world number one Vijay Singh of Fiji in 2001 at Saujana Golf and Country Club, this week’s venue.

“I’ve been practicing during winter and did some work. I am very happy with where my swing is at. Obviously, coming into my first event, I am going to be a bit rusty,” said Harrington, who was also tied fourth at Saujana in the 1999 edition and joint second in 2000 at Templer Park.

“I’m on familiar territory on a golf course I have played well on in the past. I like the tournament, I like coming to KL and I’m hoping all these factors will get me over being a little bit rusty and that I will contend this week.”

“I have done well in Asia, won quite a few events out here and on a course like this that I like, I hope I can win out here as well,” said the Dubliner, who has registered wins in Taipei and Hong Kong previously.

The event, jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour, will see some of Europe’s heavyweights back in the fray from winter hibernation.

Miguel Angel Jimenez, who spectacularly won five times last year including twice in Asia, will be looking to ‘switch on’ his best golf again.

“It’s a nice course and I really feel at home. I like the heat. I had a nightmare on the golf course yesterday in the Pro-Am. But today, it was a lot better,” said Jimenez, tied sixth here last year.

“I hit the ball better but I’ll need to practice a bit more. For five weeks I didn’t hit a golf shot. I didn’t watch golf on TV, I just switched off. Now, I’m switching on again,” added the Spaniard.

Thai star Thongchai Jaidee defends the first of his two titles won en route to taking the Asian Tour Order of Merit last season and will play alongside Jimenez in the opening two rounds. Other top Asian Tour stars in the field include Zhang Lian-wei of China and India’s Jyoti Randhawa.

The $1.21 million Malaysian Open is also the penultimate event to count towards the qualifying race for the eight automatic places for the Asian Team in April’s Dynasty Cup clash against Japan at Mission Hills in China.

Top names in this week’s field include Kiwi star Michael Campbell, Irish Ryder Cup hero Paul McGinley, Dane Thomas Bjorn and last week’s Holden New Zealand Open champion Niclas Fasth of Sweden.

Malaysia’s Danny Chia, the former Taiwan Open champion, will lead the local challenge.