SPRINGFIELD, New Jersey, 10 August 2005 — Tiger Woods can become the first man to capture the Masters, British Open and PGA Championship in the same year by winning the 87th PGA showdown that begins here tomorrow at Baltusrol Golf Club.

Only twice in the past 70 years has a man claimed three major titles. Ben Hogan turned the trick in 1953, failing only at the PGA, and Woods matched him in a stunning 2000 run by winning the PGA plus the US and British Opens.

“I have five more years’ experience,” Woods said comparing then and now. “My game has gotten a lot better, a lot more sound, over the past year. Positive things are starting to come.”

Woods seeks his 11th major crown in the final major tournament before his 30th birthday in December, having missed out on a chance for a Grand Slam sweep by losing the US Open by two strokes in June to New Zealand’s Michael Campbell.

“His best stretch of golf until now was ‘99 and 2000 when he seemed to just lap the field,” said Lee Janzen, who won the 1993 US Open, the most recent of seven US Opens at Baltusrol.

“We’ve been playing catch-up ever since... He’s still the guy to beat, but guys don’t think it’s a given that he’s going to win.” The 7,392-yard, par-70 layout offers a mammoth obstacle for Woods and his rivals in the form of the 650-yard, par-5 17th hole. Dense rough guards the green and bogeys loom for tee shots into the thick grass.

“When you’ve got a par-5 at 650 yards and you’ve got a 25-foot wide target, don’t miss the fairway because you’re going to be struggling,” England’s Ian Poulter warned Monday. World number one Woods begins off the 10th tee tomorrow at 8:25 in the morning alongside Campbell and 50-year-old Australian legend Greg Norman.

Fiji’s Vijay Singh, the defending champion and world number two, beat top-ranked Woods two weeks ago in a US PGA Tour showdown.

He tees off in the opening round at 1:30 in the afternoon alongside Davis Love and John Daly. Daly is the only man to ever reach the 17th in two shots, bouncing through the rough onto the green at the 1993 US Open. But traps, thick grass and wet conditions make such a feat unlikely here this week.

“The rough around the green will be considerably thicker than it was in 1993,” said PGA Head Professional Doug Steffen.

“I don’t think anyone will reach the green in two.” Janzen disagreed, but only in the unlikely event that the course firms up — thunderstorms are in the forecast until the weekend — and winds aid players.

“You have to be able to hit it 360 off the tee to have 270 to the front. That’s a long way,” Janzen said. “That would take a lot right now. The fairways are very soft and the balls are not rolling. A lot would have to change.”

A recent putter switch has Singh confident he can contend to defend his title, matching Woods’ 1999 and 2000 triumphs for the only back-to-back PGA wins and giving himself a hope of defending his PGA Player of the Year award.

“I have a very good chance of winning golf tournaments when I putt well,” Singh said. “I probably have to win another five or six to get Player of the Year. It’s too early to count right now. Tiger is definitely the front-runner.”