Tiger Woods targets a perfect season after Match Play romp

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

MARANA, Arizona (Reuters) - Tiger Woods sounded an ominous warning to his rivals with talk of a perfect season after cruising to a sixth consecutive tournament victory at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship on Sunday.

The game's leading player said he had never sustained better form and plans to win every event he competes in for the rest of this year.

Although the vagaries of golf make Woods's target an unlikely one, his dominance in one of the strongest fields of the season has got the attention of his peers.

"This is certainly the best stretch I have ever played, but it's a work in progress," Woods told reporters after hammering fellow American Stewart Cink by a record 8&7 in Sunday's 36-hole final.

"I have a better understanding of how to play the game, how to fix my game, and have a lot more shots than I've ever had.

"I'm going to have to work on a few things but I'm very pleased at the progress that I made this week.

"The ability to adapt and figure things out on the fly is something I'm very proud of."

Asked whether he believed he could win every tournament he enters, the 13-times major champion replied: "That's my intent.

"That's why you play. If you don't believe you can't win an event, don't show up."

World number one Woods has long believed he is playing better golf than he did during his golden run from late 1999 when he triumphed seven times in 11 major starts.

Cink, who has known Woods since their college days, agrees.

PLAYING BETTER

"He's playing better now than he was then," Cink said. "You just don't see very much sloppiness out there, although I know we didn't back then either.

"It's just hard to say that right now is not as good as that was. I think it's at least as good."

Cink believes Woods's renowned on-course composure is at an all-time high.