Turnberry could be third time lucky for Tiger

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

TURNBERRY, Scotland (Reuters) - Tiger Woods goes into next week's British Open as heavy favorite to clinch his 15th major crown, despite having failed to convert winning form into success at the first two grand slam events this year.

The American world number one triumphed in his final PGA Tour starts before both the U.S. Masters in April and last month's U.S. Open without going on to secure victory in the two majors that followed.

Asked if that unusual sequence had crossed his mind, Woods replied with a broad grin: "It has now."

He tied for sixth at the Masters after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational and again shared sixth spot at the U.S. Open, having claimed the Memorial title two weeks earlier.

Since then he has played in just one more event, emerging triumphant by one stroke at the AT&T National which he hosts in suburban Washington, D.C.

Having not won a major since his remarkable playoff victory over compatriot Rocco Mediate at last year's U.S. Open, Woods will be banking on third time lucky this season at Turnberry.

"Hopefully I can play like I did (at the AT&T) and continue to build next week," the 33-year-old told reporters after clinching his 68th career title.

"Just making sure you can flight your ball ... and maneuver it both ways efficiently because over there (in Britain) you don't know what kind of weather you're going to get."

WELL VERSED

Comfortably the greatest player of his era and possibly of all time, Woods is well versed in the art of winning majors. He has always been meticulous in his preparation and has long relished the challenge of links-course golf in Britain.

A winner of three British Opens, he is looking forward to tackling Turnberry's Ailsa course, which will be staging the championship for the first time since Zimbabwe's Nick Price lifted the Claret Jug in 1994.

"I've never played it, never been to it," Woods said of the spectacular par-70 Ayrshire layout. "I've only seen it on TV, and there's only so much you can see on videotape.

"The whole idea before I get there is to have everything dialed in, feel comfortable with my swing and my short putting, then start getting the feel for how to play over there.

"Once I get there, I do more prep work on the greens and make sure I truly understand how to play the golf course and have a game plan come Thursday."

Woods, who won his first British Open at St Andrews in 2000 before enjoying further success at St Andrews in 2005 and Hoylake in 2006, has been installed as a 2/1 favorite for next week by British bookmakers William Hill.