KAPALUA, Hawaii, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- The PGA Tour campaign opens Thursday with the first round of the Mercedes Championship, an event restricted to last year's tourney winners.
The world's best players closed the gap between them Tiger Woods during 2003, but Woods still won five times, captured the Vardon Trophy for the lowest scoring average and was named Player of the Year.
He did so despite a late start to the year following knee surgery.
Woods said Wednesday his knee is fully healed and that he will try to match his spectacular 2000 season, during which he won the final three majors before completing the chronological Grand Slam at the 2001 Masters.
"Hopefully this year," he said, when asked if he'll ever have another season like 2000.
Last year, Ernie Els won this tournament by eight shots in the absence of Woods.
