Woods back for his 10th season

SAN DIEGO - Even after 10 years defined by his 10 major championships, there are times when Tiger Woods still feels as though he has something to prove.

The chill of a Pacific breeze was in his face Tuesday morning when he reached his ball in the sixth fairway, seemingly too far away to reach the green.

"No chance to get there?" he said to his caddie.

Steve Williams shrugged his shoulders and told him it was 275 yards to the front of the green, a long way considering the wind and temperature in the 50s that keeps the ball from traveling as far.

"Let me show you my stuff," Woods said with a smile, grabbing a driver from the bag.

He ripped a low, piercing shot that held its line until tumbling into the first cut of rough, a few yards short of the green. And this brought another smile.

"That," he said, "was pure."

There were few signs of rust for Woods, who makes his 2006 debut at the Buick Invitational after taking the second-longest break of his career.

He missed two months because of knee surgery at the end of the 2002 season, returning at the Buick Invitational and winning by four shots. He took six weeks off this time, a self-imposed break to recover from a long year in which he spent more time on the range trying to refine his swing.

More than just the six weeks, Woods made it a point not to touch a club until the calendar changed.

"Once the new year came around and I started to realize I only had a couple more weeks to prepare, to start getting ready, then my mind kind of switched over," Woods said. "Before that, I basically had made a decision not to touch a club until the following year."

He spent four days skiing, and the rest of December in southern California to be near his father, who is fighting a losing battle with cancer. Woods said only that Earl Woods was "hanging in there."

Woods is the defending champion at Torrey Pines, where the field isn't as strong as it was a year ago. Only three of the top 10 players from the world ranking are at the Buick Invitational, the others being Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia. Ernie Els is making his '06 debut at the Qatar Masters, joined by Vijay Singh.

Woods and Garcia, not the best of friends, will be grouped with Stuart Appleby the first two rounds, starting today on the shorter, easier North Course at Torrey Pines that plays about three strokes easier than the South Course, site of the 2008 U.S. Open.

"I can't wait to get out there and compete," Woods said. "

Woods said there is still room to improve, although he is much farther along than he was last year.

"I don't have as far to go to get ready for the Masters (Tournament) this year," he said.

"Last year, I had a long way to go. I had a lot of different things I needed to fix to be ready for Augusta."