Woods faces strong challenge

Woods won his second consecutive USPGA in 2000

Last year one man stood alone as the world's greatest golfers lined up for the fourth and final Major of the year.

Tiger Woods duly lived up to his favourite's billing with a play-off victory against Bob May, at Valhalla, to take his second consecutive USPGA title.

But, although Woods will still be most people's favourite when the field tees off in the 2001 USPGA at the Highlands Course on Thursday, 16 August, a hat-trick no longer looks preordained.

Woods became the first player in history to hold all four Majors at one time, but his invincible aura has started to lose its lustre.

Duval broke his Major duck at Lytham

The world number one was well off the pace in both the US Open and The Open, ending nine shots behind winner David Duval at Lytham.

The Texan will be a strong contender in Atlanta, having finally shed his 'best player never to have won a Major tag'.

That mantle now rests firmly on the shoulders of world number two Phil Mickelson.

The USPGA has long been a graveyard for British hopes but Colin Montogmerie and Lee Westwood are both due a big Major.

Westwood has had a disastrous year, but some words of advice from his wife before the Scandinavian Masters helped him to the runners-up spot behind Montgomerie.

And then there's Darren Clarke, who was the best of the Brits in last month's Open, finishing equal third alongside German veteran Bernhard Langer.

Although Langer cannot be discounted, at 43 he is drawing towards the end of his career, but Sergio Garcia is only just getting started.

Montgomerie's challenge faded in The Open

The exciting young Spaniard has picked up his first two victories on the US Tour this year and is fifth in the leading money winners list.

Another US-based European, Jesper Parnevik, is always a contender and fellow Scandinavian Thomas Bjorn finished third at Valhalla last year.

The last man to win the PGA before Woods was Vijay Singh in 1998, and the Fijian, third-highest money winner in the US this year, is rarely outside the top ten in the Majors.

And you can add to the list of contenders US Open winner Retief Goosen, fellow South African Ernie Els and high-class Americans like Scott Hoch, Joe Durrant and Davis Love III.

Last year it looked like there could only be one winner, but with Woods showing that he is human after all this PGA is up for grabs.