Woods faces being beaten on long ball

TIGER WOODS will be in unfamiliar territory in the first round of the Accenture Match Play Championship at Tucson when he faces an opponent who hits the ball farther.

Woods is one of the game's most powerful strikers, last year ranking tenth on the PGA Tour for driving distance – averaging just over 300 yards off the tee – but he was more than ten yards shorter than fellow American JB Holmes.

"It will be interesting to see what he does," said Woods, speaking on the eve of today's opening round at Dove Mountain.

"I know he doesn't spin the ball a lot with his driver, and that's one of the reasons it goes as far as it does. Under these conditions, he'll probably be hitting it past me all day."

As if Woods and Holmes are not long enough at sea level, they will hit the ball even further in the foothills above Tucson, at some 3000 feet elevation.

Woods, who has won six of his past seven official starts going all the way back to last August, does not have the greatest of memories of this course.

Last year he bowed out in the third round, beaten by short- hitting Australian Nick O'Hern at the second extra hole.