By Iain Carter BBC golf correspondent

Taking a break from his recovery from knee surgery a fortnight ago, Tiger Woods turned to his friend Mark O'Meara and observed: "Ernie's going to have made $4m before I even get started."

It is then reported that Woods added: "But I'm still going to beat him."

Matching words with deeds is never easy, but two weeks on Tiger was straight out of the blocks, winning at the first attempt in 2003.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Ernie Els was recording his fifth win in six outings.

Els has feasted on more birdies than Bernard Mathews' chief taster

All of which is very good news for the game of golf because it thrives on rivalries. Always has done - from the days of Vardon, Taylor and Braid through the ages.

Observing last weekend's events in Perth - where Els won the Johnnie Walker - and in San Diego - where Woods won the Buick - put me in mind of Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson, who shared in the last great golfing duel.

Their epic contest to decide the 1977 Open at Turnberry, when from the halfway point they streaked miles clear of the rest, was classic "anything you can do, I can do better".

It ended with Watson triumphing by a single stroke.

Els has won five of his last six tournament

Even though Els and Woods were playing thousands of miles apart, parallels with that magical Open can still be drawn.

It was blow for blow then, while at the moment it threatens to be tournament for tournament.

Over the last six years Woods has pushed the boundaries of excellence.

Els has spent much of that time intimidated by the American's powers, but that all changed with his Open triumph at Muirfield.

And since knocking it around Wentworth's West Course in an approximate 60 to beat Colin Montgomerie in the second round of the World Matchplay at Wentworth last October, Els has feasted on more birdies than Bernard Mathews' chief taster.

When the reigning Open champion won in Hawaii, his winning score was 31 under par. In Perth he was 29 under.

Woods made an instant impact on his return

It is the type of scoring that makes a mockery of the par column on most scorecards.

No one has taken more interest in the South African's stunning start than the recuperating Tiger.

The Buick Invitational was his first chance to remind us of the pecking order he wants and he did not waste the opportunity.

Now we need to see both players going head to head.

They are scheduled to meet at the Dubai Desert Classic next month, but neither is likely to be overly keen on travelling to the Middle East in the current international climate.

Anyway, it is only at the Majors that this budding rivalry can assume full bloom, starting amid the azaleas of Augusta in April.

Woods has wasted no time in signalling he's ready and eager for the contest

Woods is the Masters champion, while the man they call the Big Easy will stride into town desperate to convert his awesome early season form into something much more significant.

When Els was winning the Heineken Classic in Melbourne three weeks ago I asked him whether his only frustration was that his current run of form was not coinciding with a major.

He shrugged in that Ernie way of his before ominously suggesting there was still time and room for improvement.

It bodes well for Augusta and the rest of the year, especially as Woods has wasted no time in signalling that he is ready and eager for the contest.