Woods chose to sit out the first tournament of the year

Woods has won the last six PGA Tour events he has played, as well as two non-Tour events at the end of 2006. The tour record is Byron Nelson's 11 wins.

"You've got to keep plugging along and make sure you peak at the right times," he said ahead of Thursday's tee-off.

"The whole idea is to play well leading up to the tournament."

To play four rounds against a quality field like this and come out on top it always gives you a shot of confidence going into next year

The last time Woods failed to win a PGA Tour event was over six months ago, when he finished runner-up in the Western Open.

The run of success includes the Open and the USPGA, so victory in the US Open and the Masters would see him manage a clean sweep of the majors for the second time.

Woods' last win of 2006, the non-tour Target World Challenge, came after second-place finishes in two other non-tour events in China and Japan.

He said ending the year on a winning note set him up well for the 2007 campaign.

"It was a real nice positive because the last two 72-hole stroke play events I finished second and I didn't want to have it a third straight time," he said.

"To play four rounds against a quality field like this and come out on top, it always gives you a shot of confidence going into next year."

Joyful Woods to become a father

Woods, who announced at the end of last year that he is to become a father for the first time, chose to miss the season-opening Mercedes Championship in Hawaii.

In his absence, that was won by Vijay Singh, who is the only other top 10-ranked player to be playing in the Buick tournament at Torrey Pines, apart from Phil Mickelson.