Form-guide to the leading contenders in the British Open which starts here on Thursday at the Royal Liverpool Golf Course:
TIGER WOODS (USA)
-- Age - 30
-- World Ranking - 1
-- Playing in his 12th Open. Best previous Opens - 1st (2005, 2000)
-- Odds - 5/1
Woods won his second Open at a canter at St Andrews last year and will start favourite once again. Missed the cut in the US Open following the death of his father although a second place finish in his last tournament, the Western Open, indicates he is back to his best. Never played Royal Liverpool before until a practice round on Saturday, but says he does not expect that to be a major handicap.
He says: "I've got back into the competitive flow again. If the wind doesn't blow, you can make some birdies out there."
PHIL MICKELSON (USA)
-- Age - 36
-- World Ranking - 2
-- Playing in his 14th Open. Previous best 3rd (2004)
-- Odds - 10/1
Mickelson won back-to-back Majors at the USPGA last year and the Masters in April, but then blew the chance of a hat-trick by taking a double-bogey at the last in the US Open in June. Finished a lowly 65th in the Western Open, his only tournament since that shocker. Apart from a third place finish at Troon in 2004 has struggled to compete in the Open, but this year has spent three weeks in Britain fine-tuning his game for playing links golf.
He says: "Even though I have complete confidence I can win this great Championship, you still have to do it before you know for sure."
VIJAY SINGH (FIJI)
-- Age - 43
-- World Ranking - 3
-- Playing in his 18th Open. Previous best Tied 2nd (2003)
-- Odds- 14/1
Struggled for form in the early part of the year, but won his first tournament in nearly a year at the Barclay's Classic in June and followed that up with a sixth place in the US Open and fourth place in the Western Open. Finished runner-up at the British Open three years ago at Royal St George's, a course that closely resembles Royal Liverpool. Will like the hot conditions on the Wirral and the hard, baked fairways.
He says: "Hopefully I will start winning a lot more after the Barclay's."
RETIEF GOOSEN: (SOUTH AFRICA)
-- Age - 37
-- World Ranking - 4
-- Playing in his 12th Open. Previous best Tied 5th (2005)
-- Odds - 25/1
Top 10 finisher in the last four Opens proves his pedigree on the links and if it comes down to a putting contest, he is among the best in the world. But has been struggling for form of late, missing the cut at the US Open, a tournament he has won twice before. Placed third in this year's Masters.
He says: "My game has been rubbish of late but I'm grinding it out and hopefully I can turn it around."
ERNIE ELS (SOUTH AFRICA)
-- Age - 36
-- World ranking - 8
-- Playing in his 16th Open. Previous best 1st (2002)
-- Odds- 16/1
Has a British Open record second to none, winning once and finishing runner-up on three occasions. But has yet to get back to his best following a knee injury which kept him on the sidelines for the second half of last year. The big South African has yet to win a tournament in 2006 and has been under the microscope of famed coach David Leadbetter for the last few weeks and claims his knee-related problems are now behind him.
He says: "I feel confident about my abilities again. I've done the work, now it is just a matter of time before I do something good again."
PADRAIG HARRINGTON (IRELAND)
-- Age - 34
-- World ranking - 18
-- Playing in his 10th Open. Previous best Tied 5th (2002, 1997)
-- Odds - 25/1
Harringtom missed last year's Open at St Andrews following the death of his father and he struggled for a while after that to get his best golf game back. But the Dubliner has run into a fine vein of form over the last two months even though he has yet to win a tournament. A fifth place in the US Open was followed by runner-up finishes in the Booz Allen Classic and the French Open. Knows how to play on links and has the temperament to cope with the pressure.
He says: "If I knew for sure I was going to play well, I'd be in the bookies."
LUKE DONALD (ENGLAND)
-- Age - 28
-- World ranking - 11
-- Playing in his seventh Open. Previous best Tied 52nd (2005)
-- Odds - 25/1
Has an abysmal record in the Open with five missed cuts and a best showing of 52nd last year. Yet experts say he has the game for links golf, with accuracy off the tee and pinpoint iron shots his strength. Donald won his biggest tournament to date, the Honda Classic, in March and tied for second at the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond on Sunday. He says: "I feel ready to compete at the major level."
COLIN MONTGOMERIE (SCOTLAND)
-- Age - 43
-- World ranking - 13
-- Playing in his 17th Open. Previous best 2nd (2005)
-- Odds - 33/1
Revived his flagging career with a tremendous second place behind Tiger Woods at St Andrews last year. Previous to that he had struggled to live up to expectations in the British Open. Came within a whisker of finally winning a Major at the US Open in June but had to settle for another runner-up slot. Top 10 finisher in June at both the Johnnie Walker Championship and the European Open.
He says: "Whenever I hole out I have a chance and if I don't, I simply don't have an opportunity of winning. It is as simple as that."
SERGIO GARCIA (SPAIN)
-- Age - 26
-- World ranking - 9
-- Playing in his 10th Open, Previous best 5th (2005)
-- Odds - 33/1
Finished in the top 10 in four of the last five British Opens. Garcia has come a long way since he quit Carnoustie in tears in 1999 as a monster links course overwhelmed him. He is still the top European in the world rankings, but his recent form has been patchy due to injury and poor putting. Missed the cut at the US Open, but showed a return to form at last week's Scottish Open.
He says: "I'm hitting it okay, just need to get something going with the putter."
JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL (SPAIN)
-- Age - 40
-- World ranking - 14
-- Playing in his 22nd Open. Previous best 3rd (1992, 2005)
-- Odds - 66/1
The two-times Masters winner ended a long series of poor performances at the British Open with a tie for third at St Andrews last year. Having turned 40 he is playing some of the best golf of his life and once again shone at Augusta with a third-place finish. The Spaniard remains a player for the big occasion and his short-game could put him firmly into the reckoning around Royal Liverpool.
He says: "If I can get in there, I think I have a chance."