thrill for fans as Tiger is up with the lark

IF practice makes perfect, then Tiger Woods's grip on the Open Championship will take some loosening.

The world No 1 thrilled early risers at Royal Lytham today with a demonstration of the kind of golf that has won five of the last seven majors.

Woods, limbering up for his defence of the Claret Jug, began a practice round at 6am in the company of close friend Mark O'Meara, himself a former Open champion, Denmark's Thomas Bjorn and young Australian Adam Scott.

At first, Woods's security screen of two local policemen and several plain clothes operatives, outnumbered a small

knot of spectators but as news of the 25-year-old American's presence spread around the course his gallery quickly swelled to 300- plus.

The fans were treated to some special golf. Chipping from 20 yards off the eighth green, Woods sent his ball rolling gently into a tee peg placed on the putting surface as a target by caddie Steve Williams. Then, at the 335-yard 10th, Woods let rip with a drive that sent his ball bouncing between the deep bunkers guarding the green before coming to rest a mere 12 yards from the pin.

Meanwhile, Woods has helped the US PGA Tour clinch a new television contract reported to be worth a staggering 607 million.

Woods's drawing power has enabled the Tour to negotiate from strength and a three-year deal with the ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN, USA and Golf Channel networks, due to start in 2003, represents a 45 per cent increase on the existing four-year package.

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