An area more famous for its horse racing than its golf will witness a tilt at history this weekend, when Tiger Woods attempts to become the first player since Ben Hogan to win three major professional championships in the same year. It is expected to happen in the 82nd USPGA Championship, which starts this morning at Valhalla GC, where Mark Brooks won the title in 1996.

Patrons of the Kentucky Derby, which has had a home here for the last 125 years, will be more familiar than most with the notion of sporting certainties. In the words of the legendary Dublin racing correspondent, Maurice Ring, they know that horses are only human. And what of humans themselves?

If there were certainties in golf, Ben Hogan would have won a record fifth US Open at the Olympic Club in 1955 - Jack Fleck's year - and Jack Nicklaus would have done the same at Pebble Beach in 1982, when Tom Watson triumphed. Many other instances through the years tell us that it is nonsense, before a ball is struck, to think of victory for Woods as a foregone conclusion.

The world number one provided his answer to that assessment: "I saw on TV the other day that I had a 20 per cent winning percentage. That would be terrible in most sports, yet I lose eight out of every 10 tournaments and people say that's great.

"There are many good players out here right now," Woods added. "In fact I think the media and the fans sometimes forget just how good they are."

Precisely. But it seems that many of them lack the inner belief that they can confront the Tiger and win.

Darren Clarke is not among them. "I can understand how players might be intimidated by the prospect, but I know I'd love to go head-to-head with Tiger again," said the Tyroneman, who had a famous victory over Woods in the Andersen Consulting at La Costa last February. "He doesn't play fantastic every week and I was fortunate to get him when he wasn't in top form."

The human factor is the key. That is what will motivate players leading challengers such as Ernie Els, Lee Westwood, Phil Mickelson and Stuart Appleby this weekend.

Indeed, Appleby could maintain a strong Australian tradition in this event from recent decades, when there were victories by David Graham in 1979, Wayne Grady in 1990 and Steve Elkington in 1995.

Meanwhile, Padraig Harrington seemed happy yesterday simply to be hitting full shots once more, after enduring severe neck pain on his arrival here last Saturday. At first, there were gentle, knock-down shots with a three-quarter swing before the throttle was gradually depressed towards full power.

"I'm not completely better but I'm improving," he said. "I won't have full movement in my neck, but I'm able to swing the club. That's the important thing."

By his side was his replacement caddie, Tim King, a slim Englishman with the cut-glass accent of a public schoolboy. King walked the front nine with Harrington on Tuesday evening and they set off on a full practice round at noon yesterday.

Paul McGinley had finished by that stage. "I always like to practise early when I come over here, because of the time change," said the Dubliner who is making his debut in this event. As it happens, two of only three missed cuts in Europe this season were in his last two tournaments, but he's not concerned.

"I putted badly," he said. "Tee to green my game has been fine."

McGinley went on: "This is a whole new ballgame for me. I'm really excited about playing here, about competing at the highest level. I like the course, which is going to present a very tough putting challenge. The greens are a lot more severe than at Mount Juliet (another Nicklaus layout).

Colin Montgomerie has raised quite a few eyebrows over here by publicly blaming David Feherty for his problems with the American fans. "To win in America will obviously be very difficult for me," said the Scot, who went on to suggest that Feherty turned the fans against him by dubbing him "Mrs Doubtfire" on television.

But Feherty, who captained Ireland to a Dunhill Cup triumph at St Andrews in 1990 and later turned his skills to TV commentating with CBS, is unrepentant. "I think American sports fans love athletes who are winners and athletes who lose without complaining or making excuses," he said.

"They also appreciate sportsmen and women who look like they are having fun and give the impression that they feel lucky they are making so much money doing what they love." And typically, he couldn't resist adding: "This is why Tiger is bigger than Elvis, although he also has faster hips, which doesn't hurt."

Valhalla is a young course but it is also a quality layout, as one would expect with Nicklaus as its designer. The need to water it regularly in sweltering temperatures around 90 degrees, however, may save the players considerable grief on what could be seriously treacherous greens.

Woods is unquestionably the clear favourite, but as he acknowledged, the field includes several worthy challengers. Among them, Els stands apart as the winner of three legs of the so-called Saturday Slam - being runner-up in three major championships - so far this season. More significantly, on his last outing he won the Sprint International.

But first, Woods must show himself to be human. Which just might happen.

Card Of The Course

Hole Yards Par Hole Yards Par

1 446 4 10 551 5 2 535 5 11 168 3 3 208 3 12 467 4 4 350 4 13 348 4 5 465 4 14 217 3 6 421 4 15 402 4 7 597 5 16 444 4 8 166 3 17 422 4 9 418 4 18 542 5 Out 3606 36 In 3561 36 Total 7167 72