Woods claims top prize for fourth year

Tiger Woods started off the new season with an award, even though he is not yet playing, by being named the 2002 PGA Tour player of the year for the fourth consecutive season. Woods won five times on tour last year, including the first two majors, and he won the money title for the fourth straight year. No other player won more than two tour events in 2002. The award is decided by a vote of the players.

"I'm especially proud to have won this award four consecutive times," Woods said. "It's a great year when you win one major championship, so I was really pleased to win two in 2002, plus three other PGA Tour events."

Jonathan Byrd, who won the Buick Challenge against a strong field in the penultimate tournament of the year, was voted rookie of the year while Hale Irwin was voted Senior PGA Tour player of the year for becoming the first to earn more than $3m (£1.9m) in one year on the 50-and-older circuit.

Woods is not playing the first event of the year, in Kapalua, Hawaii, that starts tomorrow because of knee surgery last month to remove fluid around his ligaments. He is not expected to return to the Tour until the Buick Invitational in San Diego next month.

Woods has won the Jack Nicklaus Trophy as player of the year five of the last six years. Tom Lehman (1996) and Mark O'Meara (1998) are the only other players to win the award since Woods turned professional. He also became the first player since Nicklaus in 1972 to win the first two legs of the Grand Slam, claiming the Masters and US Open.

* Europe's Ryder Cup director, Richard Hills, has denied that £1m is being sought from the American PGA for the extra security costs for last September's match at The Belfry. "We are not asking for £1, let alone £1m," said Hills after a report that the contribution was being pursued because it was the Americans who requested extra measures.