Woods intent on Open trip despite travel fears

After withdrawing from the Dubai Desert Classic amid fears for his safety, Tiger Woods is reassessing all his overseas travel this year – except for the Open.

Woods, the champion at St Andrews in 2000, will definitely play at Royal St George's, Sandwich, in July. "I'll be there," he said. "If I can walk and I can play golf, I'll be there." The world No 1 took the advice of the US State Department not to travel to the Middle East to play in the Dubai event this week, although his friend Mark O'Meara has decided to go, while Ernie Els will be defending his title. Both may be Open champions but neither are as highly visible as Woods.

"It's not a safe environment," Woods said, explaining his decision. "I don't think it is wise for me to go. I want to play in the tournament and if it is safe I will go there next year. Going overseas this year, especially in that part of the world, is tough for me." Woods' next overseas trip is scheduled to be the Deutsche Bank Open in Germany in May.

Woods completed the set of four World Golf Championship titles, to go with his major grand slam, by winning the Accenture World Matchplay at La Costa here on Sunday. A final that looked straightforward when he was five-up on David Toms after 19 holes became a dogged fight before Toms succumbed 2 and 1.

"This is the hardest of the world championships to win," Woods said. "You have to win six matches to do it. Playing seven rounds is physically gruelling but it is even more gruelling mentally because of the ebb and flow of each match."

The left knee upon which Woods had surgery last December was a little sore by Sunday evening but devoid of the pain that kept him on painkillers or awake at night last year. He added that his game was coming together in a similar way to the way it did in 2000, the year he won three majors.

After playing poorly in the morning, Toms showed the fighting spirit that made him the highest American point scorer in the last Ryder Cup. "I wasn't going to quit," he said. "That's not my nature. We were on national television and I didn't want to embarrass myself by having it end early."

Adam Scott, the 22-year-old Australian, completed a fine week in which he pushed Woods to the 19th in the semi-finals by winning the third-fourth place match against Peter Lonard. The match went to the last even though Scott won six of the first eight holes.

ACCENTURE WORLD MATCHPLAY CHAMPIONSHIP (La Costa, Carlsbad, Calif) Final: T Woods (US) bt D Toms (US) 2 and 1. Third/fourth place play-off: A Scott (Aus) bt P Lonard (Aus) 1 hole.