By Mark Garrod, PA Golf Correspondent, Minnesota

World number one Tiger Woods will tee off in the United States PGA Championship with his eyes firmly focused on yet another major success.

Woods' dream of a calendar Grand Slam ended when he finished 28th in the Open at Muirfield last month but he insists nothing is getting in the way of his pursuit of excellence.

Victory at Minnesota this week would take his major victory tally to nine and not even the diversions of his beautiful Swedish girlfriend and the world's biggest shopping centre can blow him off course.

Asked if he would be visiting the Mall of America Woods replied: "House, course; course, house; house, course; course, house.

"That's kind of how the routine is. In the week of a major championship it's a little different. I don't really get out that much and I try to get my rest when I can.

"I don't really like to sightsee anyway, but I would like to see the Mall of America - even though I hate shopping!"

Woods will be up against one of the strongest fields in championship history with 98 of the world's top 100 travelling to the Hazeltine National Course. A week ago all 100 would have been competing but England's Paul Casey and Swede Pierre Fulke have since slipped outside that elite group.

Many of them, of course, like Colin Montgomerie, Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia, are hoping this is the week they will achieve their first major, although no European has won this title since Tommy Armour way back in 1930.

There is precedent for European success at Hazeltine however, the venue being the scene of Tony Jacklin's victory in the 1970 US Open.

Woods however represents the biggest obstacle in their path, with the single-minded American so determined that he laughs off suggestions that Ernie Els' Open win was good for the game.

"You know what, dude, I can't give that to you," Woods, who is chasing the PGA crown for a third time in four years, said when that view was put to him.

"I like winning majors, so I think I'm going to keep trying to do it.

"I have my own goals and that's to win. That's why I play. I love competing. I love winning championships and this is a championship I would love to win again."

Woods' two previous victories in the event have been thrillers. In 1999 he had to withstand a challenge from Garcia - 19 at the time and brave enough to attempt (and pull off) a shot from the base of a tree which could have ended his career - and 12 months later Bob May rose to the occasion fantastically and took Woods to a play-off before losing.

His third round 81 at Muirfield, the worst round of his professional career, may have ended the Grand Slam bid, but Woods still has the chance to be the first golfer ever to win three majors in a season twice. Until 2000 only Ben Hogan had done it once.

Woods is paired with Open champion Els and defending PGA champion David Toms in the first two rounds and much of the sell-out crowd will doubtless be following them as they set off at 8.35am local time.

By then Garcia, Montgomerie, Ian Woosnam and Wales Open winner Paul Lawrie - the last European to win any major - will already be on the course.

Justin Rose starts his first major in America just after Woods, while late starters Clarke, Harrington, Nick Faldo and Lee Westwood will have a fair idea by the time they arrive of the standard being set.

At 7,360 yards Hazeltine is one of the longest lay-outs ever used for a major. But it does not quite hold the terrors of Bethpage for the US Open in June because the four par fives are 542, 586, 597 and, in the case of the third hole, 636 yards.

The shorter hitters should be able to reach all of the par fours and they will know unless they are playing downwind at least three of the par fives should be three-shot holes for everybody.

While Woods does not see the need to use his driver much again, Garcia is planning to let rip.

It is his putting, though, that the young Spaniard wants to see in full working order.

"I think it's just a matter of making a couple and getting some confidence. If I'm able to do that it should be fine," he said.

"I know what I can do. I know that if I'm playing well I can beat Tiger."

Els and Phil Mickelson are the two others who can say that with conviction at the moment. The rest pin a lot of their hopes on things not going well for Woods, as at Muirfield.

What golf has yet to see is someone going head to head with the world number one over the closing stretch and defeating him. However much Els' confidence, for instance, was boosted by winning the Open, imagine how much more it would swell if he did it by pipping Woods.