Regaining top spot is not Rose’s number one priority
done that’, but it’s not my primary intention to be there. (But) I want to play the golf that is required to stay there.”
Rose will come up against Tiger Woods, a five-time winner of the event which he is co-hosting in aid of his foundation, and who arrives straight from his defeat in ‘The Match’ against Phil Mickelson last week.
Given his evident love for the course, Woods stands a strong chance of claiming his second tour title of the year on what could be an increasingly rare glimpse of the 14-times major winner.
Woods, who turns 43 next month, admitted he has found it increasingly difficult to maintain a busy schedule and must become much more selective in order to sustain himself through future years.
“We are still taking a look at it in terms of what is too much,” Woods told a press conference. “(Playing) seven of the last nine to end my season was too much. Being physically in better shape going into next season is very important in being able to handle the condensed schedule and all the big events we play every month. There’s literally a big event every single month, so physically I’ve got to be in better shape than I was last year.” BRITISH driver Alice Powell has hailed the new all-female motor racing championship for providing her with a lifeline to reignite her Formula One dream.
Powell has been selected from over 100 applicants by the W Series to take part in a shootout for the 18 seats available on next season’s inaugural grid.
She is one of five British drivers on a 55-strong shortlist announced by the newly-formed series, which also includes Jamie Chadwick, who became the first female winner of a Formula Three race earlier this year.
Powell, 25, boasts a competitive resumé, but her opportunities dried up over a lack of sponsorship, and she has not raced competitively since 2014.
Italian Lella Lombardi was the last woman to take part in a Formula One race, 42 years ago.
“The W Series has definitely provided me with a lifeline,” said Powell. “Formula One is always going to be my goal and I want to keep pushing for it.
“I applied for the W Series because I have been out of racing for four years, and while I know there have been mixed opinions about it, it is a great opportunity for me to get in a race seat, and a step back on to the ladder.”
The six-race championship, which starts in Germany next May, boasts a £1.15 million prize pot with nearly £400,000 for the overall winner, and the opportunity for women drivers to showcase their talents.
The candidates will be trimmed down to 18, with two reserve spots available, during a three-day examination early next year.
However, the championship, which launched last month, has not escaped criticism.
But Briton Pippa Mann, who has competed in the Indianapolis 500 on multiple occasions, said a women-only series will “segregate” female racers.