Jacklin: Tiger can make comeback

Tony Jacklin, who knows a thing or two about winning major golf tournaments at Hazeltine National, today predicted Tiger Woods will rebound from his mauling in the Muirfield Open to claim a third US PGA Championship here.

Hazeltine's reputation for being a brute of a course can be traced back to 1970 when it hosted the US Open.

In the first round, Jack Nicklaus carded 81, the American's highest score in a major tournament, and barely half the field broke 80.

But Jacklin took everything the place could throw at him, including its notorious swarms of mosquitoes and winds gusting up to 40mph.

As a result the British golfer celebrated a stunning victory by seven strokes.

Now Jacklin believes that Woods, the world No1, will be just as dominant this week.

That is despite the disappointment of the American's storm-tossed third round at Muirfield which destroyed his challenge for a unique calendar Grand Slam of all four major titles.

Jacklin said: "To me you can't look further than Tiger, particularly after what happened at Muirfield.

"I would have been hugely disappointed to miss out on the chance to win the third leg of the Grand Slam and he will be desperate to make amends for that.

"I think we will see a very focused Tiger at Hazeltine, and that's got to spell trouble for the rest of the field."