Villegas relishing 'Tiger Era'

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Last updated: 19th March 2008

Villegas relishing 'Tiger Era'

Villegas: Woods is beatable

Tiger is number one, he will continue to be number one but it really is an honour to be playing in Tiger's Era. It is just a great challenge to try and get better and catch up and learn from him.

Camilo Villegas
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Young gun Camilo Villegas is delighted to be living in the 'Tiger Woods Era' - despite being faced with the task of ending the world number one's incredible winning streak.

The 26-year-old Colombian will be part of the field at this week's WGC-CA Championship in Florida bidding to end Woods' seven-tournament streak of victories.

But far from being downhearted, Villegas is inspired by the challenge.

"Tiger is number one, he will continue to be number one but it really is an honour to be playing in Tiger's Era," he said. "It is just a great challenge to try and get better and catch up and learn from him.

"I'm sure not only me but all the other players look forward to playing Tiger, to compete against Tiger and to hopefully beat Tiger," he said.

Villegas also knows that the run has to end sometime.

Strong

"I don't think he is going to win every tournament. Golf is such a strong game and there are such deep fields," he added.

"Is he beatable? Yes, he has the last five but if he wins every tournament this year I guess the rest of us have got to quit but I don't think that is going to happen.

Woods' seventh straight win - fifth on the PGA Tour - came at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando on Sunday - sealed with a 24-foot putt for a birdie on the 72nd hole.

But when asked after Sunday's victory who, if anyone, could stop him from continuing his winning streak, Woods replied: "All the players in the event."

This week's field at Doral's Blue Monster is particularly strong, with 49 of the world's top fifty players in action.

Record

But not only has Woods won on his last two visits to Doral, he also has an incredible record in World Golf Championship events.

He has won 15 WGC tournaments in 26 starts. Only Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke (2) has won more than one WGC tournament. In those 26 starts, Woods has 24 top-10 finishes.

In 17 WGC strokeplay events, Woods has won 12 times and his worst finish is ninth.

He is also the first man to have possession of all three World Golf Championship trophies simultaneously: the WGC-CA Championship, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the WGC-Match Play Championship which he won last month.