GOLF: To be sure, it's the title on the PGA European Tour that is the biggest mouthful, a real alphabet stew, Philip Reid reports from Hamburg

But, like any voracious animal, the world's number one golfer, Tiger Woods - already a three-time winner of the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open TPC of Europe, and chasing a third consecutive title here at the Gut Kaden course some 25 miles north of Hamburg - has a hunger that is never completely appeased.

Or at least that is how it would seem, and what he would have us believe.

Yesterday, back on European terrain for the first time since the US lost their grip on the Ryder Cup at the Belfry last September, he was in the mood to press all the right buttons. Four weeks away from competition - time spent "taking care of some sponsorship obligations and practising" - has only increased Woods' desire to get back onto a golf course playing for his keep, although the small matter of a reputed appearance fee approaching $3 million means he is already a financial winner.

It is the title, though, that he is after - and another record, to become the first double three-time winner on the European Tour.

"It would be awfully special if I can somehow get it done," remarked Woods of his quest for a so-called "three-peat", winning the same championship for three consecutive years. Only Nick Faldo (Irish Open 1991-93), Colin Montgomerie (Volvo PGA 1998-2000), Ian Woosnam (Monte Carlo Open 1990-92) and Woods (NEC Invitational 1999-2001) have achieved it on the European Tour.

Winner for the past two years, when the event was played at St Leon-Rot, Woods first won the title in 1999.

One of the few Americans who can rightly be considered a global player, Woods - who hasn't played since last month's US Masters - has cut back on his globetrotting this year.

"After the (knee) procedure I had last year, I wanted to take it pretty easy this year. I'll re-evaluate at the end of the year and see if I can fit in more next year," he said.

Intriguingly, though, when it was put to him that he might be tempted to play the Irish Open - the week after the British Open in July - given that it was at Portmarnock, one of his favourite links courses, he left the door ever so slightly ajar.

"I love the course, but you can't play in every tournament. (But) I would like the chance to play there . . . We'll see what happens."

Rather than add flames or substance to the smoke rumours currently floating around Dublin that Woods could be in the field at Portmarnock, the response was more that of the consummate diplomat, of someone unwilling to offend anyone.

One Irishman will have a close-up view of Woods for the next two days, and - even though a friendship exists between the two - it is not something Padraig Harrington is entirely happy with.

It's a measure of Harrington's rise up the world rankings - now ninth, the highest European - that he is considered the obvious big-name partner for Woods on his forays in Europe. Just as he did at the American Express championship in Mount Juliet last September, Harrington will play alongside Woods for the opening two rounds.

"It's not an ideal draw in any sense," he claimed. "It means you're going to have to push it for the four days. It's easier to plod along for two or three rounds and then have that (pressure) for only one round."

Would playing with Woods help him focus more?

"Nope, definitely not," maintained Harrington. "There's no way I'd concentrate any more when playing with him than not playing with him. To that extent, I don't think it is a distraction either. I think I'd be professional enough to approach my game in the same way whether it is the best player, or the most hyped player, or the least hyped player."

On the last occasion Harrington went head-to-head with Woods, he won (in the Target World Challenge last November). But as far as the Dubliner is concerned, that's history.

"I'm the type of person for not looking back on these things," said Harrington. "I stay in the present and focus on what I am doing.

"It might be different, very intensive, if I hadn't played with him (in the past). But I have, and it is not a big issue. A lot of the times that I have played with Woods, it has been in a serious situation. There hasn't been too much chat.

"But if you look at any group on Thursday and Friday, there may be only a little talk. On Saturday, there is a little less. And by Sunday there is no talk. All the times I've played with Tiger it's been very serious stuff and we have both been grinding out our own games, working to get things right. There hasn't been a hell of a lot of time to have a chat."

Yet Woods admitted to being impressed by Harrington in recent seasons. "Paddy's been playing well for the past four years or so at a high level. He's had a lot of second place finishes, but he's had his wins as well. It seems every single week he is up there. He works very hard, works countless hours with Bob (Torrance, his coach). He has always worked hard on his game, his putting and his short game, and it is paying off," said Woods.

Harrington, meanwhile, doesn't believe there will be any residue from his latest second place finish - the 19th of his professional career - at the Belfry last week as he prepares to take on the world number one in a three-ball that also features Angel Cabrera. The most recent near-miss has been dissected, and now forgotten.

"Every week I play, whether I miss the cut or finish 50th, whether I win or lose, or whatever, I'd still go back and think about what happened," said Harrington. "I'd analyse the stats of the round, and see what has to be improved for the next week as well as what needs to be improved overall."

The motto is that you live and learn and get on with it, and Harrington believes his game is "getting there".

He is one of six Irish players in the field - along with Darren Clarke, whose game should be suited by this course where the long hitters can clear the bunkers that prey on doglegs, Paul McGinley, Peter Lawrie, Ronan Rafferty and Graeme McDowell - and, like everyone, will have to putt on greens which have been affected by a severe attack of Fusarium patch disease, which has left unsightly, bare patches in areas.

"They're not as bad as we were expecting," insisted Harrington.

Nevertheless, the European Tour will implement a new local rule for the €2.7 million championship (€450,000 to the winner), with players permitted to move balls which come to rest within easily-identifiable patches of Fusarium to the nearest point of relief.

Woods, a three-time winner on the US Tour already this year, tends to come out of the traps fast after a break, and, even though his pro-am preparation round lasted for only four holes before it was abandoned due to a deluge, few can manage the demands of playing an alien course as effectively as he does.

There are three players from the top-10 in the world rankings competing - Woods, Harrington and Retief Goosen - but, as ever, Woods starts out as favourite.