Tiger needs form reversal at The Honda Classic

Tiger Woods and Adam Scott headline a star-studded field set for The Honda Classic starting Thursday. The world's top two ranked players were among those to skip the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, which was won by Jason Day on Sunday. Phil Mickelson also opted against competing at Dove Mountain and the American slipped from fourth to fifth in the rankings, overtaken by Day. Woods needs to turn around his form if he is to have any chance at the PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The American 14-time major winner has gone four straight starts on the PGA Tour without a top-10 finish – his longest drought in two years. In contrast, Australian world number two Scott is in fine form coming into the tournament. The US Masters champion has finished no lower than tied for eighth – at the Sony Open – in his last six starts around the world. But Woods and Scott are just two of several players in the field capable of challenging. Englishman Justin Rose, South African Charl Schwartzel and Northern Irish duo Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy are among the foreign contingent, who can do some damage. World number three Henrik Stenson of Sweden and Spaniard Sergio Garcia are also in the high-quality field. Of the Americans, Keegan Bradley, Zach Johnson and Rickie Fowler appear the best-placed to contend. Michael Thompson returns to defend the title he won last year, when he edged Australian Geoff Ogilvy by two shots. The PGA National course was the most difficult par-70 on the tour last year and is set to challenge players once more. Woods needs a return to form ahead of the first of the year's four majors – the Masters at Augusta starting April 10. Even being in contention heading into Sunday would be a start but he will need to keep up with several of the world's top 10.