Golf: Tigerish times after the Open

Tiger's back on top of the world, Cambo's showing some form in China, so how have the past three years treated the major players in the Tiger Woods Open at Paraparaumu?

New Zealand developed Tigermania in January 2002 when, thanks to encouragement from his caddie, Steve Williams, and a couple of million dollars as a sweetener, the American superstar competed in the New Zealand Open.

The hype and breathless media scrum were reminiscent of royal tours of another era but the golf - on some dodgy greens and in wintry weather - was less memorable.

Chunky Aussie Craig Parry shot a three-under 68 in the final round to win by a shot from Kiwis Michael Campbell and Steve Alker and fellow Aussie Stephen Leaney.

Young Aussie amateur Adam Groom was alone in fifth place three shots further back.

Woods finished sixth-equal with Kiwi Stephen Scahill and Aussie lefthander Nick O'Hern.

The world No 1 had sent jitters through the organisers when he struggled with a second-round 73, but he finished with rounds of 67 and 69.

He went on to win five times on the US PGA Tour that year, including the US Masters and US Open.

He won five times again in 2003, but only once last year, losing his No 1 status to Vijay Singh in September.

This year he has won three times, including his fourth Masters, and is back on top.

People talked about a form slump last season.

It's the kind of slump others dream about.

One telling statistic: Tiger has made the cut in 141 consecutive tournaments. Next best is Ernie Els with 19.

Parry's win at Paraparaumu jolted an already successful career up a couple of notches. It earned him a start in the WGC-NEC Invitational in the US, which he won.

Last year he won the Ford championship at Doral on the US tour and in February beat O'Hern in a playoff to win the Heineken Classic in Melbourne.

He didn't return to defend his NZ Open title after a dispute with the organisers, but this year at Gulf Harbour finished equal 31st.

Campbell's third placing in the Johnnie Walker tournament in Beijing this week was his best result for some time.

After gaining a world ranking of 14th in 2000, he was still in the top 20 during 2002, winning the European Open and recording several top-10 finishes in the US and Europe.

But shifting his base to the US in 2003 did not work and his sole success came back in Europe with a win in the Irish Open.

He slipped out of the top 100 in the world rankings and has missed the cut in the last two NZ Opens.

But his China result sees him jump to 99th in the world.

Alker won on the Nationwide tour in 2002 and went on to qualify for the US PGA Tour in 2003.

He failed to keep his card and then had a fairly quiet 2004 back on the Nationwide.

He finished top Kiwi in seventh place in the NZ Open this year and has made a good start to his Nationwide campaign - 13th last weekend at Virginia Beach and 29th on the money list.

Leaney won the German Masters in 2002 and the following year was runnerup to Jim Furyk in the US Open.

Last year he won more than US$1 million in the US and was fourth in the world matchplay, beaten by Woods.

Groom surged up the field at Paraparaumu with a closing 67.

His professional career has been less spectacular, though he was rookie of the year on the Asian tour last season. He finished equal 41st at Gulf Harbour in February.

Scahill is starting his third season in a row on the European tour and, while he has yet to win, he is remarkably consistent.

He finished 17th-equal at Gulf Harbour, where the Open was also a European tour event.

O'Hern is one of the stars of the European tour.

Without a win last season, he still finished 12th on the money list, and back in Australia he lost a playoff to Parry for the rich Heineken prize. He missed the cut at Gulf Harbour.

Second amateur at Paraparaumu, four behind Groom, was Auckland's Brad Heaven. He was second amateur again at Middlemore in 2003, and last year, at The Grange, was second overall while still an amateur. He missed the cut at Gulf Harbour.

Back in 17th-equal in 2002 was Kiwi Craig Perks, who a couple of months later stunned everybody and particularly Woods when he produced one of the most spectacular finishes on the US PGA Tour to win the Players' Championship.