Turnberry could be third time lucky for Tiger

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

TURNBERRY, Scotland (Reuters) - Tiger Woods goes into next week's British Open as heavy favourite to clinch his 15th major crown, despite having failed to convert winning form into success at the first two grand slam events this year.

The American world number one triumphed in his final PGA Tour starts before both the U.S. Masters in April and last month's U.S. Open without going on to secure victory in the two majors that followed.

Asked if that unusual sequence had crossed his mind, Woods replied with a broad grin: "It has now."

He tied for sixth at the Masters after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational and again shared sixth spot at the U.S. Open, having claimed the Memorial title two weeks earlier.

Since then he has played in just one more event, emerging triumphant by one stroke at the AT&T National which he hosts in suburban Washington, D.C.

Having not won a major since his remarkable playoff victory over compatriot Rocco Mediate at last year's U.S. Open, Woods will be banking on third time lucky this season at Turnberry.

"Hopefully I can play like I did (at the AT&T) and continue to build next week," the 33-year-old told reporters after clinching his 68th career title.

"Just making sure you can flight your ball ... and manoeuvre it both ways efficiently because over there (in Britain) you don't know what kind of weather you're going to get."