It's tough at the top

Tiger Woods will head to the season's final major championship in the worst form of his professional career.

The 14-time major champion struggled to a seven-over-par 77 in Sunday's final round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. That gave him a 72-hole aggregate of 298 - his highest total ever on the PGA Tour, his worst relative to par and the first time since the 2003 USPGA Championship he had strung together four rounds over par.

Woods' figure was in stark contrast to his Ryder Cup colleague Hunter Mahan who shot a final round 64 to win by two shots against fellow American Ryan Palmer.

Defending champion Woodscarded two double-bogeys in the last five holes at Firestone in Ohio, a venue where he has won seven times in the past to finish on 18 over par, 30 shots behind Mahan and a full 39 shots off his own record winning total.

Three strokes off the pace going into the final round, Mahan charged into contention with a sizzling front nine of five-under 30 and made two clutch putts to save par over the last four holes to post a 12-under total of 268.

It was the second victory of the year for Mahan, following his success at the Phoenix Open. He has played on the last three American Ryder Cup teams, always as a captain's pick, but the $1.4 million winner's cheque moved him up to number two in the standings with just one more qualifying event to come.

Woods is currently outside the automatic qualifying places for the team heading into this week's USPGA at Whistling Straits. A dramatic change in fortunes is needed if he is to find the form and performance he needs to qualify automatically, or to even encourage Captain Corey Pavin to take him as a 'Captains Pick'. Right now neither seems likely and if this run of form continues the US Team would not benefit from having him - imagine that, and who would have thought a year ago that Tiger Woods would not qualify as one of the top eight American players. How things can change; it can be a cruel game at times.

One positive for Woods from the week is that he will stay at number one in the world until at least next Sunday, despite his closing 77 after Phil Mickelson failed to secure the top-four finish he needed to go to the top of the rankings for the first time. Scant consolation I'm sure and at the moment I doubt he feels like the best player in the world.

The USPGA Championship concludes the Major action for 2010 this week and if Wood's is hoping to turn his fortunes around, he could have picked an easier course!

Designed by Pete Dye, Whistling Straits emulates the great old seaside links courses of the British Isles, but at more than 7,500 yards, and several of the holes hugging the shores of Lake Michigan, it will be a severe test of the world's best.

Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen and Phil Mickelson, the three major champions of 2010, will form a traditional grouping when play gets under way. One player who will be missed by many is England's Lee Westwood.

Westwood went into the World Golf Championship tournament with a chance of supplanting Tiger Woods as world number one but had to withdraw after the second round. He ruptured the plantaris muscle in his right calf at the French Open but managed to be fit enough to play in the Open at St Andrews.

The injury hasn't healed properly and the pain returned forcing an early retirement and a lay off that could run for weeks. Fingers crossed that he will still be able to take his place at Celtic Manor.

It will be a fascinating week's golf; can Tiger turn his performance around? Will Phil be number one on Monday? Who will cement their Ryder Cup berth? All these questions and the destination of the Wanamaker Trophy will be answered come Sunday afternoon.