World number one Tiger Woods says he can become the first player in history to win all four majors in one season.

Woods, who tees off at 3.45pm BST in the first round of the Masters on Thursday, has been in superb form in 2008.

He has won seven of his last nine tournaments and is as short as 8-1 with some bookmakers to win all four majors.

"I think this is my 12th or 13th season and in nine of those years I've won five or more tournaments, so just got to win the right four," said Woods.

"I've won all four in a row before," he added, referring to his wins in The Open, US Open and the USPGA in 2000 and the Masters the following year.

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But the world number one is under no illusions about how difficult it will be to see off the challenge of the other elite golfers in the world, even though the bookies make him an even-money favourite to win a fifth green jacket.

"I think most of the top guys are playing well this year," he said.

"I'm thinking of Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson; Retief Goosen is starting to play better. Ernie Els is playing better, Jim Furyk is starting to turn it around a little bit and Adam Scott is playing well - a lot of guys are playing well this year.

"You have to have a lot of things come together in order to win a championship and more so for major championships.

"One break where you hit a tree and it goes out of play and doesn't come back in, or it happens to catch a right slope, or catches a gust of wind - all these little factors that come in just one time is the difference between winning and losing.

"It really is hard to quantify that to people. You ask all of the players and caddies - they are the only ones who really understand the difference between winning and losing, how fine that is."

If Tiger Woods wins the 2008 US Masters by five or more shots, Paddy Power will refund all losing outright bets placed before the start of the tournament. 
 
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