PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- The PGA Tour season began five months ago. The new year is two months old. And yet theres something about the Honda Classic that makes Tiger Woods and a collection of stars feel as though its all about to get underway. "I think once we get to Florida, I think were all thinking about our way to Augusta," Woods said. Six tournaments remaining before the Masters, the first major of the year, and this is now serious business. It shows in the strength of the field at PGA National, with seven of the top 10 players from the world ranking. The last time Woods, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott competed in the same tournament was the BMW Championship near Chicago last summer. Thats how it was a generation ago, when some of golfs top players either rested or played overseas early in the season, and then showed up in tropical conditions at Doral to start the official road to Augusta National. Woods has plenty of work to do based on his early performance -- a missed 54-hole cut at Torrey Pines in his lone PGA Tour start this year, followed by a dismal performance by his standards at the Dubai Desert Classic, where he tied for 41st. He conceded that he spent most of his winter break working on his body instead of his golf. Since returning from overseas earlier this month, Woods said he has spent most of his time working on his short game. Woods isnt the only player coming off a substantial break. Scott, the defending champion at Augusta, hasnt competed since the Sony Open in Honolulu. He spent the following week on the Big Island, surfing and playing a few casual rounds with his buddies, then killed time on the couch or doing anything not related to golf until it was time to get back to work. He plans to play three of the next four tournaments. "After three weeks I kind of felt like I needed to start swinging again and started to get the itch, but I think I timed it pretty well because Ive had a nice couple weeks of intense practice before getting here and a week of playing with some mates before that," Scott said. "I feel like Ive had a nice preparation, but this is a very tough test, and its probably not the ideal one to float back in off after an extended break." PGA National looks to have as much blue (water) as green (grass), and the course is converted into a par 70 at 7,140 yards for the Honda Classic. Michael Thompson won last year at 9-under 271. It wouldnt seem to favour Mickelson, who has not played PGA National since he was an amateur. Mickelson missed the last two weeks because his kids were on spring break, spending some of that time skiing and some of that playing golf. He did not want to fly out from California for one tournament next week at Doral, so he added the Honda Classic. "The greens are really immaculate," Mickelson said. "If you get hot with a putter, you can make a lot of putts. But I do like the golf course. Ive always liked Nicklaus-designed golf courses. I know this course he renovated or redesigned years ago, and its a wonderful test of golf, and I think thats a real credit as to why such a strong field continues to come here." This is only the third time Woods has played the Honda Classic as a pro. He rallied with a 62 in the final round in 2012 to finish behind McIlroy, and then struggled off the tee -- particularly on the sixth hole -- a year ago when he tied for 37th. McIlroy has his own set of memories from PGA National, not all of them good. Even though he won in 2012 to become No. 1 in the world for the first time, he followed that by playing 26 holes last year before walking off the course with his game in disrepair and his business affairs not much better. McIlroy said it was a mistake to quit, something he wont ever do again. But the 24-year-old from Northern Ireland is in a better frame of mind this year. He is comfortable with his equipment. Hes engaged. He has settled into his own management (though he still is going through a legal battle with his old firm). And he is playing like the guy everyone expected to be the biggest threat to Woods. "Im in a better place," McIlroy said. "And I feel like when my game is in a good place, everything else can sort of fall in line with that. It makes me feel more comfortable about everything." Running Shoes Sale Clearance . The team announced that it exercised the options on 15 players including goalkeepers Evan Bush, Maxime Crepeau and Troy Perkins, defenders Matteo Ferrari, Karl W. Running Shoes Wholesale China . The defeat leaves the 41-year-old Nestor to concentrate on the mixed-doubles event after winning 12 straight matches and winning Australian titles in Brisbane and Sydney with two different partners. "This was a little bit of a let down, but all credit to them," said Nestor. http://www.runningshoescheap.net/ . Keenum will make his first appearance in a regular-season game against the rugged defence of the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, where the fans just set a Guinness record as the noisiest outdoor stadium in the world. Wholesale Running Shoes Cheap . "Im excited just for a new start, just to see where things are going, to bring some kind of tradition back to the team and guys being excited about something new," the defensive back said during a conference call Monday after agreeing to stay with the Bombers rather than go to free agency next month. Wholesale Running Shoes China . -- The defending Canadian womens curling champions squandered an opportunity to take sole possession of first place in the standings Tuesday at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.Watch the full version of Sky Sports F1s exclusive interview with the legendary Ross Brawn. Martin Brundle sat down with the former Ferrari technical director and Mercedes team boss at the recent Goodwood Festival of Speed, where Brawns own 2009 title-winning car ran up the famous hill for the first time.Nearly three years after his exit from Mercedes, the 61-year-old also gave his thoughts on the world champions subsequent domination, and about the calmness required at Ferrari for his other old team to return to the top. They need a quiet approach, said Brawn. Its important that Ferrari still respect what they have to do, but they do it progressively and quietly.Because I think thatt was a great success in our period, that Jean Todt and Luca Montezemelo kept a lid over everything and enabled us to work on the engineering side and the racing side.ddddddddddddSo I think its a quiet approach with the necessary planning and resource. Theyve got some very good people there -James Allison is excellent. If they give him the resources and give him the time and put the infrastructure around him, with great drivers, theyll get results.Brawn also discusses whether he would be interested in one day writing F1s rules. Also See: What time does Sundays British GP start? WATCH: Herbert takes a tumble ' ' '