Tiger Woods set to resume place as world number one

TIGER WOODS looks likely to reclaim his spot as the world number one. If he can win this weekend's Arnold Palmer invitational at Bay Hill, the biggest earner in golf history will knock Rory McIlroy from the top spot, says the Daily Telegraph.

The embarrassment of Woods's extra-marital affairs and his very public split from ex-wife Elin Nordegren, which culminated in 2009 with a bizarre early-morning car accident involving a fire hydrant and Nordegren brandishing a golf club, seemed to destroy his form, says the paper.

By October 2011, Woods was not even ranked in the top 50 – an astonishing fall from grace for the player who was the youngest ever to win all four majors and has been hailed as the greatest golfer of all time.

Now Woods, who has spent a total of 623 weeks as world number one, has found his form again, in spectacular style. The new Tiger seems more relaxed and mature than he did before his fall, "joshing" with competitors and contributing "selflessly" to America's doomed Ryder Cup bid.

Could his success be thanks to a resurgent private life? On Tuesday, it emerged Woods is "dating" world champion American skier Lindsey Vonn - his first relationship since the divorce and his treatment for sex addiction.

Woods posted photos of himself with Vonn on his Facebook page, writing: "Something nice that's happened off the course was meeting Lindsey Vonn. Lindsey and I have been friends for some time, but over the last few months we have become very close and are now dating."

Vonn tweeted that the relationship with Woods has "made me very happy". ·