PERHAPS we’ve been looking in the wrong place all along for a rival to Tiger Woods. We assumed it would come on the PGA Tour, considering that’s where Woods makes his living.

But just when we’ve been ready to embrace someone who could challenge Woods’ supremacy on the links, they’ve wilted under the pressure to sustain the kind of greatness Woods has made habit. Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Phil Mickelson have all had their moments. But none has matched the consistency of Woods, who is looking to win his 11th major championship this weekend at the 135th British Open.

Truth is, the most credible rival to Woods isn’t on the PGA Tour at all. It isn’t even a man. It’s Annika Sorenstam.

Soon after Sorenstam captured the U.S. Women’s Open earlier this month, one of her first acts was to send a text message to Woods informing him she had won her 10th career major, equaling him in their friendly measure of excellence.

“We’re all square now,” Woods said. “That’s fine. We do that all the time to each other. It’s fun having a friend who is competitive just like I am. She’s one of the greatest that has ever played this sport. To see her go out there and how she prepares, it’s pretty phenomenal to watch.” Woods seldom gushes like that over his male counterparts. Perhaps that’s because they’ve yet to earn that type of respect from him. Mickelson had a chance to come to the British having won three straight majors. But his collapse on the 18th hole on Sunday at the U.S. Open not only ruined his chance at victory, but tempered any talk he’s the No. 1 player in golf.

So maybe it’s Sorenstam that motivates Woods this week.

He’ll get his chance to move ahead of the LPGA queen at Royal Liverpool. With all that’s happened in the last 12 months, it might be easy to forget he is the defending champion.

His five-stroke victory over Colin Montgomerie at St.

Andrews last year was a wire-to-wire display of dominance that made Woods just the second player to win each of the four major championships more than once.

Jack Nicklaus was the first, so perhaps it was fitting that with Nicklaus playing in his final British Open, the torch was officially passed to Woods.

Since then, Mickelson assumed the spotlight by winning the 2005 PGA Championship and the 2006 Masters in succession, and Woods spent nearly two months away from golf enduring the illness and eventual death of his beloved father, Earl. When Woods missed the cut at the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, his first missed cut at a major as a pro, it raised questions about how soon he would return to form. How long would it take him to regain the fire? How long would it take him to recover from the death of his father?

“I’m sure it gets easier, but it’s something you’ll never, ever forget,” Woods said. A second-place finish at the Western Open helped answer some of those questions. Woods shot 67-66-68 over the final three rounds to send a clear signal Tiger Woods is still Tiger Woods.

“It was nice to feel the juices coming down the stretch where I had chance,” he said after that tournament. “I’m very pleased to get back into contention after taking that much time off and two events later have a chance [to win].” This weekend will mark the first time in nearly 40 years the British Open has been played at Royal Liverpool, a course that will stretch to 7,218 yards.

After missing the cut in his last major, Woods certainly will want to contend and perhaps win his first major of the year. Then he’ll be sending a text message to you know who.

135th British

Open On the tube

Thursday-Friday 7 a.m.-7 p.m. – TNT

Saturday 7-9 a.m. – TNT 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. – ABC

Sunday 6-8 a.m. – TNT 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. -ABC

The favorites

Tiger Woods 4-1

Phil Mickelson 9-1

Ernie Els 14-1

Vijay Singh 14-1

Retief Goosen 16-1

Luke Donald 24-1

Padraig Harrington 25-1

David Howell 28-1

Jim Furyk 32-1

Sergio Garcia 32-1

Colin Montgomerie 33-1

Darren Clarke 35-1

Michael Campbell 35-1

Adam Scott 36-1

Odds from bodog.com

Site: Royal Liverpool

Length: 7,258 yards

Par: 35-37-72

Format: 72 holes, stroke play

Playoff (if necessary): Four holes, stroke play

Purse:TBA ($7.3 million in 2005)

Winner’s share: TBA ($1.26 million in 2005)

Defending champion:Tiger Woods Last time at Royal Liverpool (1967): Roberto De Vicenzo of Argentina won his only major championship, closing with a 70 to beat Nicklaus by two shots.

Open champions at Royal Liverpool: Harold Hilton (1897), Alexander Herd (1902), John H. Taylor (1913), Walter Hagen (1924), Bobby Jones (1930), Alfred Padgham (1936), Fred Daly (1947), Peter Thomson (1956), Roberto De Vicenzo (1967).