The 2007 season opening event on the PGA Tour, the Mercedes-Benz Championship, will be without its main drawcard – world No.1 Tiger Woods. Woods, who also missed the event in 2006 to spend time with his ill father, has opted to take time out with his family before the long year of tournaments ahead. After adding a further two majors the British Open and US PGA – to his trophy cabinet this year Woods said he needed more time to prepare his game. “I just haven&apost been able to prepare. I usually spend at least one week working on my game before a tournament and have been unable to do that this year,” Woods wrote on his website. “This marks only the third time in my career I have missed the season-opening event.” Masters champion Phil Mickelson will also skip the season opener, leaving Australian Geoff Ogilvy as the only player in the field to have won a major in 2006. The absence of Woods and Mickelson is a blow to tournament organisers, who are now left with only eight of the world&aposs top 20 golfers competing for the title. Australian Stuart Appleby will look to make history by winning his fourth successive Mercedes-Benz Championship at Kapalua, beginning on January 4. Woods will seek his seventh straight PGA Tour victory when he makes his 2007 debut at the Buick Invitational.