DAVID Howell could start this year as he finished 2006 - by doing battle with Tiger Woods next month.

Swindon's world no 15 is scheduled to open his 2007 campaign at the Dubai Desert Classic, which gets underway on February 1.

World no 1 Woods is also in the field, along with the likes of world no 6 Ernie Els and Colin Montgomerie and two-time Major winner Mark O'Meara.

Howell and Woods last met at the Target World Challenge in California in December, the Swindon man ending up way down the 16-man field as Woods clinched the title.

But Dubai holds fond memories for the 31-year-old, who clinched his maiden European Tour title there in 1999, albeit down the road at the Dubai Creek course instead of current venue the Emirates course.

Howell's schedule is then likely to take him across the Atlantic to the Nissan Open in California before the first big event of the year, the WGC Accenture Matchplay in Arizona later that month.

Meanwhile, Vijay Singh's victory in the US Tour-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship in Hawaii has lifted the Fijian up two places to fifth in the world.

The 43-year-old was the last player to dislodge Tiger Woods from the no 1 spot, but fell from second to seventh last year.

Singh's win by three shots over Australian Adam Scott was the 30th of his career in America and made him only the second player after Woods to top $50million.

It was also his 18th since reaching the age of 40, beating the record previously held by the legendary Sam Snead.

Scott, not 27 until July, is now a career-high third in the rankings after his runners-up finish, relegating the still-resting Phil Mickelson to fourth. Mickelson has not played since the Ryder Cup last September.

LATEST RANKINGS

1 Tiger Woods 19.89pts. 2 Jim Furyk 8.72. 3 Adam Scott 7.50. 4 Phil Mickelson 6.78. 5 Vijay Singh 5.97. 6 Ernie Els 5.88. 7 Padraig Harrington 5.55. 8 Retief Goosen 5.53. 9 Geoff Ogilvy 5.26. 10 Luke Donald 5.26 . 11 Sergio Garcia 4.98. 12 Trevor Immelman 4.83. 13 Henrik Stenson 4.55. 14 Paul Casey 3.90. 15 David Howell 3.79. 16 Davis Love 3.79. 17 Colin Montgomerie 3.49. 18 Jose Maria Olazabal 3.44. 19 David Toms 3.37. 20 Nick O'Hern 3.28.