Tiger Woods has revealed how he had been let off lightly by Roger Federer, whose historic Wimbledon victory means the tennis legend now has 15 grand slam titles to his close friend's 14 golf majors.

Woods, who will seek to draw level in this week's Open Championship at Turnberry, had braced himself for Federer to crow about his latest triumph.

But the American said: "That hasn't happened at all. Roger's been great. Our texts back and forth have always been jabby here and there. But we're also supportive of one another. That's what friends do. Roger is as down-to-earth as a person as you'd ever want to meet, given the amount of success he's had. It's just phenomenal to see all that hard work he's put in, then to get to 15 and the record for the most slams."

Woods missed out on the chance to reach the 15 mark before Federer last July when he was forced to miss The Open at Royal Birkdale as a result of major surgery to his left knee.

But the world No1 is firing on all cylinders again after winning three times on the US Tour since his return. The 33-year-old said: "It's just nice to be able to play with a leg that doesn't make a noise, and that doesn't move on me like it was doing."

Woods had surgery immediately after winning the US Open 13 months ago and admitted he was in so much discomfort he didn't see too much of Royal Birkdale, where Padraig Harrington retained his Open title.

He said: "At the time, my day consisted of trying to get from the bed to the couch and then from there back to the bed. It was probably two-and-a-half weeks after the operation and I was going through probably some of the worst pain at the time.

"The first few months after the operation, golf was the furthest thing from my mind. But as I entered December and January I really started feeling that I did miss playing out here and competing.

"It was still very difficult because I was so limited in what I could do practice-wise. But once I did start playing I remembered how much fun it is to compete against these guys. These guys are the best players in the world. Why wouldn't you want to do that?"

It is doubtful that the feeling was a mutual one. With Woods sidelined, the others had more of a chance to take titles. However, he was back to his winning ways in only his third start - the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March - following his comeback.

Since then he has also taken the Memorial Tournament and the AT&T National earlier this month. Woods said: "That first one was pretty special. The people around me know how hard I had to work to get back to the position of being able to play again. And it felt good to get that 'W' just three tournaments in, it really did."

Now he starts as favourite to win a fourth Open title. "Any time you have the chance to lift the Claret jug, it's special. It's been special for me three times, and hopefully I can do it again."

What gives the Tiger extra bite this week is the knowledge that the three previous Opens hosted by Turnberry were won by players who, at the time, were at the top of their game - Tom Watson in 1977, Greg Norman in 1986 and Nick Price in 1994.

He said: "Those guys were some of the best ball strikers. And you can understand why they won at this golf course. You really do have to hit your ball well here. You have to drive the ball well and you have to hit your irons well. You just can't fake it around this course."

This is Woods's first experience of Turnberry's Ailsa course and he is impressed by it.

"The course is in fantastic shape," he said. "The rough is up and we haven't had the big winds yet, but it's just a fabulous golf course.

"It's one where you have to be committed to either putting the ball short of the bunkers, or carrying them, or skirting it past them.

"You have to make sure you really know what you're doing out there, especially with the cross winds on some of the slanted fairways. As for hitting the driver, it will all depend on the wind. That's what's so hard about links golf, it's hard to tell you if I'm going to hit 10 drivers in a round or zero drivers."

Harrington is currently so wayward off the tee that he would probably prefer it if drivers were banned this week. But Woods insisted the Irishman can be a winner again, once he has finished the reconstruction of his swing.

Having gone through changes to his own swing, Woods said: "This game is fluid. We're always trying to get better, we're always evolving.

"Paddy is doing it now, I've been through it. The hard part is doing it in front of everybody, and you get questioned quite a bit. What you have to do is understand the bigger picture for yourself."