TIGER WOODS and Jon Rahm fired early warning shots yesterday with the US PGA Championship just three weeks away.

Despite fitness struggles, Woods (46) proved his decision to post his entry for Southern Hills was not wishful thinking when he jetted into Tulsa and headed to the site of his 13th major win for a practice round.

As Woods tested his game in Oklahoma, world number two Rahm made five birdies and an eagle two in a seven-under 64 to share the early lead in the Mexico Open at Vidanta.

“That was as solid a round as I have played this year,” said Rahm, who is without an official win since his US Open triumph at Torrey Pines last June.

The Basque was tied with Jonathan Byrd, Brendon Todd, Trey Mullinax and Bryson Nimmer, one stroke ahead of England’s Aaron Rai and US duo Aaron Wise and Sahith Theegala. Graeme McDowell was tied 61st after a one-under 71.

On the DP World Tour, Tom McKibbin (19) chiselled out a level par 72 to head the Irish challenge in the Catalunya Championship on the Stadium Course at PGA Catalunya Golf and Wellness near Girona.

He was tied 51st, six strokes behind Denmark’s Jeff Winther and South Africans Oliver Bekker and Darren Fichardt, who opened with 66s.

Jonathan Caldwell was a shot outside the projected cut line after a 73 as Kilkenny’s Luke Donnelly shot 76 and Cormac Sharvin a 79.

Meanwhile, Tulfarris professional Simon Thornton earned three DP World Tour starts when he finished a shot outside a play-off for the 54-hole PGA Play-Offs at PGA National Slieve Russell.

The former European Tour winner closed with a two-under 70 to finish on six-under-par and earn starts in the Cazoo Open, the Cazoo Classic and the Scottish Hero Open as Scotland’s Greig Hutcheon beat England’s Adam Keogh with a par at the second extra hole.

Hutcheon’s third win in the event earned him seven tour starts, including the BMW PGA, the Horizon Irish Open and next week’s Betfred British Masters.

In the LPGA’s Palos Verdes Championship in California, Minjee Lee fired an eight-under 63 to lead by a shot from world number one Jin Young Ko as Stephanie Meadow, two-under after seven holes, slipped to a two-over 73 as Leona Maguire had 33 putts in a 74.

Elsewhere, Pádraig Harrington joins Darren Clarke in the Insperity Invitational in Texas for the first of five events in a row, including two senior majors and the PGA Championship.

Harrington is looking to break his duck on the seniors circuit and he’s bullish about his game, insisting they but for his putting, he might have been in the mix at the Masters rather than missing the cut by one.

“I should have been under par, not missing the cut,” he said. “Should have been in contention. There you go. The game is solid. I just don't putt as well as -- got to hole the putts.

“Hopefully, being out on this tour I'll create more opportunities and start holing a few more putts and start feeling good about my putting.”

He’s joined in Texas by his Ryder Cup opposite number Steve Stricker, who was laid low by a mystery virus after Whistling Straits and only returns to action this week.

“Oh, it's great,” Harrington said of Sticker’s return. “Quite scary really, his illness.”

Despite the lopsided scoreline in Wisconsin, the pair have a bond, even though Harrington feels Stricker “has one over me”.

“Of course, we'll have a bond,” Harrington said. “All Ryder Cup captains have a bond going forward, but no more so than the one you're competing against.“

Mutual respect?

”Absolutely. We got on well. Steve is a tough customer. I've always known that.”