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The latest on Tiger Woods and Augusta National...announces comeback...will play The Masters...'ready to start'...UPDATES BELOW AS THEY COME

Updates and Opinions below the video

It's official! Tiger Woods is coming back to golf at The Masters next month in Augusta, Georgia. 

In USA TodaySteve DiMeglio writes...

Tiger Woods will end his self-imposed "indefinite break" from golf by making his long-awaited return to the game on the hallowed grounds of Augusta National Golf Club, home of The Masters. "The Masters is where I won my first major and I view this tournament with great respect," Woods said Tuesday in a statement. "After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I'm ready to start my season at Augusta. The major championships have always been a special focus in my career and, as a professional, I think Augusta is where I need to be, even though it's been a while since I last played."

Roars are expected to echo through the Georgia pines and above the multihued azaleas that frame the revered course when the world No. 1 plays for the first time this year. The tournament in Augusta, Ga., is the first major championship of the season and will be Woods' first since he ran his SUV over a fire hydrant and into a tree in the wee hours of Nov. 27 in front of his suburban Orlando estate. The single-car accident turned his private life into public property as revelations of his extramarital affairs splashed across front pages of newspapers and tabloids around the world.

The announcement ends weeks of speculation about Woods and his return to professional golf. Woods last played in November when he won the Australian Masters, and his last competitive appearance in the U.S. came at the Presidents Cup in October in San Francisco.

In his statement, Woods said he regrets not being able to play in the Tavistock Cup and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Read more on USA Today. 

 


 

On ESPN, Jason Sobel wites...

Tiger Woods looked into the camera and knew he needed to speak the truth. The game's top-ranked golfer appeared debilitated, dejected, and for maybe the first time in his career, completely vulnerable. In other words, he looked human.

This description could easily explain Woods' demeanor throughout a 13½-minute speech that was delivered from PGA Tour headquarters Feb. 19, during which he addressed personal affairs that had been cause of his self-imposed leave of absence from golf. Instead, it serves as a summary of thoughts from four years earlier, and should provide the reason he will come back as very much the same competitor when he returns in early April at The Masters.

Read the rest on ESPN.com

More on what we can expect to see from Tiger Woods at Augusta. 

From Dogs Chasing Cars, Shane B. writes...

He's returning, but he isn't really returning. Tiger Woods hasn't played tournament golf since November 15, so to think that he believes he has a chance at winning would do one of two things.

1.) It would show that no matter how much therapy/changing Tiger has done, his ego still overrides reality.
2.) It would mean that he has been practicing way more than he led the public to believe.

Still, no practice can prepare someone for an event like this, and Tiger is probably going to finish somewhere around 15th* or something, a mediocre week for Tiger (And a great week for most anyone else in the field).

Woods picked Augusta because it is simple, and it has nothing to do with what he told the Associated Press. He isn't doing it because he won his first major there. He isn't doing it because he feels that it has some bigger meaning.

Read more on Dogs Chasing Cars.

CBS President Sean McManus says Tiger Woods return will 'be epic'

In Sports IllustratedRichard Deitsch writes...

As the formal part of its annual NCAA basketball Media Day drew to a close last week, a reporter approached CBS News and Sports president Sean McManus to talk about a subject other than college basketball.

"News?" McManus asked.

No.

"Football," McManus pressed again.

Nope.

"The Masters," McManus said.

The executive was told he was getting closer.

McManus smiled. "Tiger Woods."

Read more on Sports Illustrated website. 
 

Watch Tiger Woods comeback in 3D

Yep, that's a true statement. The Masters announced that we'll get to watch this year's event in 3D. Do you have your glasses? Maybe I should go see Avatar again and steal me a pair. 

First "Avatar," now Augusta.

Parts of the 2010 Masters will be broadcast in next-generation 3D, the first time a live major sporting event will feature this technology. The technology will allow viewers to see much of the back nine in three dimensions, Augusta National Chairman Billy Payne said Monday.

This 3D technology has previously only been available for movies, according to Jenni Moyer, a senior director of corporate communications for Comcast, which will deliver the programming to U.S. viewers with 3D-capable TV and computer screens.

"Innovation has always been part of Masters tradition," Payne said.

Read more on Golf.com

PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem responds to Tiger's return

Finchem's statement: We were pleased to learn that Tiger Woods will be playing the Masters in a few weeks. He has invested a lot of time taking steps, both in his personal and professional life, in order to prepare for his return. We all wish him and his family the best as he rejoins the Tour.


 

 

Six reasons why Augusta National is the logical return for Tiger Woods.

On PGATour.com, staff writers come up with these six reasons below...

1. CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT -- From the media impact to the size of the galleries, the Masters can make Augusta National a very hospitable place for Woods. Media credentials, in fact, were just recently sent out, and non-traditional golf media may get shut out. And, of course, tickets to the tournament are among the toughest to acquire for any sporting event, with badges passed down from generation to generation. "Augusta is one place in the world that you can really have control, and they will control everything from the crowds to the situation that will be facing Tiger," Arnold Palmer said. "I think that if there is a place in the world that you can do that and do it properly, Augusta will do that."

2. SPEAKING OF THE CROWDS -- You can bet they will be on the best behavior ... as they always are at Augusta National. Genteel behavior and proper decorum are part of the unique aspect of Masters patrons. As Bobby Jones wrote in 1967: "Most distressing to those who love the game of golf is the applauding or cheering of misplays or misfortunes of a player. Such occurrences have been rare at the Masters but we must eliminate them entirely if our patrons are to continue to merit their reputation as the most knowledgeable and considerate in the world." Mr. Jones probably didn't envision a scenario such as this, but you can expect Masters officials to encourage their patrons to continue adhering to the message.

Read the rest of the reasons on PGATour.com

Ron Sirak from Golf Digest shares his opinion on Tiger's return

The decision by Tiger Woods to return to competition at the Masters in April is clearly part of a carefully orchestrated campaign by his handlers to bring him back in the most controlled environment possible -- as they did when he delivered his televised apology Feb. 19 -- but it comes with risks as well. While it is true Augusta National, being a private club, has much greater control in issuing media credentials and filtering questions than a regular PGA Tour event, it is also true that a major championship is a demanding test that identifies a player's weakness -- both physically and emotionally.

The most important thing Woods needs to do right now is shift the conversation away from serial infidelity and endorsement partners jumping ship back to golf. And the only way to get that line of discussion going is to play well. If Woods' first round back is a 75, for example, the questioning will be about distractions and focus and emotional well-being. And while there is every reason to believe Woods is going to stonewall the media about his personal escapades when he returns, that will not stop people from asking and it won't prevent the news talk shows from making his "struggles" the topic of discussion.

Read more on Golf Digest.

Is this the biggest golf story ever? Randall Mell says yes!

The Dalai Lama must be scratching his head again.

The Tibetan spiritual leader only recently discovered who Tiger Woods was after being asked about him in an interview.

We can only imagine his reaction around the water cooler at The Office of His Holiness when the news hit today that Woods is returning to golf.

“Somebody, please, what is the Masters?”

The news that Woods will return in three weeks at Augusta National was beamed around the world with such force that it’s a wonder it hasn’t knocked satellites off their orbits.

The Tiger Woods story is a worldwide fascination because his golf will be about so much more than sport now.

Woods may not be bigger than the Masters, but his story is.

Woods may not be bigger than golf, but his story is.

Woods now towers over every player and storyline in the history of the game.

Read the rest on Golf Channel.

Rex Hoggard says Augusta National is the perfect place for Tiger Woods' return

The Masters works because the U.S. Open is too far away. The Masters works because Bay Hill, a great event, is shoehorned into a sprawling neighborhood and already a logistical challenge, sans zoo. The Masters works because the Tavistock Cup in not a real competition. The Masters works because Augusta National is as close to a Tour autocracy as one can get.

But mostly the Masters works as the site of the “return” because it is where mind, game and calendar collide into a perfect storm, however imperfect Tiger Woods’ current situation may be.

Read the rest on The Golf Channel.

 

OurSlice: It's going to be an exciting week --- maybe the most watched golf event ever.
2 days ago

Report: Tiger Woods is back living with his wife and kids in Orlando home...

Fox News reports that Tiger Woods is back home and living with his wife and kids. 

Tiger Woods' home may finally be a happy one. The gossip Web site TMZ reported Saturday that the lusty linksman has spent more than a week living in the same Isleworth, Fla., mansion as his wife Elin Nordegren and their two children, and that Nordegren has been seen about town looking happy. The site said Woods, 34, has spent the last eight nights under the same roof as the woman he so publicly betrayed, and he's been spending his days furiously practicing for his return to golf. If true, the reports mean there may finally be some easing of tensions between Woods and Nordegren since his sex scandal first threatened their marriage. Late last month, it was reported that Nordegren refused to pose for a family portrait with her husband the night before the star golfer made his public apology. "Absolutely no way," Nordegren, 30, reportedly replied when asked to pose with her husband.

Read more on Fox News.

OurSlice: Well, despite all that happened, I do want them to work it out. And not just for the kid's sake.
4 days ago

The latest on Tiger Woods' return to golf...NY Post says Tiger to return in 2 weeks...Jamie Jungers winner of Tiger Woods Mistress Pageant..

UPDATES AT BOTTOM OF POST --- SOURCE SAYS TIGER WOODS WON'T PLAY UNTIL MASTERS

ESPN reports...

When will Tiger Woods return to the PGA Tour? It depends on who you believe. The Associated Press is reporting Woods intends to remain out of golf at least until the Masters, according to two people with knowledge of his plans. A report in the New York Post has Woods playing in two weeks, at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Orlando.

Read the rest on ESPN.com

The Game On Blog at USA Today says Tiger Woods is coming back to golf in 2 weeks...

The New York Post is reporting that Tiger Woods will return in two weeks and play in the Arnold Palmer Invitational starting March 25. The paper is quoting two sources who say Woods has hired former presidential advisor Ari Fleischer, who now runs a sports communications firm, to help him with a strategy to make his entrance back on the PGA Tour.

For more of this story, visit the Game on Blog. 

The Sports-Odds website agrees and also says Tiger is coming back at Bay Hill. Quote a sources who says they'd be shocked if he didn't play.  

Tiger Woods Returns to Golf March 25 at 2010 Arnold Palmer Invitational: It appears that the return of Tiger Woods to golf will come sooner than anyone expected, as rumors indicate that the fallen golfer will re-emerge on the scene for the 2010 Arnold Palmer Invitational which gets underway March 25th at Bay Hill in Orlando, Florida. According to the New York Post, two sources in the golf community have indicated that Woods has hired some of the best PR people to assist him figure out a strategy and to help him manage his return to the main stage. "They were in his living room this week going over a strategy for how to handle Bay Hill in two weeks," one source said. "I would be shocked if he didn’t play the Arnold Palmer," the other unnamed source stated.

Read more at the Sports-Odds website. 

On The Independent Website, James Corrigan reports that Mark O'Meara says Tiger is coming back at Bay Hill. 

As if the speculation of an imminent Tiger Woods return needed any more bolstering Mark O'Meara last night said he “would not be surprised” if the world No1 decides to play on his team at the Tavistock Cup in 12 days time. O'Meara, who has been Woods' closest professional confidante in his 14 years on Tour, is captain of the Isleworth side in the two-day exhibition match which takes place on the same gated-community complex as Woods' Florida home. And when speaking to the Golf Channel yesterday, the two-time major winner sounded as if he anticipated Woods ending his “indefinite break” from the game a week Monday. “I would not be surprised if Tiger plays,” said O'Meara, who also lives at Isleworth. “Hank [Haney, his coach] has come to town and they're working on stuff they normally work on. I know it's been a rough road these last three months for him and his family, but golf is what Tiger does. The Tavistock Cup might be a right fit to come back. Play that event and then, maybe, Bay Hill straight afterwards.”

Read the rest of this article on The Independent website. 

On a lighter not, Howard Stern had the Tiger Woods Mistress Beauty Pageant recently ---- and drum roll please --- Jamie Jungers has been crowned the winner. Stern organized the pageant following the revelation that Tiger Woods cheated on his wife multiple times. Jamie Jungers, seen in this TMZ video leaving the pageant with a tiara and flowers, also pocketed $75,000 for dishing the most on her and Tiger's relationship is comparison to his other mistresses: Loredana Jolie and Jamiee Grubbs

 

UPDATE: AP reports that Tiger Woods won't play until the Masters. 

Tiger Woods intends to remain out of golf at least until the Masters, two people with knowledge of his plans told The Associated Press on Thursday. Woods has been practicing at Isleworth near his Orlando home the last two weeks, and swing coach Hank Haney flew there during the weekend to work with him. That led to speculation Thursday he was close to playing again.The two people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because only Woods is supposed to release such information, say he is likely to play first at Augusta National in April.

Read more of this on PGA.com

OurSlice: I could see Tiger playing at Bay Hill. It's about time for him to get back to golf.
6 days ago

PGA Tour stops start preparing for Tiger Woods' eventual return to competition...

From GOLF.com

Not long after Tiger Woods returned home and starting practicing, the PGA Tour began checking with tournaments to make sure they were prepared to handle the hype over Tiger getting back to golf. That even includes tournaments he has never played. "We're prepared from a security and media standpoint. We've been watching the media closely, and we've had some weird ones," said Steve Timms, of the Houston Open.

Read more on GOLF.com

OurSlice: Where ever he plays his first event will no doubt be a circus.
8 days ago

Paul Casey talks about the 18th hole on Doral's Blue Monster course at this week's CA Championship...

Paul Casey talks to the 2010 World Golf Championships - CA Championship press about the finishing hole on the TPC Blue Monster, ranked consistently as one of the toughest on the PGA TOUR.

OurSlice: This hole is impossible into the wind.
8 days ago

Video: Rory McIlroy excited coming into the 2010 CA Championship...

Rory McIlroy tells the 2010 World Golf Championships -CA Championship press he loves the TPC Blue Monster and that his game is shaping up after some good range work.

OurSlice: This kid is the real deal. Hope is back holds up.
8 days ago

Michael Bradley happy for return to Puerto Rico...'It will be a lot of fun to defend this year'...Interview with PGATour.com...

Michael Bradley interviewed by PGATour.com

PGATOUR.COM: What are your thoughts as you return to Puerto Rico?

BRADLEY: It will be a lot of fun to defend this year. I imagine the course will be in perfect shape. I want to play well and have the opportunity to win. I am realistic, however, and at the end of the day I hope I have a tee time on Saturday after the cut. I realize how good the players are on TOUR and it is a battle each and every week.

PGATOUR.COM: What did the win in Puerto Rico mean to you last year?

BRADLEY: It was nice in terms of feeling I can still win on TOUR and even more it was nice knowing that I can get in position to have the opportunity to win. Getting yourself into position to win is tough on the PGA TOUR. It was special to be in the lead group again after going through my back injuries. Winning in Puerto Rico was like getting a three-year exemption because it was so early in the year. After having success early in my career it is very rewarding to win at age 43.

More of the interview on PGATour.com

OurSlice: It's a shame for all Michael's injuries. He was a **** of a player back in the day.
8 days ago

Hunter Mahan says Phil Mickelson is the man to beat at this week's CA Championship...

OurSlice: It's time for Phil to get his first win of the year.
8 days ago

Jack Nicklaus, Drew Brees, Dan Marino and Kenny G play in pro-am today at The Honda Classic...'Once-in-a-lifetime'...

Honda Classic starter Don Chornak likes to be thorough when he announces the players teeing off by listing their top accomplishments. So what have you got? One of the most successful, most eclectic pairings in a pro-am: Jack Nicklaus, NFL quarterbacks Dan Marino and Drew Brees and saxophonist Kenny G, the host of the pro-am. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Brees said.

Read more on PGATour.com

OurSlice: Not sure how Kenny G got the nod as the 4th -- but we'll let it slide. Where was Don Shula?
14 days ago

John Daly responds to "Twitter-Gate"

John Daly has prompted his followers on Twitter to complain to a Florida sportswriter whose story published Tuesday outlined the golfer's lengthy PGA Tour disciplinary file, as reported from public court documents. Daly referred to Florida Times-Union golf writer Garry Smits as a "jerk" and posted the writer's personal cell phone number.

Read more on ESPN.com

OurSlice: Hope John can get past this.
14 days ago

Jack Nicklaus says Tiger Woods will play in the Masters...

Jack Nicklaus has no idea when Tiger Woods will return to golf, but the Golden Bear expects to see the game's No. 1 player at the Masters. "It would surprise me if he didn't [play]," Nicklaus said Wednesday. "Oh yeah, I can't imagine in a hundred years he is going to miss Augusta. My guess is as a golfer he's going to want to try and play Augusta if he has his other things in order."

Read more on ESPN.com

   "I suspect he will play something before Augusta. Your guess is as good as mine, but I would be very surprised if he didn't play something before Augusta." 

OurSlice: Well, I would tend to never argue with Mr. Nicklaus -- but I am not so sure on this one. I can't see him going in there cold. But maybe if he plays before.
14 days ago

John Daly acts like...well...John Daly again...gives a writer's phone out over Twitter so his followers could harass the guy...

John Daly has prompted his followers on Twitter to complain to a Florida sportswriter whose story published Tuesday outlined the golfer's lengthy PGA Tour disciplinary file, as reported from public court documents. Daly referred to Florida Times-Union golf writer Garry Smits as a "jerk" and posted the writer's personal cell phone number. "Call and flood his line and let's tell him how we feel," Daly wrote.

Read more on ESPN.com

OurSlice: JD, you have a chance to be the bigger person here -- even with the weight loss --- so take the higher road.
15 days ago


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