CAN YOU hear his growl? Can you hear the roar? Tiger Woods, barely a month after his act of contrition in front of a gathering of friends and a worldwide television audience, yesterday – in a statement on his website – signalled his intention to return to tournament play at next month’s US Masters in the safe environs and hallowed grounds of Augusta National. The break is no longer an indefinite one.
Woods hasn’t played since winning the Australian Masters last November.
In choosing the Masters as his return, Woods has chosen safe ground: the tournament, the first major of the season, has tight restrictions on media credentials and is also the only golf event which doesn’t allow inside-the-ropes access.
And, with the worldwide media circus which his return will undoubtedly bring, and as demonstrated with the handling of the Martha Burke generated controversy in 2003, the club are masters of controlling potential flashpoint situations.
“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,” Woods said.
The player, who has won 14 majors, including four Masters titles, added: “When I finally got into a position to think about competitive golf again, it became apparent to me that the Masters would be the earliest I could play.”
Woods – who has undergone almost two months of therapy for “sex addiction” and will continue to receive treatment – acknowledged this was one step on the road to recovery.
“I still have a lot of work to do in my personal life,” he admitted.
In a separate statement issued on behalf of Augusta National, chairman Billy Payne said: “We support Tiger’s decision to return to competitive golf, beginning at this year’s Masters tournament. Additionally, we support and encourage his stated commitment to continue the significant work required to rebuild his personal and professional life.”
Woods has enjoyed some of his best performances at Augusta, including winning the tournament in 1997 by a record margin of 12 strokes following which the course was “Tiger-proofed” by lengthening it. In spite of the changes, he added victories in 2001, 2002 and 2005.
He is four majors shy of the record 18 held by Jack Nicklaus.
Since his transgressions were revealed, Woods has lost a number of his corporate sponsors, including ATT, Accenture and Gatorade. Others, among them Gillette and watch-maker Tag Heuer, have removed his image from campaigns. However, two of his biggest sponsors, Nike and EA Sports, have stood by him and reiterated their support for the player and his family.
Despite that corporate leakage, Woods remains the number one sports draw in the world, with Sean McManus, the head of news and sports with American television network CBS, estimating his return to competition will be the “biggest media event other than the (Barak) Obama inauguration in the past 10 or 15 years” – although September 11th might fit in there somewhere! – with the rider that, “Tiger Woods is the most famous, most recognised, most accomplished athlete in the world, and his celebrity and prominence is even larger than it was.”
In terms of controlling his return to competition, where spectators are known as patrons, Woods couldn’t have picked a better place to start hitting golf balls again for a living. The fact it will constitute his first competitive outing in five months is a different matter, although he has been seen in recent days working with his coach Hank Haney on the range which fuelled speculation that a return was imminent.
