Golf News

LPGA Commish Whan is Caddie for a Day

LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan got a firsthand look at life on the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.duramedfuturestour.com/">Duramed Futures Tour</a> on Friday, caddying in the first round of the tour's season-opener. The LPGA owns the Futures Tour, and Whan was on the bag of Lili Alvarez in the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.duramedfuturestour.com/2010/WinterHaven.asp">Florida's Natural Charity Classic</a>. Said Whan, "Thankfully, Lili had a light bag and a light sense of humor." That light sense of humor was needed, too, because Alvarez carded an 80. I say, blame the caddie. (Alvarez, by the way, is one of the contestants on the coming <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/thebigbreak/a/big-break-sandals-resorts.htm">Big Break Sandals Resorts</a>.) Following the first round, multiple Futures Tour players took to social media sites to criticize the host course, particularly its greens. One called it a "<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/golfterms/g/goattrack.htm">goat track</a>." Whan has bigger issues to worry about, but upgrading the courses on which Futures Tour events are played is one of the goals that the LPGA voiced when it bought the tour. So it was good for Whan to get a close-up look at the conditions. For more on Whan's day as a caddie, see <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.lpga.com/entertainment_content.aspx?pid=23431">LPGA.com</a>.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/20/lpga-commish-whan-is-caddie-for-a-day.htm">LPGA Commish Whan is Caddie for a Day</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/">About.com Golf</a> on Saturday, March 20th, 2010 at 11:23:19.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/20/lpga-commish-whan-is-caddie-for-a-day.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/20/lpga-commish-whan-is-caddie-for-a-day.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://golf.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/20/lpga-commish-whan-is-caddie-for-a-day.htm&zItl=LPGA Commish Whan is Caddie for a Day">Email this</a>

New China Event Brings Sorenstam Back to Tourney Play

A new pro-am in China, the Mission Hills Star Trophy, was announced today. The tournament takes place on Hainan Island, at Mission Hills Resort Hainan, October 28-31. And <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/annikasorenstam/tp/annika_sorenstam.htm">Annika Sorenstam</a> is playing. It will be Sorenstam's first competitive tournament golf (unless she shows up in another tournament between now and then) since the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/annikasorenstam/ss/annika_dubai.htm">2008 Dubai Ladies Masters</a>. The Missions Hills Star Trophy is not sanctioned by any of the world tours, and the pros in the field will be playing 36 holes for a winner-take-all pot of $1.28 million. Or, to put it another way: It's a "silly season" tournament. (You can be sure that the pros are receiving handsome appearance fees, however.) But a tournament it still is, and Annika's first post-"retirement." Does it signal that Sorenstam plans a return to the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/progolftours/tp/lpga_tour.htm">LPGA Tour</a>? Some (including me) speculated back during the Annika retirement year in 2008 - when Sorenstam herself declined to use the word "retirement" - that she would return to LPGA play a couple years after starting a family. Maybe, we'll have to wait and see. The Mission Hills Star Trophy may just be a toe in the water for one of the all-time great competitors, a test-case, or maybe there's a business connection between Annika and the new resort. The tournament will have a field of 20 pros (including Greg Norman, Se Ri Pak, Colin Montgomerie and Corey Pavin), 20 celebrities (including Hugh Grant and Matthew McConaughey) and 120 amateurs.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/18/new-china-event-brings-sorenstam-back-to-tourney-play.htm">New China Event Brings Sorenstam Back to Tourney Play</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/">About.com Golf</a> on Thursday, March 18th, 2010 at 11:23:18.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/18/new-china-event-brings-sorenstam-back-to-tourney-play.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/18/new-china-event-brings-sorenstam-back-to-tourney-play.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://golf.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/18/new-china-event-brings-sorenstam-back-to-tourney-play.htm&zItl=New China Event Brings Sorenstam Back to Tourney Play">Email this</a>

Tiger Woods' Masters Wins

<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/tigerwoods/tp/tiger_woods.htm">Tiger Woods</a> has announced that he's returning to golf at <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/majorchampionships/a/the_masters.htm">The Masters</a>. Why The Masters? It's not hard to figure: The fans are generally better behaved than at "regular" PGA Tour stops (nobody wants to lose their much-coveted Masters "badge"); and the folks who run the tournament - the poobahs of Augusta National Golf Club - keep the media on a tighter leash than does the PGA Tour. And then there's the fact that Tiger loves the course, plays great there. He's won The Masters four times, tied with <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/arnoldpalmer/p/arnold_palmer.htm">Arnold Palmer</a> and second only to <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/jacknicklaus/p/jack_nicklaus.htm">Jack Nicklaus</a>' six Masters wins. Check out each of <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/tigerwoods/ss/tigermasters.htm">Tiger Woods' Masters wins</a> to see how he did it. Vote: <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/16/vote-how-will-tiger-do-at-the-masters.htm">How will Tiger Woods finish in the 2010 Masters?</a> <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/18/tiger-woods-masters-wins.htm">Tiger Woods' Masters Wins</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/">About.com Golf</a> on Thursday, March 18th, 2010 at 07:39:27.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/18/tiger-woods-masters-wins.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/18/tiger-woods-masters-wins.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://golf.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/18/tiger-woods-masters-wins.htm&zItl=Tiger Woods' Masters Wins">Email this</a>

John Daly Pizza? Extra Cheese, Please

<img src="http://z.about.com/d/golf/1/0/W/D/1/john_daly_pizza.jpg" align="right" alt="john daly pizza" vspace="4" hspace="5"> Yep, that's <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/golfersmen/p/john_daly.htm">John Daly</a> standing next to a giant pizza. That pizza is more the size Daly would have ordered back when he was ... um ... fat. He probably prefers a medium pizza in his post-lap-band-surgery body. John Daly Pizza (<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.johndalypizza.com/">www.johndalypizza.com</a>) is the latest Daly branded merchandising effort. Who doesn't like pizza? Who doesn't like Daly? (Don't answer that.) The golfer launched John Daly Pizza - with the catchphrase "Grip it and eat it!" - in partnership with Perky's Foodservice Concepts, Inc. Perky's "John Daly Pizza Program" puts small pizza-making operations inside existing food service environments - clubhouses and snack bars at golf courses, for example. If Perky's wants to offer a pizza that matches the current, smaller Daly, however, they'll need to offer a low-fat version. And if you really want to enjoy your John Daly pizza, you'll eat it while wearing <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/golfersmen/ig/John-Daly-Pants-Gallery/">Loudmouth pants</a> and watching Being John Daly on the Golf Channel (but listening to Daly's My Life CD during commercials), and chase it with <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/golfers/tp/golfers-wines.htm">John Daly wine</a>. The best part about pairing a John Daly pizza and Loudmouth pants is that if you spill any sauce on the pants, nobody will ever notice. On the Web: <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.johndalypizza.com/">johndalypizza.com</a> See also:<ul> <li><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/golfersmen/ig/John-Daly-Pants-Gallery/">Photo gallery: John Daly in Loudmouth Pants</a></li></ul> (Photo credit: PRNewsFoto/Perky's Foodservice Concepts, Inc.) <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/17/john-daly-pizza-extra-cheese-please.htm">John Daly Pizza? Extra Cheese, Please</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/">About.com Golf</a> on Wednesday, March 17th, 2010 at 10:37:11.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/17/john-daly-pizza-extra-cheese-please.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/17/john-daly-pizza-extra-cheese-please.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://golf.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/17/john-daly-pizza-extra-cheese-please.htm&zItl=John Daly Pizza? Extra Cheese, Please">Email this</a>

WGC Event Loses Title Sponsor

The <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/progolftours/p/ca_championship.htm">CA Championship</a> won't be the CA Championship in 2011. For the second time in the event's young history, it is losing its title sponsor. This World Golf Championships tournament debuted in 1999 as the WGC American Express Championship. It was played under that name through the 2006 tournament. In 2007, the computer services and infrastructure company CA took over as title sponsor, and the tournament - which previously had rotated courses each year - found a permanent home on the Blue Course at Doral Country Club. (The course is now part of the TPC network and is called TPC Blue Monster.) And when the WGC showed up at Doral, it killed the long-running PGA Tour event there, the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/progolftours/p/doral_open.htm">Doral Open</a>. "Going forward, CA will be executing a new corporate marketing program focused on delivering more regional events and customer relationship programs around the world," said Bill Hughes, Corporate Senior Vice President, Global Communications. "As a result, we will no longer sponsor the World Golf Championships beyond 2010." In a statement released by the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/progolftours/tp/pgatour.htm">PGA Tour</a>, commissioner Tim Finchem said the Tour is committed to remaining at Doral: "... We will move forward in securing a new title sponsor for the CA Championship. We are confident we will be at TPC Blue Monster at Doral next year."<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/17/wgc-event-loses-title-sponsor.htm">WGC Event Loses Title Sponsor</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/">About.com Golf</a> on Wednesday, March 17th, 2010 at 09:57:26.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/17/wgc-event-loses-title-sponsor.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/17/wgc-event-loses-title-sponsor.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://golf.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/17/wgc-event-loses-title-sponsor.htm&zItl=WGC Event Loses Title Sponsor">Email this</a>

A Tale of Two Injury Tweets

Paula Creamer's recurring thumb injuries will keep her out of the LPGA's first domestic tournament next week, the Kia Classic. She <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://twitter.com/ThePCreamer">tweeted</a>: <blockquote>"unfortunately I wont be playing in the lpga event next week in carlsbad. I am bummed but I am working hard to get my thumb back."</blockquote> Another LPGA player took a thumb injury into her own hands ... so to speak. Karen Stupples <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://twitter.com/Kstupples">tweeted</a>: <blockquote>"My thumb has split from the weather. Its been pretty sore so put super glue in it so I can practice today. Surprisingly its like new!"</blockquote> <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/17/a-tale-of-two-injury-tweets.htm">A Tale of Two Injury Tweets</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/">About.com Golf</a> on Wednesday, March 17th, 2010 at 09:03:37.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/17/a-tale-of-two-injury-tweets.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/17/a-tale-of-two-injury-tweets.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://golf.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/17/a-tale-of-two-injury-tweets.htm&zItl=A Tale of Two Injury Tweets">Email this</a>

Big Mo a No-Go for Mojo Announcement

What rotten timing. For weeks, the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2009/12/02/lpga-to-experiment-with-new-tournament-format.htm">innovative Mojo 6 tournament</a> was benefiting from an innovative marketing idea: <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/02/25/an-offer-we-cant-refuse.htm">allowing golf fans to vote</a> on the final golfer to make the field. The tournament, an unofficial event on the LPGA schedule, takes place in mid-April in Jamaica. Sixteen players make up the field; 15 were named earlier. Some of the dozen golfers who were candidates for the 16th and final spot in the field campaigned hard for it. Anna Rawson, Beatriz Recari, Sandra Gal, Marianne Skarpnord, Vicky Hurst - all launched social media campaigns using Twitter and Facebook; some turned to YouTube and hired PR professionals. All leading up to the announcement of the winning player on Tuesday, which was hyped for an evening reveal on the Golf Channel. Then two things happened: <ul> <li>The Golf Babes blog scooped the big announcement, revealing the winning player early Tuesday morning. <li>And Tiger Woods made some kind of announcement, too.</ul> As we said: What rotten timing. The Mojo announcement lost its mojo; weeks of great marketing work first slightly undermined, then completely overwhelmed. Buried. Oh well. Stuff happens. The folks behind the Mojo 6 should still be happy with their efforts. And Beatriz Recari should be happy at winning the fan vote. She's the 16th and last player in the field. See <a href="http://www.themojo6.com/" target="_blank">themojo6.com</a> for more tourney details.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/16/big-mo-a-no-go-for-mojo-announcement.htm">Big Mo a No-Go for Mojo Announcement</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/">About.com Golf</a> on Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 at 22:03:21.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/16/big-mo-a-no-go-for-mojo-announcement.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/16/big-mo-a-no-go-for-mojo-announcement.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://golf.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/16/big-mo-a-no-go-for-mojo-announcement.htm&zItl=Big Mo a No-Go for Mojo Announcement">Email this</a>

Should Tiger Woods Play the Masters' Par-3 Contest?

How will <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/tigerwoods/tp/tiger_woods.htm">Tiger Woods</a> be received by fans at <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/majorchampionships/a/the_masters.htm">The Masters</a>? Will Woods face catcalls? Boos? Or will the reception be a very supportive one? And what about Woods' attitude, his countenance, his body language on the course? And will his presence be a distraction to every other player in the field? These questions don't have to wait until Tiger tees off in Round 1 of the 2010 Masters. Some of them, maybe all of them, could be answered if Woods played the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/majorchampionships/f/par3contest.htm">Par-3 Contest</a> on Wednesday, the day before the first round begins. Woods played the Par-3 Contest earlier in his career, but hasn't played since 2005. On his Web site, he once said about the tournament, "You play a practice round in the morning, then sit around for your tee time. It just becomes a long day and takes away from your main preparation. I'm sure there will be a day when I come back and play, especially when Sam and Charlie get a little older and can caddie for me." Sam and Charlie aren't likely to be anywhere near Augusta this year; besides, putting Sam in a white Augusta caddies jumpsuit this year would be downright exploitive. But that doesn't mean Tiger himself can't show up for the Par-3. It would be a gesture of goodwill from Tiger to the game of golf, and from Tiger to fans. He said in his <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/tigerwoods/ss/tiger-woods-statement_4.htm">apology</a>, "When I do return, I need to make my behavior more respectful of the game." Many interpreted that remark to mean that Woods acknowledges he needs to give up the cussin', spittin' and club-throwin' that sometimes show up in his rounds; that he needs to be more fan-friendly and kid-friendly on the course. Playing the Par-3 would certainly be a step in that direction. It's a lighthearted event full of smiles and laughter; Tiger could even do something he almost never does on the course - sign autographs. The Par-3 Contest would take a lot of the tension out of Tiger's return - it would defuse the situation, which might even be good for Woods himself. He's surely wondering about those questions we asked up above, too. The drawbacks? The <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/golfcourespictures/ig/Augusta-Par-3-Course/">Par-3 Course</a> is in a confined space and it's packed to the brim every year already; crowd control would be a nightmare. And there's no doubt that a Woods appearance in the Par-3 Contest definitely would be a distraction to others. Then again, many players bring their kids along. Distractions in the Par-3 Contest are everywhere already. Besides, nobody is seriously concentrating during the Par-3. They're having fun. And having fun on the golf course again is something Tiger needs to do. See also:<ul> <li><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/cs/historyofgolf/a/masterspar3.htm">Par-3 Contest winners</a> <li><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/golfcourespictures/ig/Augusta-Par-3-Course/">Photos: Augusta Par-3 Course</a> </ul><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/16/should-tiger-woods-play-the-masters-par-3-contest.htm">Should Tiger Woods Play the Masters' Par-3 Contest?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/">About.com Golf</a> on Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 at 14:54:26.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/16/should-tiger-woods-play-the-masters-par-3-contest.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/16/should-tiger-woods-play-the-masters-par-3-contest.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://golf.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/16/should-tiger-woods-play-the-masters-par-3-contest.htm&zItl=Should Tiger Woods Play the Masters' Par-3 Contest?">Email this</a>

Vote: How Will Tiger Do at The Masters?

Now we know with certainty that <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/tigerwoods/tp/tiger_woods.htm">Tiger Woods</a> is <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/16/its-official-tiger-woods-back-at-the-masters.htm">returning at The Masters</a>. How will he fare there? Woods has missed significant chunks of time twice before in his professional career. Following the death of his father in 2006, he came back at the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/majorchampionships/a/us_open.htm">U.S. Open</a> at Winged Foot and missed the cut. Returning from knee surgery last year, Woods' first tournament back was the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship, and he lost in the second round. But he won a couple weeks later in his second tournament, the Arnold Palmer Invitational. What do you think about Tiger's chances at the 2010 Masters? <SCRIPT LANGUAGE= "javaScript" SRC="http://guidepolls.about.com/golf/8755548207/poll.js?linkback="></script> <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/16/vote-how-will-tiger-do-at-the-masters.htm">Vote: How Will Tiger Do at The Masters?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/">About.com Golf</a> on Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 at 11:10:35.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/16/vote-how-will-tiger-do-at-the-masters.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/16/vote-how-will-tiger-do-at-the-masters.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://golf.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/16/vote-how-will-tiger-do-at-the-masters.htm&zItl=Vote: How Will Tiger Do at The Masters?">Email this</a>

It's Official: Tiger Woods Back at The Masters

Ending months of rumor, innuendo and speculation, <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/tigerwoods/tp/tiger_woods.htm">Tiger Woods</a> today announced, in a <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://web.tigerwoods.com/news/article/201003168805154/news/">statement</a> posted on his Web site, that he will return to golf at <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/majorchampionships/a/the_masters.htm">The Masters</a>. The Masters takes place April 8-11. "The Masters is where I won my first major, and I view this tournament with great respect," Woods is quoted in the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://web.tigerwoods.com/news/article/201003168805154/news/">post on tigerwoods.com</a>. "After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I'm ready to start my season at Augusta." Woods' return had recently been rumored for the Tavistock Cup early next week, the Arnold Palmer Invitational later next week, and The Masters. The Masters is the winner. "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 awhile since I last played," Woods said. Woods' last tournament was the Australian Masters in mid-November, which <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2009/11/15/woods-finishes-off-australian-masters-victory.htm">he won</a>. Less than two weeks later, Woods' now-infamous one-car accident occurred outside his home. And shortly after that, the alleged "Tiger mistresses" started appearing in the pages of tabloids and gossip magazines, launching the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/od/tigerwoods/a/tiger-woods-scandals.htm">Tiger Woods scandals</a>. While Woods will have missed nearly four months of tournament time by the time of The Masters, he has skipped only three PGA Tour events he normally plays: The Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines; the Accenture Match Play Championship; and the CA Championship. He always plays the Arnold Palmer Invitational, too, but won't this year. In his statement, Woods addressed his therapy and the decision about the timing of his return: <blockquote>"I have undergone almost two months of inpatient therapy, and I am continuing my treatment. Although I'm returning to competition, I still have a lot of work to do in my personal life. "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. I called both Joe Lewis and Arnold Palmer and expressed my regrets for not attending the Tavistock Cup and the Arnold Palmer Invitational. I again want to thank them both for their support and their understanding. Those are fantastic tournaments, and I look forward to competing in them again."</blockquote> <a href="http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/16/vote-how-will-tiger-do-at-the-masters.htm">Vote: How will Tiger Woods finish at the 2010 Masters?</a> <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/16/its-official-tiger-woods-back-at-the-masters.htm">It's Official: Tiger Woods Back at The Masters</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/">About.com Golf</a> on Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 at 10:58:10.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/16/its-official-tiger-woods-back-at-the-masters.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/16/its-official-tiger-woods-back-at-the-masters.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://golf.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://golf.about.com/b/2010/03/16/its-official-tiger-woods-back-at-the-masters.htm&zItl=It's Official: Tiger Woods Back at The Masters">Email this</a>