The greatest unanswered question in all of sports, at the moment, is "When will Tiger make his return to competitve golf?". This is a question that everyone, including non-golfers and non-golf fans alike, are waiting in anticipation for. What will he say to the press? Will he take questions about his marriage, his sex therapy, Thanksgiving Evening? Enquiring minds want to know... I want to know (bonus points if you know where that last sentence came from).
At first, I thought that there was no way that he'd play in the year's first major, the Masters. It just seems that its too soon after the whole ordeal. Make your first competitive event back a major? No way. Well, I've been thinking about it and now I think differently. Here's the case for why Tiger will make his return to competitive golf at Augusta this year.
The Augusta National Golf Club is the perfect place to return. It's a super-private golf club that makes its own rules. Despite the media frenzy, Tiger would be very comfortable there. Press access is limited - would TMZ be offered a press pass? Um, no.
Fan access is also limited. Tickets for the event are very expensive and usually limited to the wealthy and lucky few. And the fans that would have access are not going to be the same demographic as, say, the fans that would attend a US Open major at Bethpage in Long Island, New York. I have to believe that the Augusta crowd, made up of rich, elite club members, their friends and others that can afford the thousands of dollars that a ticket costs, won't be as likely to heckle Tiger as a blue collar worker from Brooklyn would. This is the most respectful gallery in all the majors, maybe even all of golf. Also, the course has some hole locations that are completely isolated from the fans (think the 12th green). Even on the course, he's have some much desired privacy.
What, Tiger miss the Masters? When healthy? Augusta staff and Steve Williams, his caddie, will do their best to protect him from any raucous intrusions.
Contrary to what PGA Tour player and world's number 2 ranked player Steve Stricker thinks about Tiger's return to Augusta, not even the great Woods is bigger than the Masters tournament. Picking any other event would mean that his return would overshadow that event, but Augusta National is different. He will not take away from the greatness of this event. Yes, he'll be a distraction early in the week when he makes his first appearance but there is no way Tiger will overshadow the rich history of the Masters and the greatness of the event.
That's not to say that the PGA Tour doesn't need Tiger Woods. The PGA Tour is hurting this year, particularly when it comes to tournament sponsors, something Tiger was great at attracting. For someone who acted so selfishly in the past, returning to golf to play in the year’s first major event, for a struggling sport that needs him, would actually be considered an act of unselfishness.
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