Woods' news welcomed by peers at Innisbrook
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By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM Chief of Correspondent
INNISBROOK, Fla. -- An otherwise idyllic day at Innisbrook was interrupted Tuesday by the news that Tiger Woods had announced he would make his long-awaited return to competition at the Masters Tournament.
About 25 players were either on the practice range or putting green preparing for the Transitions Championship when the news broke at 11:14 a.m. ET. They were soon joined by members of the media looking for the ultimate sound bite.
Woods has been in seclusion and undergoing therapy since Thanksgiving night when his life began to unravel after a simple traffic accident led to revelations of infidelity. He has made only one public statement since that time.
When he faced a single TV camera and read that prepared text just over three weeks ago, though, Woods said he wanted to return to the game but wasn't sure when it would be. So Tuesday's news was particularly welcome.
"I think it's great for the game," Trevor Immelman said. "It's tough for a sport when your No. 1 player is not participating and we've had a few years now with the knee injury and this where he's missed the majority of the season.
"So I think it's fantastic for the game and for the TOUR and our sponsors to have the opportunity to have him back. That's a no-brainer."
Recent reports had indicated Woods, a four-time Masters champion, was practicing and speculation had pointed to a return either at Bay Hill, where he is the two-time defending champion, or the Masters. New photos of he and his wife, Elin, together had also surfaced this week.
"I think it's great," said Bubba Watson, a frequent practice round partner of Woods. "It means his family and him and everybody think he's got his life where it needs to be and now he's just working on his game. ...
"I think it's going to be great for him to get out of the house and play some golf. Hopefully everything's good in his life, and that's what it shows. He said he wasn't going to come back until he was ready. Hopefully, everything's going well in his life and he's ready to go and he'll start performing like he used to."
The target of Woods' return appeared to make sense to the players. After all, the Masters is one of the most exclusive tickets in sports, its fans are among the game's most knowledgeable and Augusta National will be able to control which media outlets get to attend.
Immelman, who won the Masters in 2008, acknowledged that the distractions Woods might face would be minimized once he turned off Washington Road and got on the grounds of what was once Bobby Jones' playground.
"We know Augusta National and the Masters has a fantastic long tradition and everybody who enters those gates is very respectful of that and understands that's the actual reason why everybody is there -- to celebrate the history of the Masters and playing at Augusta National," the South African said. "So it's probably the best choice he could have made in my opinion for a return."
That being said, there will undoubtedly be fans in attendance who are disappointed in Woods' recent revelations. Any reaction, though, will likely be tempered by respect for the venue and the event.
"If he's going to get some heckling, which everyone assumes that he will, he'll get a lot less of it at Augusta than he will anywhere else," Jim Furyk said. "It seems like it's the smartest choice, the most prudent choice."
The return at Augusta National also makes sense from a competitive standpoint. Woods won his first major there in 1997 and he has won the Masters three other times, as well. There are no major changes to the course this year, either.
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"If he wins the Masters, it will not be a surprise to me -- period," said Rocco Mediate, who lost that thrilling 18-hole playoff to Woods at the 2008 U.S. Open.
"I know he hasn't been around for a while, and I know he's been through hell but physically he's ok and mentally he's got to deal with it. But if anyone can do it. He can do it. If anyone can pull this off, he'll pull it off."
Sean O'Hair, who finished second to Woods at Bay Hill last year and third behind him in '08, doesn't expect anything less than the best from the game's No. 1 player.
"I wish he came back a week after the Masters," O'Hair said with a grin as he took a break from hitting balls on the range. "But other than that I think he'll be ready to go. And it will be nice to have him back."
Justin Rose sees Woods with even more motivation than a chance to get No. 15 in his chase to surpass Jack Nicklaus' 18 major championships.
"I think the best way for him to put this all to rest is to win the golf tournament, so that's obviously going to be his goal," Rose said.
While the circumstances are certainly different than anything Woods has ever faced, the fact remains that he has won his first start of the season six times since his first full season on TOUR in 1997.
Watson thinks the next three weeks will give Woods plenty of time to fine-time his swing, too. He'll likely be rusty since he hasn't performed under pressure since last fall but the big-hitting left-hander isn't worried.
"Since I believe he's the best ever, he's probably going to play pretty good," Watson said. "... "He's done pretty well before when he starts off his season so it could be a great tournament.
"It's just going to be great for the fans -- that's the main thing -- and it will be great for him to get out and do what he loves to do."
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