Eight burning questions -- and answers -- about Tiger's return
By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM Chief of Correspondents
INNISBROOK, Fla. -- Not surprisingly, Tiger Woods' announcement that he will return to competition after a five-month layoff has captured the attention of the mainstream media as well as the sporting press. We'll be seeing him compete at Augusta National for the first time since a late-night traffic accident after Thanksgiving led to revelations of infidelity that have left Woods' image in disarray.
There are many questions surrounding Woods and his return to golf. We'll get the answers to some of them that week at Augusta. As for others? It may take a while. For now, we'll try to tackle the biggest questions:
1. WILL HE WIN THE MASTERS TOURNAMENT?
Don't put it past him. In the first place, he's won the Green Jacket four times already, and if there ever was a course Woods knows, it's Augusta National (with no major changes for 2010). By all reports, too, he's already been working on his game with Hank Haney, and they've got three more weeks to fine tune.
"If he wins the Masters, it will not be a surprise to me -- period," Rocco Mediate, Woods' foil at the 2008 U.S. Open, said on Tuesday.
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Granted, the lack of competition could be a factor and there will be distractions aplenty -- don't be surprised to see TMZ and the paparazzi patrolling Washington Road like vultures circling in for the kill. This is where Woods' near-legendary focus enters the picture, though. He'll need to summon all that -- and more -- if he's to find success on the course.
And a win could go a long way toward helping Woods put the last five months in the past -- at least as far as the fans are concerned.
"Personally, I think he's going to come back and play great," Kenny Perry said. "I feel like he's got a little bit of a chip on his shoulder a little bit, and I think it's going to make him stronger. I really do believe it. He's going to come back and he's going to do what Tiger does. I look forward to it. I hope he does."
2. WHAT WILL HIS TOUR SCHEDULE LOOK LIKE?
If Woods was returning to competition after an injury, like he did in February of last year after the ACL reconstruction, this would be easier to predict. He's a creature of habit and his schedule has settled into a routine. So if this were a "normal" year, his next stop would be at the Quail Hollow Championship, then THE PLAYERS Championship and the Memorial Tournament -- all tournaments he likes and where he has previously won.
Woods' next tournament after the Masters this year, though, will be his first stop at an event where the general public can buy tickets, so he'll be much more exposed in terms of fans and the media. THE PLAYERS, which is played at TPC Sawgrass, headquarters of the PGA TOUR, could offer shelter. Still, he has to take the plunge somewhere. How things go at the Masters -- Does he play well? Are the fans forgiving? -- will likely play a part in his decision.
3. HOW WILL THE FANS RECEIVE HIM?
Judging from the response on the radio call-in shows and various social media outlets, the core fans are glad to see him back on the golf course. That's not to say they aren't disappointed in his off-course behavior, but the talent still garners their respect.
"I don't think he's going to be the bad guy," Retief Goosen said. "He's going to be 99.9 percent the good guy. There's going to be that one percent that's going to make comments and that will probably is going to make him feel a little bit like the rest of us."
So expect there to be hecklers -- at least for the first few events. The media coverage of this sad saga has created another layer of interest and many of those people wouldn't otherwise care about golf. As Padraig Harrington said last week, "It makes it a bit more E! Entertainment, doesn't it, rather than CBS?" The best way to silence them will be with a win.
"I hope America forgives," Perry said. "I hope we are that country that will forgive, and give him a second shot. ... We all heard the press conference, what he said. If he honors it, we need to stand behind him. That's just the way I look at it."
4. WHAT ABOUT HIS PLAYING PARTNERS?
It's doubtful anyone would relish being in Woods' group the first few weeks out. Playing with him is always a challenge in terms of the distractions -- fans moving as soon as he hits a shot, etc. -- but that will be magnified right now. Add the potential for fans trying to get their 15-minutes of fame, and the trickle-down affect could take its toll on everyone in his group.
Unlike at a PGA TOUR event, where the pairings are computer-generated, the draw at the Masters is hand-picked. One has to wonder if tournament officials aren't talking to his peers in this special case to gauge their potential comfort level. We'll know the identities on Tuesday of Masters week, though, and you can bet the two players in his group will be hunted down by the media that day.
"I would say it would be a tough pairing to tell you the truth," Perry said. "I'm old enough to maybe handle that, I don't know much -- maybe you need some hillbilly like me to do that. But it will be different, you know, because I'm sure the players will be focused on Augusta, yet focused on what's going on with him, and paying attention to what he's doing out there, too."
5. WHAT SHAPE IS HIS GAME IN?
Hard to tell -- but it's also hard to imagine that Woods won't be ready. He's already been hitting balls on the range at Isleworth under the watchful eye of Hank Haney. He can head to Augusta National for a practice round whenever he wants, too. Besides, when was the last time you saw Woods really off his game? When he missed the cut at the 2006 U.S. Open, perhaps? Remember, that was only a few weeks after his father died.
Augusta National doesn't have U.S. Open fairways, and Woods won't be going through the motions at the Masters. He'll have something to prove. "I'm sure he's going to be motivated," Justin Rose said. "I think the best way for he to put this all to rest is to win the golf tournament, so that's obviously going to be his goal."
6. WILL HE MAINTAIN HIS INTIMIDATION FACTOR?
At first, it's likely to be a curiosity factor more than anything else. But on the golf course, no one really expects Woods to play like anything other the No. 1 player in the game that he is. "He seems to be able to take a bunch of time off and pop right up there and be the same old guy," Jim Furyk explained.
Ian Poulter says he still sees Woods as the game's best player. "Do I see him being any different on the golf course? No, I still see him being focused," the Englishman said. "I still see him working as hard as he does and still coming out and doing the job that he's done on the golf course over the last 12 or 13 years. I would expect him to come out and have a strong week."
7. WHAT'S THE BUZZ IN THE PRESS TENT?
In some ways, it's relief that the speculation is finally over. Just as the players have grown weary of answering the questions, the golf media is tired of asking them. When will he come back? What will it be like when he does come back? In less than three weeks, we'll finally know.
At the same time, though, this is far from over. From a media standpoint, the Masters will be a zoo -- as will his first start on the PGA TOUR. Will he answer questions at the Masters? How will the fans treat him? What will his playing partners say? There's still a lot of uncertainty and we'll probably find ourselves writing the same stories again once we get to Augusta National.
8. WHEN WILL THE TABLOIDS DISAPPEAR?
Once Woods starts winning again and the focus returns to what he can do on the golf course, the fringe "media" -- and as a journalist of 30 years, I use that term loosely -- will undoubtedly move on to the next celebrity misdeed.
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