Tuesday, March 16, 2010

“Woods to return to golf at the Masters (AP via Yahoo! News)” plus 3 more

“Woods to return to golf at the Masters (AP via Yahoo! News)” plus 3 more

Woods to return to golf at the Masters (AP via Yahoo! News)

Posted: 16 Mar 2010 12:32 PM PDT

PALM HARBOR, Fla. – Tiger Woods said Tuesday he will return to golf next month at the Masters, ending a four-month hiatus brought on by a sex scandal that shattered his image as the gold standard in sports.

"The Masters is where I won my first major and I view this tournament with great respect," Woods said in a statement. "After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I'm ready to start my season at Augusta."

The Masters begins April 8.

The Associated Press first reported his plans to return at Augusta National last Thursday.

Woods has not competed since Nov. 15 when he won the Australian Masters for his 82nd victory worldwide. Twelve days later, he crashed his car into a tree outside his Florida home, setting off shocking revelations that he had been cheating on his wife.

"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.

"I have undergone almost two months of inpatient therapy and I am continuing my treatment," he said. "Although I'm returning to competition, I still have a lot of work to do in my personal life."

There had been reports he would play the Tavistock Cup exhibition next week in Orlando, followed by the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, where he is the defending champion and a six-time winner.

"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 said.

Billy Payne, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament, said the club not only supported Woods' decision to make his return there, but "additionally, we support and encourage his stated commitment to continue the significant work required to rebuild his personal and professional life."

Already the major with the highest TV ratings, this Masters could be the biggest yet. The first two rounds are televised on ESPN, with CBS Sports on the weekend.

"Obviously, the ratings will be off the chart," Heath Slocum said. "It will be interesting to watch — not only the reaction from him, but from the fans, the media, the players. I would venture to say he might be nervous."

Asked about a Woods return last week, CBS Sports president Sean McManus also thought viewership would be huge: "My only prediction is when he comes back, it will be, other than the Obama inauguration, one of if not the biggest media spectacle in recent memory."

Woods twice has come into a major after a long layoff without playing, with mixed results — he missed the cut at Winged Foot for the 2006 U.S. Open after his father died, and he won the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines while playing on a shattered left knee.

Woods is a four-time Masters champion, although he has not won at Augusta National since 2005, his longest drought there.

In some respects, the Masters makes sense for golf's No. 1 player to return. Media credentials are limited regardless of who's playing or what's in the news, and Augusta National has more control of its tickets than any other golf tournament.

Those with season badges risk losing them if they violate policies, or are caught selling them.

Woods has been the biggest draw at the Masters ever since he became its youngest champion at 21 in 1997, when he broke the tournament scoring record with a 12-shot victory.

That likely won't compare to this year.

Woods' world came crashing down on Nov. 27 when he fled his house in the middle of the night and ran his Cadillac SUV over a fire hydrant and into a tree. About that time, allegations of womanizing began to emerge, and Woods' silence was replaced by rumors of what happened that night and how, as the world's most famous athlete, he could keep so many affairs a secret.

He eventually confessed to infidelity and said Dec. 11 he would take an "indefinite break" from golf. Woods spoke publicly for the first time on Feb. 19 at TPC Sawgrass, where he confessed to cheating on his wife, Elin.

"I have made you question who I am and how I could have done the things I did," Woods said that day.

He was in a Mississippi clinic from Dec. 31 until Feb. 11, then went to an Arizona clinic for a week of family counseling. He returned to practice when he got home to Isleworth, and swing coach Hank Haney joined him last week.

This will be the first time Woods won't play Bay Hill, the only regular PGA Tour event he has never missed as a professional.

Meantime, the governing body of golf outside the United States said it hoped Woods would play at the British Open in July.

"We're pleased to hear that Tiger is to return to golf. ... Golf needs the world No. 1 to be playing," Royal & Ancient spokesman Malcolm Booth said.

Woods has not yet entered to play at the British Open at St. Andrews, but has until May 27 to send in his entry form. Booth says it's "normal that he hasn't" entered yet.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Woods to return to golf at the Masters (AP via Yahoo! Sports)

Posted: 16 Mar 2010 12:03 PM PDT

PALM HARBOR, Fla. (AP)—Tiger Woods said Tuesday he will return to golf next month at the Masters, ending a four-month hiatus brought on by a sex scandal that shattered his image as the gold standard in sports.

"The Masters is where I won my first major and I view this tournament with great respect," Woods said in a statement. "After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I'm ready to start my season at Augusta."

The Masters begins April 8.

The Associated Press first reported his plans to return at Augusta National last Thursday.

Woods has not competed since Nov. 15 when he won the Australian Masters for his 82nd victory worldwide. Twelve days later, he crashed his car into a tree outside his Florida home, setting off shocking revelations that he had been cheating on his wife.

"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.

"I have undergone almost two months of inpatient therapy and I am continuing my treatment," he said. "Although I'm returning to competition, I still have a lot of work to do in my personal life."

There had been reports he would play the Tavistock Cup exhibition next week in Orlando, followed by the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, where he is the defending champion and a six-time winner.

"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 said.

Billy Payne, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament, said the club not only supported Woods' decision to make his return there, but "additionally, we support and encourage his stated commitment to continue the significant work required to rebuild his personal and professional life."

Already the major with the highest TV ratings, this Masters could be the biggest yet. The first two rounds are televised on ESPN, with CBS Sports on the weekend.

"Obviously, the ratings will be off the chart," Heath Slocum said. "It will be interesting to watch—not only the reaction from him, but from the fans, the media, the players. I would venture to say he might be nervous."

Asked about a Woods return last week, CBS Sports president Sean McManus also thought viewership would be huge: "My only prediction is when he comes back, it will be, other than the Obama inauguration, one of if not the biggest media spectacle in recent memory."

Woods twice has come into a major after a long layoff without playing, with mixed results—he missed the cut at Winged Foot for the 2006 U.S. Open after his father died, and he won the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines while playing on a shattered left knee.

Woods is a four-time Masters champion, although he has not won at Augusta National since 2005, his longest drought there.

In some respects, the Masters makes sense for golf's No. 1 player to return. Media credentials are limited regardless of who's playing or what's in the news, and Augusta National has more control of its tickets than any other golf tournament.

Those with season badges risk losing them if they violate policies, or are caught selling them.

Woods has been the biggest draw at the Masters ever since he became its youngest champion at 21 in 1997, when he broke the tournament scoring record with a 12-shot victory.

That likely won't compare to this year.

Woods' world came crashing down on Nov. 27 when he fled his house in the middle of the night and ran his Cadillac SUV over a fire hydrant and into a tree. About that time, allegations of womanizing began to emerge, and Woods' silence was replaced by rumors of what happened that night and how, as the world's most famous athlete, he could keep so many affairs a secret.

He eventually confessed to infidelity and said Dec. 11 he would take an "indefinite break" from golf. Woods spoke publicly for the first time on Feb. 19 at TPC Sawgrass, where he confessed to cheating on his wife, Elin.

"I have made you question who I am and how I could have done the things I did," Woods said that day.

He was in a Mississippi clinic from Dec. 31 until Feb. 11, then went to an Arizona clinic for a week of family counseling. He returned to practice when he got home to Isleworth, and swing coach Hank Haney joined him last week.

This will be the first time Woods won't play Bay Hill, the only regular PGA Tour event he has never missed as a professional.

Meantime, the governing body of golf outside the United States said it hoped Woods would play at the British Open in July.

"We're pleased to hear that Tiger is to return to golf. … Golf needs the world No. 1 to be playing," Royal & Ancient spokesman Malcolm Booth said.

Woods has not yet entered to play at the British Open at St. Andrews, but has until May 27 to send in his entry form. Booth says it's "normal that he hasn't" entered yet.

digg del.icio.us
more

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

R&A pleased that Tiger Woods is returning to golf (AP via Yahoo! Sports)

Posted: 16 Mar 2010 12:03 PM PDT

LONDON (AP)—The Royal & Ancient is glad that Tiger Woods will make his return to golf at the Masters, and the governing body of the sport outside the United States hopes he'll play at the British Open in July.

"We're pleased to hear that Tiger is to return to golf," R&A spokesman Malcolm Booth said Tuesday. "Golf needs the world No. 1 to be playing."

Woods has not yet entered to play at the British Open at St. Andrews, but has until May 27 to send in his entry form. Booth said it's "normal that he hasn't" entered yet.

"Typically, we would receive entries within a few weeks of that deadline," Booth said, noting that several players from the "exempt field" of former champions have already sent in their forms.

Woods has not competed since he crashed his car into a tree outside his Florida home, setting off shocking revelations that he had been cheating on his wife.

Although his image has been hurt by the scandal, he is still favored to win the Masters by British bookmakers William Hill at 4-1. Phil Mickelson is second at 6-1 and Padraig Harrington is third at 16-1.

Hill also lists Woods as 1-20 that he will make the cut at Augusta National.

"All the major courses are Tiger's favorites, so despite a terrible beginning we think that 2010 will end up being terrific for Tiger," William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams said in a statement.

The Masters begins on April 8.

Woods has won 14 majors, including four Masters titles and three British Opens—two of them at St. Andrews, Scotland. The British Open will be played from July 15-18.

"We'd always want the world No. 1 to return to the Open Championship," Booth said. "He could be the first to win three times at St. Andrews, and it would be back-to-back. No one's ever won three at St. Andrews."

English golfer Ross Fisher was driving to this week's Transitions Championship in Florida when he heard the news of Woods' plan to return at the Masters.

"It's going to be very interesting now to see what happens at Augusta," Fisher said. "But I thought he might have come back a bit earlier at either the Tavistock Cup or Bay Hill to get some golf in. Still, it's going to be very exciting."

Fisher said the atmosphere had not been the same at the recent Accenture and CA Championship without Woods in the field for the first two big-money tournaments of 2010.

"That's golf, because there is always an extra element when you have the best golfer in the world taking part," Fisher said. "But the best news now is that he is coming back."

Darren Clarke concurred.

"It's great to see him coming back again. It's absolutely brilliant. We all want him back because he's the best player on the planet," said Clarke, who beat Woods over 36 holes to win the 2000 Accenture Matchplay and also recorded Ryder Cup victories against him at Brookline, The Belfry and K Club.

Clarke was surprised Woods won't play a warm-up event but says there is no better judge of his game than the No. 1.

"I thought he might have played the Tavistock Cup next week, but obviously not," Clarke said. "But you know, Tiger doesn't make many wrong decisions when it comes to his golf, so I'm sure he's doing what he thinks is best and Augusta will be fine."

Associated Press Writer Graham Otway contributed to this report.

digg del.icio.us
more

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Tiger Woods to return to golf at Masters (CNN)

Posted: 16 Mar 2010 12:03 PM PDT

(CNN) -- Four months after an auto accident and reports of extramarital affairs put his golf career on hold, Tiger Woods announced Tuesday that he plans to return to the sport at the Masters Tournament in April.

Woods dropped out of professional competition in December after a Thanksgiving weekend wreck outside his Florida home turned a harsh spotlight on the golfer's personal life. In March, the 34-year-old golfer issued a public apology for cheating on his wife and said he was undergoing treatment for unspecified "issues."

But on Tuesday, he said he was coming back to play in the Masters, which he has won four times since 1997.

"After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I'm ready to start my season at Augusta," Woods said in a statement released by his agent. "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."

The tournament is scheduled for April 5-11 at Georgia's Augusta National Golf Club.

Can Tiger the Great's return restore his legend?

Billy Payne, the club's chairman, welcomed the return of the sport's top draw.

"We support Tiger's decision to return to competitive golf beginning at this year's Masters Tournament," Payne said in a statement shortly after the announcement. "Additionally, we support and encourage his stated commitment to continue the significant work required to rebuild his personal and professional life."

And PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem added, "We were pleased to learn that Tiger Woods will be playing the Masters in a few weeks. He has invested a lot of time taking steps, both in his personal and professional life, in order to prepare for his return. We all wish him and his family the best as he rejoins the tour."

Woods has won four PGA championships and six of the association's Grand Slam title.

Tuesday's announcement comes nearly a month after Woods publicly apologized for what he called "irresponsible and selfish" behavior, which he said included infidelity, and said he was working to "become a better man."

"I have undergone almost two months of inpatient therapy, and I am continuing my treatment," he said in Tuesday's statement. "Although I'm returning to competition, I still have a lot of work to do in my personal life."

Woods' public woes began with an early-morning crash November 27 outside his Orlando-area home, when he suffered minor injuries after striking a fire hydrant and a tree with his Cadillac SUV.

Woods was not required to talk to police about the wreck and declined to talk with investigators on several occasions. Eventually, he was cited for careless driving, paying a $164 fine and receiving four points on his driving record.

The wreck occurred days after the tabloid National Enquirer named Woods as having an affair with a New York nightclub hostess. The woman has denied the allegation, but several others have come forward to claim that they had sexual relationships with Woods, who is married to former model Elin Nordegren. The couple has two children.

In his carefully managed March statement, delivered to a small, hand-picked crowd, Woods said he was in inpatient therapy for 45 days from the end of December to early February for "issues," which he did not explain. The controversy prompted several major sponsors to suspend or drop their relationships with Woods, who also apologized to his business partners for his behavior.

And he denied speculation that Nordegren attacked him the night of the accident, saying she showed "enormous grace and poise throughout this ordeal."

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
Posted by at

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)