Tiger's Returning At The Masters Clippings, Vol. 3

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I can't speak to Tiger's game, but a day after his announced comeback at that Masters, I am more pleased than ever that he spared the game of exposing the world to the gluttonous Tavistock Cup.  Sure, Bay Hill would have been nice, but they give credentials to local TV stations and they are supervised by men in green jackets who think writers are merely arsonists with notepads.

While the President feels Tiger will still be a terrific golfer, others aren't so sure. AP's Tim Dahlberg is one:

No, it’s because the Woods saga is a story that has morphed into a lot more than just the tale of a man who pretended to be something he wasn’t. Once one of the most esteemed athletes in the world, he’s now a soap opera-like figure whose last scripted apology clearly showed he has a lot more left to accomplish in his 12-step rehabilitation program.

He’ll go to Augusta still stinging from the pasting he’s taken from the tabloids and the late-night shows since crashing his SUV Thanksgiving night. He’ll go there vulnerable and, for the first time, unsure what kind of reception he’ll get.

The media will want to ask him questions. The fans will want him to act contrite.
Kind of hard to swagger down the fairway and say you’re sorry at the same time.

Oliver Holt says cut Tiger a break, he's been through enough and the Ryder Cup (if he plays) will be brutal.

He’s going to face open hostility from people for the first time since he turned pro. He’s going to face disrespect and disappointment.

He knows he has gone from being someone who was universally admired to a man many people now loathe.

His return is going to be the craziest circus professional sport has ever known. And don’t forget, this is a guy who used to fly into a rage if a photographer clicked on his backswing.

Suddenly, he’s going to have to deal with a whole lot more. Who knows how he’ll cope?

Ray McNulty is perhaps the least forgiving I've read yet:

Hallelujah! The demons have been exorcised. The evil spell has been broken. An overpowering addiction has been overcome.

Miraculously, it seems, Tiger Woods has been cured — just in time for him to get his game geared up for Augusta, home of The Masters, the first stop on golf’s major championship calendar and a tournament played on his favorite course.

I normally agree with Brandel Chamblee, but I'm not sure about this comment to Connell Barrett:

BC: There is a gray area there with how his personal life will affect his golf. I don't know if we'll see a whole new Tiger, but I think he'll be more respectful and patient with the media. But I don't think he'll give people what they want. Nor should he. It's a personal matter. He'll say "I've already answered that," which he did last month. In terms of his golf, people try to make this analogous to his comeback from knee surgery. That's not apples to apples. That was a physical comeback. This is an emotional one. It's more akin to when he came back from his father's death [in 2006] and missed the cut [at the 2006 U.S. Open].

Is it me, or is (allegedly) getting caught (allegedly) having mistresses, being hooked on pain pills (allegedly), driving under the influence (and getting away with it...allegedly) and revealed to be using an HGH-loving doctor (not allegedly), isn't quite the same as the passing of a parent?

Mick Elliott features this great line from Steve Stricker, who talked about the spectacle of Tiger's return and seemed to back off his comments from last weekend:  ""It's amazing how good golf transpires into being a smarter person. A few years ago, nobody cared what I thought."

On Tiger:

"Golf is going to be at the forefront for the Masters, everywhere, which I think is pretty cool. And he's coming back; I think that's another great thing. I'm excited to see him back. I'll be interested to see how he plays and how he handles everything and see how the fans and everybody handle him. But I'm anxious and looking forward to seeing him again."

On, the hype of Woods' return potentially upstaging the Masters:

"Well, the story line is going to overpower everything. And I didn't mean that in any bad way. I just think that it's a huge story line, and whether it's the Masters, which is probably one of the top events that we play in the world, that's just the way it is. That's the story of the week. But it is the Masters.

More Tweets from the Ancient Twitter:

Jeff Rude offers one of the shortest and sweetest blog posts you'll ever see, but it's a reminder that on that first tee Masters Thursday, Tiger will have to work hard not flinch when he's announced at the tee.

And finally, something tells me that rumored-South Park fan Tiger probably didn't watch this episode, but if he saw the opening segment, well, he probably didn't care for it.