Golf: Tiger's return hangs over Augusta

The fairways are cut, the greens have had grown men crawling over them for months, with scissors fine enough to cut the hairs in your nose.

The coveted green jackets of past winners, none of them ever allowed out for public exposure elsewhere, have been dry cleaned and lovingly brushed, ready for wearing at the traditional Champions dinner next Wednesday night in the historic Augusta clubhouse.

A sense of anticipation buzzes throughout the golf world as to who will claim the 74th US Masters title. After all, if you'd forecast the names of the last three winners, Angel Cabrera of Argentina in 2009, South Africa's Trevor Immelman in 2008 and Zach Johnson of the USA in 2007, you'd have hit the betting jackpot and retired a millionaire.

So another fascinating Masters is about to dawn next week in Augusta, Georgia. Or is it? For the name of one man who has metamorphosed himself from admired world sporting superstar and celebrity into a human fraud, a lying, dishonest rogue who conned millions with an image of marital bliss while making a fine art of the practice of deceit, hangs heavy over Augusta.

Tiger Woods' presence at the Masters is just about the last thing Augusta wanted or needed. His decision to make his return to competitive golf here has saddled Augusta with the massive headache of how Woods' latest "mea culpa" act and the uncertain reaction of an American audience will go down.

Nothing is allowed to disturb the measured calm of Augusta National. If you visit the course, whether as a spectator, official, media man or player, you are not allowed to run anywhere. That's how tightly controlled the place is. Around these parts, in America's deep south, they make their own rules and if you don't like or abide by them, you go elsewhere.

Woods' scheduled press conference for Tuesday will hurl a Molotov cocktail into that world of calm and tranquillity. The stampede for the best seats at Woods' conference, starting at 5pm, will be an unseemly scramble. Everyone will be concerned, not with the tournament, the condition of the course, the rich history of the event and the great beauty of Augusta, but the extra-marital activities of a guy once revered around the world but now largely reviled.

Does Augusta need this? Sure, like a hole in the head. Of course, they'll handle it because they're super professionals. But deep down, anything which detracts from Augusta National and the Masters is frowned upon here. The Woods circus is more like an atomic explosion than a minor inconvenience.

Ernie Els used the word "selfish" more than once in recent weeks to describe Woods. It looks like Ernie's choice of words was as accurate as the irons he used to ping the ball into the greens for his two successive victories on the US Tour in recent weeks.

It had to be better for Woods to get all this over and done with, before anyone got to Augusta. Then, we could all have focused once more on what is arguably the golfing world's finest tournament, the premier cru event of the sport. But Woods didn't want that, he didn't see it that way. He wanted to drag his foul reeking caravan of personal deceit into Augusta National and park it right by their front door. Sadly, the odour will linger throughout the 74th Masters tournament.

You can bet that most of the golfing world will be quietly breathing the words "anyone but Woods" when considering likely winners. And given that the man himself has not played a competitive round this year, you would say he risks making a fool of himself.

But Woods' steel is renowned, except when it comes to controlling his sexual urges. He has the ability and the game to go out and win this tournament for the fifth time in 14 years. But whether he will, remains to be seen.

Perhaps Els, seemingly in a rich vein, can roll back the years by denying him. Surely the "Big Easy" cannot end his career without one green jacket?

We have to hope someone emerges.

Peter Bills writes for Independent News & Media in London

MASTERS AT A GLANCE

AUGUSTA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB, APRIL 9-12

Length: 7435 yards (6799m)
Par: 36-36-72
Purse: To be determined ($US7.5m in 2009).
Field: 98 players (six amateurs).
Cut: Top 44 and ties, and anyone within 10 shots of the lead.
Defending champion: Angel Cabrera.
Last year: Cabrera became the first Argentine to win the Masters, closing with a 71 and winning on the second hole of a three-man playoff that included Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell. Perry, 48, had a two-shot lead with two holes to play and was on the verge of becoming golf's oldest major champion until he bogeyed the 17th and 18th. In the playoff, Cabrera hit a shot that struck a pine, but he managed to make par. Campbell was eliminated on the first extra hole (No 18) with a bogey, and Cabrera won with a par on No 10.
Return of Woods: Tiger Woods is playing for the first time since revelations that he had repeatedly cheated on his wife. When he tees off on Friday, it will have been 144 days since he last hit a competitive shot.
Words from Woods: "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."
On the tee: Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer will hit the ceremonial first tee shot.
Key statistic: Tiger Woods has finished out of the top 20 at the Masters only once in his pro career.
Noteworthy: Anthony Kim and Ben Curtis are the only Americans out of 22 players who qualified through the world ranking.
Quoteworthy: "I've never seen anybody that plays golf like Tiger Woods does. So the answer to that question is yes. I believe he can be a factor." – Stewart Cink, when asked whether Woods could be a competitive factor at the Masters.