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The 'comeback' show

April 7 - 13, 2010
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Just when we were getting set for the year's first Major, The Masters is all of a sudden 'The Tiger Woods comeback show'.

To be fair, no matter which week the world number one picked for his return, it would be billed as exactly that, but what a pity he has chosen Augusta as the starting point for his new era in the game.

The Masters may be the easiest Major to win as its field is small in comparison with the other three, but it's special. It has everything we can ask for in a tournament; beauty, mystique around Amen Corner and of course, history and tradition.

There is intense pressure on every player who is in contention down the stretch on Sunday with water to test the belief and lightning fast greens that leave even the steeliest nerves frayed at the edges.

The presentation of Augusta set the standards we enjoy at many courses throughout the world today - quite simply, there is no place like it, and its tournament is more important than any one player.

On the plus side, I am, like many of you, thrilled to see Woods in action again, because there has been something missing in the game since his sabbatical. The downside is that Tiger will take the headlines in the build-up to the tournament and over the four days of this wonderful spectacle.

If he had picked a prior event the initial impact of Tiger's return would be history before Augusta and the focus would then have been on, who will win this year's green jacket?

One thing is for sure, when Tiger returns, he must return a different person from the one he has been over the last few years. Yes, he is the best player I've ever seen and he has many more wins to enjoy before he's done, but his satellite navigation has sent him down some dodgy roads in recent years and it's time now to pick the correct routes. Everyone deserves a second chance. Tiger Woods now has that opportunity. I have no doubt we will see him take that with both hands.

On a much brighter note, we will have him at Augusta, Pebble Beach and Whistling Straits. He will also be at the 150th playing of the Open Championship at the Home Of Golf. That makes the majors what they should be with all of the top players at the top four events. The other events he enters will give them added impetus.

So how will Tiger play at Augusta? I suspect the same way he has played there every year. Knowing Woods, he would not play in the Masters unless he has a chance of winning.

The list of potential winners is long; Ernie Els is probably the form player on the PGA Tour right now with back-to-back wins and he has a good record at the Masters. As I said last week the South African challenge is very strong, along with an eight-man English contingent headed by European number one Lee Westwood. Americans Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk will lead their charge, to name but a few.

The eyes of the world will be on the Masters this weekend and even with everything that has happened, intense pressure and a lack of tournament preparation, you-know-who will be once again, the man to beat.







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