'It's been a while since I played' – Tiger Woods announces comeback after his sex scandal

Published on Tuesday 16 March 2010 22:03

IT HAS been just four months since Tiger Woods crashed his car outside his home in Florida, triggering revelations of affairs with a string of women, an apology beamed live across the globe and his withdrawal from golf.

• Woods has been trying to patch things up with his wife Elin following allegations of extramarital affairs. Picture: Getty

Now the world's biggest sports star has announced his comeback at the US Masters tournament, saying two months of "in-patient therapy" have put him in the right frame of mind to resume his career.

Woods' return for the Masters next month has been backed by golf legend Arnold Palmer, who claims the tight crowd control and heavy security at the Augusta tournament make it the perfect place for his comeback.

Announcing his comeback, Woods said: "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 has been a while since I last played."

The American, 34, has spent much of his time out in therapy – said to be for a sex addiction – while also attempting to repair the damage to his six-year marriage to Elin Nordegren, with whom he has two young children.

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

Top golfers claimed Augusta was the perfect location for Woods's return. Palmer, the host of a tournament in Orlando which Tiger will not play in next week, said: "He didn't feel his game was up to speed to play this early. We're all disappointed that Tiger isn't going to be here to play. Augusta is the one place in the world where you can really have control. They will control everything from the crowds to the situation that will be facing Tiger. I think that if there is a place in the world that you can do that and do it properly, Augusta will do that."

Former Ryder Cup player Howard Clark has said he can see some "method behind the madness" of Tiger Woods returning at the Masters and not before: "There won't be any cat-calls at the Masters. And there is a champions locker room where he can gain a lot of privacy. He can get away from the crowds, away from the media."

Speculation that Woods may return to the sport was fuelled when he was spotted for the first time with his wife in public since the car crash that sparked his personal crisis. The two were spotted taking a stroll around their Isleworth gated community in Windermere, Florida, on Saturday morning.

Walking several feet behind her husband, Elin, 30, wore a bandana from Nike, the only sponsor that has retained Woods' services since the scandal broke. The global sportswear manufacturer last night said: "We look forward to Tiger's return to the Masters and seeing him back on the course."

Shaving giant Gillette and video game firm EA sports, who both dropped Woods from their advertising after the sex scandal broke, also welcomed his comeback last night.

But experts warned that Woods would be under pressure to perform well or risk losing his sponsors for good. David Carter, head of the Sports Institute at the University of Southern California, said: "The pressure is on Woods to play well or sponsors will say 'not only is this guy risky from a marketing perspective, but he's not achieving the same level of success'."

EARLY FAVOURITE

BOOKMAKER William Hill has already installed the world number one as the 4-1 favourite to win a fifth Green Jacket at the US Masters in Augusta.

"Rule number one in golf betting is 'Never underestimate Tiger Woods'," said the firm's Rupert Adams. "When Tiger hurt his knee, we greatly underestimated his ability to come back from a long lay-off and we lost a lot of money."

Hill's said Woods was a 6-4 chance to win one of golf's four majors this year, 4-1 to land two and 25-1 to do a grand slam.