US Tour chief expects Woods to come back soon

Published on Monday 15 March 2010 00:33

USPGA TOUR commissioner Tim Finchem anticipates the wait for Tiger Woods to announce his comeback date will be over "pretty soon".

"I'm as excited as everybody else to see him back, I hope this spring, but my sense is we'll know pretty soon," said Finchem in Miami yesterday.

"Everybody's done looking back at the circumstances that resulted in him stepping away from the game and (are] now focused on when he's going to play golf. I think that's good. I think that means people are paying attention to what he said.

"It's going to be huge when he comes back and it's going to be an interesting thing – how he re-enters the game, how he plays, how he deals with the reaction to his statement. But I do feel this huge change in the atmosphere because of what he said. I was impressed not only about him talking about personal issues, but about talking about the game, a renewed respect.

"I thought he set the bar for himself and we all know what happens when Tiger sets the bar for himself."

In his 19 February public appearance Woods, out of action since November because of a sex scandal, stated: "I do plan to return to golf one day, I just don't know when that day will be.

"I don't rule out that it will be this year. When I do return, I need to make my behaviour more respectful of the game."

The most recent indications are that he is planning a return in the Masters at August on 8-11 April, although the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando starting on 25 March has not yet been ruled out.

Meanwhile, Karrie Webb blew a chance of winning her fifth Australian Open as some woeful putting saw her lose out to world No 6 Yani Tseng.

The Australian's overnight lead evaporated as Tseng fired a blistering final round of 66 to win by three shots at Commonwealth Golf Club. Webb carded a 74 to finish third.

Defending champion Laura Davies finished second after closing with a 71. Taiwan's Tseng, 21, birdied five of her final nine holes to hold off the challenge from Davies.

"Last night I told my friends I was going to play really good today, I got a good feel on the greens," she said. "This is a really tough course and you just need to be patient.

"For the last three holes my whole body was shaking. When I stepped up to putt I felt my heart going really fast. I told myself to be relaxed. I told my caddie to be relaxed too."

&#149 Thailand's Boonchu Ruangkit rewrote the European Senior Tour history books with a stunning 11-shot victory in the Chang Thailand Senior Masters.

The 53-year-old scattered the field at the picturesque Royal Gems Golf Club in Nakhon Pathom, rounds of 64, 66 and 65 giving the host nation favourite a whopping 21-under par winning total of 195.

Fellow countryman Jamnian Chitprasong, Frankie Minoza of the Philippines and Japan's Katsuyoshi Tomori shared second place on ten under par 206.

Ruangkit also carded the lowest 54 hole score to par in European Senior Tour history and claimed the biggest 54 hole winning margin in Tour history.

Scotland's Sam Torrance finished in a tie for 24th place with Englishman Kevin Spurgeon on one under par 215.