Scandal-hit Woods returns to golf at Masters

PALM HARBOR, Florida – For Tiger Woods, this figures to be a Masters like no other.

Woods said Tuesday he will end more than four months of seclusion and play at Augusta National in three weeks, shielded by the most secure environment in golf as he competes for the first time since a sex scandal shattered his image.

“The Masters is where I won my first major and I view this tournament with great respect,” Woods said in a statement. “After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I’m ready to start my season at Augusta.”

The Masters begins April 8.

No other major championship attracts such a large television audience, and that’s under normal circumstances.

Already the most popular figure in golf with his 82 worldwide victories and 14 majors – four of them at the Masters – Woods returns as a disgraced star who will be under the greatest scrutiny of his career.

“We’re all looking forward to having him back. We want him playing,” Jim Furyk said. “I’m sure we’re also looking forward to everything being business as usual. And it’s going to take awhile. We know that.”

Woods last competed Nov. 15 when he won the Australian Masters in Melbourne. Twelve days later, he rammed his sport utility vehicle over a fire hydrant and into a tree outside his Florida home, an accident that set off sordid tales of extramarital affairs. Woods announced Dec. 11 that he would take an indefinite break to try to save his marriage.

“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,” Woods said.

“I have undergone almost two months of inpatient therapy and I am continuing my treatment,” he said. “Although I’m returning to competition, I still have a lot of work to do in my personal life.”    (AP)