Tiger Woods returns Wednesday
He’s baaack.
Tiger Woods, who hasn’t played a single golf tournament since his dramatic U.S. Open win last June, said he would return to the links this week to tee it up in the Accenture Match Play Championship.
Woods has been sidelined since he won his 14th major at Torrey Pines. Just days after the tense playoff victory over Rocco Mediate, the world’s top golfer announced he would undergo season-ending knee surgery. As a result, he missed the year’s final two majors, the Open Championship and the PGA, along with the Ryder Cup.
More than eight months after Woods winced and wobbled on one good leg to win the U.S. Open, the world’s No.1 golfer said his reconstructed left knee and his game were in good enough shape to compete.
He signed up for the 2009 Accenture Match Play Championship, which begins Wednesday just outside Tucson, Ariz., and where Woods will hit his first real shot in 253 days.
The return of Woods was welcomed by the PGA Tour, which has seen television ratings plummet in his absence. Even the players, whom Woods has routinely beaten while compiling 65 victories, began skipping events as well.
In the eight months that Woods has been gone, Padraig Harrington won two majors, the Americans won the Ryder Cup and Vijay Singh won the FedEx Cup. But with a mainstream audience, golf lost relevance without Woods.
Woods has not been seen inside the ropes since June 16, when he rapped in a short par putt at Torrey Pines to defeat Rocco Mediate in a 19-hole playoff to win the U.S. Open for his 14th major, which Woods called ‘’probably the best ever’’ given the circumstances.
The U.S. Open was his first tournament since surgery on his left knee to clean out cartilage after the Masters. Preparing for his return, Woods suffered a double stress fracture in his left tibia. The swelling was so bad at Torrey Pines that he couldn’t even see his knee cap.
The last big obstacle to his return was the Feb. 8 birth of his son, Charlie Axel. ‘’Elin and our new son Charlie are doing great,’’ Woods wrote. ‘’I’ve enjoyed my time at home with the family and appreciate everyone’s support and kind wishes.’’
Woods will be under even greater scrutiny when he returns at Match Play, a tournament that is unpredictable even with two good legs. The eight-month break is his longest ever, and there are questions of rust and whether he had to modify his swing after surgery.
STILL, Woods is a three-time winner of the Accenture Match Play Championship, but no tournament is more fickle. Woods won in 2004 for his only victory of the season. Last year, at the height of his game, he was lucky to escape against J.B. Holmes and Aaron Baddeley.
Let’s see how he does this time.
Can Tiger Woods win the 2009 U.S. Masters? Bodog sportsbook has the odds.
Tiger Woods 2.75
Phil Mickelson 11.00
Padraig Harrington 15.00
Vijay Singh 21.00
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