Tiger Woods Return at Augusta Doesn't Make Sense

Get ready folks. The greatest spectacle in sports is about now set to take place.

Bigger than the Super Bowl, infinitely more intriguing than the Olympics, and unquestionably more important than the start of March Madness, are we ready for the biggest media spectacle to hit the sports would in almost six months?

That's right ladies and gentlemen; Tiger Woods is returning to golf and he's doing so at no less than the Masters Tournament at Augusta National on April 5^th.

Woods, who has been away from the game due to a self-imposed sabbatical from the game after multiple discretions of infidelity came to light starting Thanksgiving Weekend, will be making his season debut at a tournament which he has won four times in the past and is arguable the crown jewel of championships on the PGA Tour.

But is Woods, who is a self-professed historian of the game, being fair to a tournament steeped in tradition and to a golf course that is perhaps one of the most exclusive and private courses in the world?

Now, there are already players on the tour that have publicly lambasted Woods for bringing this circus down on the tour, and rightfully so. Golf in general is a very private, very relaxed game. Creating a "Happy Gilmore" media crunch on the players is obviously an unwanted distraction, but it is one that Augusta can handle.

Keep in mind that this is the club that withstood the Martha Burke storm on the lack of women members and whether the club would allow them, something that as of 2010 still hadn't happened. That said, Tiger should be ease at least, knowing that this is one place that Gloria Allred can't sink her claws into him. Needless to say, the club is not one that will turn away from controversy to maintain the integrity of the tournament and to provide a safe and golf friendly environment to its players.

Regardless, players will still not want to deal with the endless questions about whether Tiger should be there, was his play affected by his time off, and any other useless dribble conjured up by the media to bring the topic to the forefront. These are players that want to focus on their rounds and not worry about the struggles of one man who blew the doors off of the boys club.

And where does that leave Tiger for that matter. Woods for his part has refused to even be questioned on the matter, with his only comments about the situation being in a controlled press conference arranged by the PGA Tour, with tightly scrutinized media passes so that the superstar philanderer could apologize to his family, fans, fellow players, and tour without feeling the burden of pressure brought on by media questions. But can the PGA shield him forever from it? If he's in the hunt for the green jacket, will they make him available to the media, and even if they do, will Woods even want to field any questions knowing that most of them will have nothing to do with how he is playing?

At the end of the day, Tiger had to return to the game, and it was without doubt that he would not miss the Masters. Still, his choice to make this his first tournament back is questionable, as the Arnold Palmer or even the interclub at Islesworth would have been better choices.

Instead, this has all the makings of a made for TV event, giving the PGA the shot in the arm it needs during they tournament it wants it for. Sponsor will line up and the people will be watching, even if its for all the wrong reasons.

In the end though, it doesn't do Woods, his fellow players, or the PGA any good to make this into any further spectacle than it already is. In the end, it is just shameless promotion.

Sources:

Woods To Return To Golf At Masters, AssociatedPress

Augusta National, Wikipedia.com