Rosie: Tiger Improving, Has The Edge Back
/And the Masters? Golf World's Tim Rosaforte says yes, the world number 104 will play and he expects a recon trip to Augusta National this week.
That’s what he says in today’s Golf World video report. Taking this under advisement...and believing it when seeing it.
As explained in discussing Rosaforte's report with Damon Hack on Morning Drive, Tiger is not required to give the committee any indication of his intentions unless he is officially withdrawing. There is no entry deadline as there is with a PGA Tour event, merely an accepting of the invitation to play the Masters. And since the tournament does not have alternates, no one is waiting at the first tee to take his place.
This sets up a spectacle scenario where every practice round shot will be scrutinized and every touching of his back will be noted. That’s all fine. But if he starts but doesn’t complete a round at the Masters due to acute release pattern misfiring, the Golf Gods will come down hard on that breach of etiquette.
**There's a good four-minute discussion involving Bamberger, Shipnuck and Van Sickle, officiated by Marksbury and talking Tiger. The video can't be directly linked but appears atop this golf.com page.
**Bob Harig at ESPN.com goes the FAQ route trying to piece together what Woods will do and suspects we will not see a game time decision from Woods.
Would he wait until the last minute to show up and play?
That is unlikely. Courtesy suggests he will give tournament officials some indication so they can prepare tee times with or without him. And Woods is not likely to want to become the story early in the week, especially if he is not playing. It is only a guess, but the expectation is Woods will announce a decision at some point this week.
