Tiger's Returning At The Masters Clippings, Vol. 3

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I can't speak to Tiger's game, but a day after his announced comeback at that Masters, I am more pleased than ever that he spared the game of exposing the world to the gluttonous Tavistock Cup.  Sure, Bay Hill would have been nice, but they give credentials to local TV stations and they are supervised by men in green jackets who think writers are merely arsonists with notepads.
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ESPN Would Really, Really Like Tiger To Play In The Par 3 Contest, Too

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Note how Sportscenter anchor John Buccigross asks Andy North if it might be a good idea for Tiger, as part of his image rehabilitation, should play in the Par-3 contest. You know, partake in that whole PGA Tour day care debacle that the Par 3 has become and which television audiences won't be tuning into much because it's so painful to watch.
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"This is a new world he's living in and he doesn't get to set the rules now"

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Tom English on Tiger's inevitable return and his hiring of Ari Fleischer to help craft answers to questions:

Tiger sought to kill this issue with an angry riposte during his piece to camera last month, but this is a new world he's living in and he doesn't get to set the rules now, however much he wants to. He will be asked about Galea and he'll need to answer, from the heart, not from a page in Fleischer's dossier.

None of us knows what kind of man Tiger is going to be when he reappears, but the Fleischer connection is not going to persuade his critics that the new Woods is going to be much different from the old one.

New Orlando Sentinel Report On Woods Accident Investigation Reveals Stonewalling, Other Bizarre Details

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The Orlando Sentinel continues to examine new public records in the Tiger Woods accident investigation, with several more revelations that speak to an investigation not bungled, but obstructed. Rene Stutzman reports that Elin Woods "tried to ride in the ambulance to the hospital with her husband, but the crew wouldn't let her, saying this was a case of domestic violence, the Florida Highway Patrol records show."

But the behavior of HealthCentral and state attorney Steve Foster raises the most-troubling questions:

Today's FHP records also reveal that the afternoon of the crash, FHP troopers tried to get medical records from the hospital, HealthCentral in Ocoee, that would have shown whether Woods had been drinking or was under the influence of drugs.

An emergency room nurse, however, said the records department was closed and troopers would have to come back the following Monday.

Troopers did, arriving about 7 a.m. Nov. 30, the first business day after the crash.

"The director of medical records at first stated their computer system was not working then she stated that they would not provide that information without a warrant on D-1 (Tiger Woods) regarding whether or not medical blood had been drawn," wrote FHP Cpl. Thomas DeWitt.

Two FHP captains then went to the Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office and asked it to subpoena Woods' medical records, but Assistant State Attorney Steve Foster said there was insufficient evidence.

The following day FHP declared its investigation over and wrote Woods the ticket.

The home security system video stuff is borderline comical. You leave it up to a defense attorney to check the tapes? And amazingly, he just couldn't get it to work!

Woods' home has four security cameras, and his lawyer, Mark NeJame, told troopers that he would provide them with video from the system, but after having problems trying to decipher it, apparently never did.

The day FHP made the request, NeJame said he tried but could not figure out how to operate the system. Five hours later, a woman from his office called troopers, saying they still couldn't figure it out but would call the next day.

The FHP paperwork makes no further mention of the video.

According to DeWitt, the trooper who wrote the report, two of the cameras should have captured at least portions of Woods' drive and crash.

"The back-and-forth we had Thursday might just be Tiger and his IMG camp sending out head fakes as to where he will come out of the woodwork."

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After Thursday's reports stating the possible places Tiger may come back, we probably have less of an idea than ever where Tiger will tee it up. And that's the point, says Garry Smits who labeled it a "misinformation campaign" by Team Woods. Smits also notes a logistical problem with a Bay Hill return and this about the Masters:

To repeat ... the key date is a week from today (Friday). Woods has until 5 p.m. to commit to the Palmer Invitational. If he doesn't, book him for the Masters -- where, as a past winner, he doesn't have to commit ahead of time. He can merely show up that week.

The sheer absurdity of that Augusta National policy actually has me rooting for Tiger to show up Thursday morning of the Masters. Wouldn't that be great? Overshadow Jack Nicklaus' debut as a starter and get tagged onto the back end of the field to the shock of the world?

Now, based on the way Tiger has behaved since November 27th, the idea of constantly dodging tabloids and showing up at the Masters unannounced probably appeals to his inner-fugitive. Since he's been acting like he's on the lam and maybe thinks this is a healthy, rational way to live, nothing would shock me at this point.