Numerous reports, all of them, however, unsubstantiated, suggest the beleaguered golf star is preparing to end his indefinite leave by competing in the Accenture Match Play Championship, to be played outside Tucson, Ariz., Feb. 17-21.

Since Woods took an indefinite leave of absence from the game following a personal-life sex scandal that broke in late November, speculation has targeted a handful of possible tournaments he might select to make a return.

The Accenture, along with March's World Golf Championship event at Doral in Miami, and the Masters are most commonly mentioned.

The positives for the Match Play is that Woods also chose the World Golf Event competition to return to competition last year after being out for almost eight months because of knee surgery.

In theory, match play allows for a larger margin of error while making a return to competition. A bad hole as a result of a rusty swing in stroke play can doom a round. In match play, it only means the loss of one hole.

The idea of Woods returning for the Accenture provides fuel for an interesting debate.

Accenture, a global consulting firm, based an advertising campaign on "Go on, be a Tiger." When Woods' public image began to tumble, Accenture was the first of Woods' sponsors to cut its ties, releasing a statement two weeks after the story broke that said he was "no longer the right representative." The move ended a six-year relationship between the parties.

So does Woods hold a grudge, or would he consider playing Accenture -- a goodwill gesture owed? His attendance would guarantee interest in the event skyrockets. Making a Woods appearance even more significant, Phil Mickelson, ranked No. 2 behind Tiger, announced last week he is skipping the tournament to spend time with family.

By PGA Tour rules, a golfer must commit to tournament by 5 p.m. on the Friday before the event is played. That means Woods does not have to make an announcement until Feb. 12.

If he does, the announcement would likely generate a media circus that would rival the Super Bowl.

Already, former U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy has suggested Woods make a public appearance to offer his explanation before arriving at a tournament site.

"One, out of respect for all the other golfers, and two, to diffuse the circus part of it before he actually gets to a golf tournament," he said last month. "I don't believe a lot of tournaments want all the tabloid media floating around.

"It would be nice if he came out away from a golf tournament. When he does come back to golf it would still be a bit crazy but that tabloid edge might be gone."

He has to do talk about it! He accepted the public persona and the spoils that go with it. He is the worlds best golfer and he has to explain what happened and what his currant marriage status is. If not it will be a circus. This is not how it "Should" be cuz its all a private matter and who really cares, but it will be a media event. The other players need to STFU as they have profited and ridden his coat tail making the PGA relevant.

Once done he just needs to do what Tiger does and why he became a larger than life figure which was win golf tournaments and be the best golfer in the history of the game. His ad revenue was because Tiger wins.

Kobe all but was convicted of raping a white girl and yet his image is bigger than ever. You over come your discretions when you win. Kobe and Lebron are tops in marketing and popularity.

Tiger will be fine. He has a crackerjack team behind him and he will be prepped. His statement will lack detail as its a "private matter" but he gotta say he like millions before him had a marriage that ended and he is moving on. Simple, clean and don't talk about the dirt. Put a little emotion and regreat into it and all will be forgiven.

Then he need to come out and destroy as Tiger does and all will be behind him. Comeback and suck it will be a big story that won't go away.

Public loves a comeback story.

kam77 wrote:Nah... i want to see a militant angry tiger... now that he lost most of his sponsors, he should just keeps it real.

Dont hold your breath.

I have my doubts that he possesses the balls to do that, but I hope he accepts the fact that pandora's box has been opened and his previous image is dead and buried to some degree.

Tiger has been such a lame. He wouldnt offer up an opinion no matter how benign or innocuous for fear of upsetting his corporate masters or middle america. Yes, he can embrace the fact that there is now a dimension to the image of Tiger Woods. People actually appreciate that he's now human. He can be a man now and not some corporate robot.

But knowing how bitchass tiger is, he'll give some weak statement saying he's sorry and go back to being the one-dimensional pitchman/golfer that he's always been.

Sad, he was hyped as someone who could possibly affect change and perception in this country, yet he chose to just sell Buick's and razors.

Allanfan20 wrote:

TMS wrote:he was rich, famous & cheated on his wife... do we really need him to explain himself? a simple "heartfelt apologetic statement" & show of "solidarity" from his wife a-la Kobe Bryant should do the trick... a new $10 million dollar ring for his wife wouldn't hurt either.

I thought they were already divorcing.

Sex-cheat swinger Tiger Woods reportedly is getting out of rehab by the end of the week, and he and wife Elin are planning to go off on a trip together.

Elin has already flown to Hattiesburg, Miss., where Woods is finishing a sex-addiction program, according to RadarOnline.

"They are giving their marriage another try," a source told the Web site.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/tiger_and_elin_nd_chance_trip_ipq2khG2JMyPBIbf6KMyYI#ixzz0ea3M329l

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Tom Watson said that Tiger Woods would need to “show some humility to the public” when he returned to golf after sorting out his personal life.

Watson also said Wednesday that to be considered among the true greats of the game, Woods should clean up his on-course behavior.

Woods is on an indefinite break since crashing his car outside his Florida home Nov. 27, fueling reports of extramarital affairs.

“I’ll let the cat out of the bag,” Watson said ahead of the Dubai Desert Classic. “Tiger has to take ownership of what he has done. He must get his personal life in order. I think that’s what he’s trying to do. And when he comes back, he has to show some humility to the public.

“I would come out and I would do an interview with somebody and say: ‘You know what? I screwed up. And I admit it. I am going to try to change. I am trying to change. I want my wife and family back.’ ”

Watson, 60, also criticized Woods, who has won 14 Grand Slam titles, for bad language and other on-course behavior. He said Woods had not displayed the same stature as other great players, like Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan, “in the sense that there was language and club throwing on the golf course.”

“You can grant that of a young person that has not been out here for a while,” Watson said. “But I think he needs to clean up his act and show the respect for the game that other people before him have shown.”

nyk4ever wrote:personally, i dont think tiger has to do ****. it's his personal life, no one else should have to hear an apology except the people involved.

secondly, im sick of golfer piling on tiger, since he's been beating their asses for 12+ years so now they see a chance to get a little shot in on him. golfers wanna pile on him now and say this is going to affect his performance when he comes back.. NEWSFLASH PEOPLE... tiger is the best golfer of all time and when he comes back he's going to beat all your asses just like he beat all your asses before.

man people are so pathetic sometimes.

Tom watson speaks his opinion as 60 year old guy thats been on the circut for 40 years and has one hell of a track record.

Golf has an tradition that has noting to do with who beats whose ass. Tiger sold himself as being above certain things and he messed up. Golf and its players travel with the family and uphold an image with the family. The players make up the PGA and a handful speak for themselves, but not for all. Thats Tom Watson is saying to just show a little humilty, just like Kobe did and all will get past it.

Tiger is a bit of an arrogant prick who sucked up to the corp sponsers and he made a mockery of himself, the people that paid him millions to represent them, and his family. This guy got called out by like 10 chicks. Personally I like the guy and will root for him but you gotta understand.

nyk4ever wrote:personally, i dont think tiger has to do ****. it's his personal life, no one else should have to hear an apology except the people involved.

secondly, im sick of golfer piling on tiger, since he's been beating their asses for 12+ years so now they see a chance to get a little shot in on him. golfers wanna pile on him now and say this is going to affect his performance when he comes back.. NEWSFLASH PEOPLE... tiger is the best golfer of all time and when he comes back he's going to beat all your asses just like he beat all your asses before.

man people are so pathetic sometimes.

Yup. He didn't do anything to offend anybody, except his wife, which is a big deal, but only to him and his family and the people that really love him and her. He doesn't have to apologize to the fans, media, PGA, nor his sponsors.

Nalod wrote:

nyk4ever wrote:personally, i dont think tiger has to do ****. it's his personal life, no one else should have to hear an apology except the people involved.

Tiger is a bit of an arrogant prick who sucked up to the corp sponsers and he made a mockery of himself, the people that paid him millions to represent them, and his family. This guy got called out by like 10 chicks. Personally I like the guy and will root for him but you gotta understand.

Completely agree with this. I think that the fact that everyone now realizes that he's a prick has killed the image he built (it was not corporate america that built his image, but Tiger defining and building his personal brand and using corporate america as a vehicle). He either apologizes and tries to rebuild his former imgage or he says FU and builds a different image. My money is on the former, especially if signals point to him getting back together with his wife.

On another note, wouldn't it be funny if he did say FU, threw caution to the wind, and just pushed the boundaries of golf further...Imagine if he pushed the Blasian pimp persona, with all his ho's on the course, following him on every hole. Orgiastic parties on his yacht after every major. Funny thing is, a whole new set of sponsors would step up to market with him...