Golf Capsules: Kim, Molder lead after 3 rounds in Houston

HUMBLE — Anthony Kim never knew where his tee shots were going. Bryce Molder never got control of his swing. Both saved themselves with their short games Saturday and ended up tied for the third-round lead in the Houston Open.

Kim missed 11 of 14 fairways, but relied on good putting to shoot a 3-under 69 that left him 10 under for the tournament. Molder, the second-round leader, made four bogeys and five birdies for a 71.

"It was a tough day," Molder said. "I just couldn’t quite find the club in my swing, and it was just a little off."

Vaughn Taylor (70) and Joe Ogilvie (71) were two strokes back at 8 under after both bogeyed the difficult 18th hole. Houston resident Jeff Maggert (70), Graham DeLaet (71) and Lee Westwood (72) were three strokes behind the leaders. The players faced only light breezes after wind gusted up to 30 mph during the first two rounds. The mild conditions couldn’t help Kim, who was hitting tee shots into trouble all day.

"I don’t know what happened today," Kim said. "Just spraying the ball off the tee, just hitting the worst shots I’ve hit probably this year."

Kim finished second to Camilo Villegas at the Honda Classic, one of three top-25 finishes this year. He hasn’t held or shared the third-round lead since last year’s Canadian Open, where he finished third. After three-plus years on the tour, Kim feels as if he’s matured enough to make smart decisions, when parts of his game are letting him down.

"I’ve learned a lot from past experiences," he said. "It gives me confidence that I’m getting the ball up and down from a lot of places I probably shouldn’t. That’s dangerous, because you don’t want to rely on that."

Kim pulled a 300-yard drive on the par-4 12th hole, then flopped a wedge from an awkward stance within a foot with a pond lurking on the other side of the green.

"I told my caddie, ‘If I don’t hit this perfectly, it’s going to go 50 yards in the water,"’ Kim said.

He hooked another tee shot on the 17th hole, then wedged out of the rough to three feet. Kim saved par from behind the green at No. 18, chipping down the hill and sinking an 8-footer.

"There were some spots today, I don’t know how I got out," he said. "But I was happy to go ahead and hit some lucky shots and good shots, and get away with it."

Molder hit his share of errant tee shots, too, after a solid 66 on Friday. He made three bogeys on the front nine, then birdied two of the first three holes on the back. He dunked his tee shot in the water on 18, then hit a 6-iron to 14 feet and made the putt for an unexpected par. Molder had seven one-putt greens on the back nine and a total of 26 putts in his round.

"Luckily, my putter kind of held me in there," Molder said. "I always kind of know that if I can just kind of get it going the direction I want it to go, then I’m usually going to be OK."

Molder, a four-time All-American at Georgia Tech, is winless in 88 career PGA Tour starts. He got to play Augusta National once a year when he was in college, but has never played in the Masters. He’ll earn an invitation with his first victory, but said he’s not thinking about what will be on the line for him on Sunday.

"I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t in the back of my mind, and wouldn’t be just a huge thrill," Molder said. "But that’s a lot of steps away."

Molder also was tied for the lead after the second round this year at Pebble Beach, and tied for 10th. He admitted that he was nervous on Saturday morning, but he’s eager to see how he copes with the pressure on Sunday.

"A day like today can only help," Molder said. "I knew, over the last two days, I was going to face some times where it didn’t feel very good, where I was uncomfortable out there and hit some poor shots. All you can do is just be ready for that, handle it as well as you can."

Justin Leonard (67) moved into contention in the morning with two eagles on his front nine. He made a double bogey on the 14th hole, though, and dropped into the logjam at 6 under.

"Just off the golf course, it’s a little disappointing," Leonard said. "But at the same time, there are so many good things to pull from today. As the day wears on, I’ll see those things a little more clearly."

Leonard, who lives in Dallas, is seeking his first win since the 2008 St. Jude Classic. He has three victories in the Texas Open in San Antonio, but has never won in Houston. He tied for 19th last year, his best finish since a tie for sixth in 2002, the final time the tournament was played at the nearby TPC at the Woodlands.

LPGA

Stupples atop star-studded KNC leaderboard

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — Minutes before Karen Stupples teed off Saturday in the Kraft Nabisco Championship, caddie Jerry Woodard got in her face for a pep talk to try to calm her nerves. Stupples, who came into the round one shot behind Song-Hee Kim, said Woodard let her have it.

"He said, ‘I know you’re nervous, you’re supposed to be nervous, this is what we’re here for. You’re playing great. Let’s go and do it. Let’s take it to the course. Rip the drive down the fairway."’

It worked.

"I needed that routine," said Stupples, who responded with a 4-under 68 at Mission Hills to take a one-stroke lead into the final round, with six other majors winners within seven shots.

Stupples, the 36-year-old English star who won the 2004 Women’s British Open, had a 10-under 206 total in the season’s first major. On Sunday, she’ll be trying to stay ahead of a field that includes majors winners Suzann Pettersen, Yani Tseng, Lorena Ochoa, Karrie Webb, Kristie Kerr and Grace Park. Isn’t there a good chance Stupples will have a strong case of the nerves again?

"Honestly, I don’t think they can be any worse than they were this morning," she said. "In a way, all it will do is make me get out there and enjoy it. Look who I’ve got chasing me. How could I not enjoy that? That’s called life. That’s fantastic. That’s more exciting than I can even tell."

Pettersen, the first-round leader who seemingly played herself out of contention with a 73 on Friday, and Tseng shot 67s to reach 9 under. Top-ranked Ochoa, who won this tournament two years ago, rebounded from a slow start with birdies on three of her last seven holes for a 71 to join second-round leader Kim (72) at 7 under.

Webb (72), Kerr (74) and Park (69) also were in the top nine. Webb was alone at 5 under, Kerr was tied with Brittany Lang (69) at 4 under and Park was tied with five others, including Michelle Wie, at 3 under.

Playing with Ochoa, Stupples started strong with four birdies and just one bogey on the front nine to go to 9 under. Ochoa, who came into the round tied for second, one shot behind Kim, had an uncharacteristically slow start of 2 over on the front nine. She didn’t make her first birdie until the par-14 12th.

Stupples was fired up after rolling in a long birdie putt on the par-3 17th, pumping her left fist four times. Ochoa also birdied No. 17, then birdied the par-5 18th to the delight of the crowd. Stupples said being paired with the popular Ochoa was "a pretty good atmosphere to play in. It was cool. Very cool."

Pettersen shot her second 67 of the tournament, with four of her six birdies coming on the back nine.

"Just a few more fairways today than yesterday," the Norwegian star said. "I put myself in good position to attack some of these pins. The course is drying up a little bit, so if you find the fairway somehow on the par 4s, you have fairly short clubs in your hands, so with certain pin positions, it feels like it’s a green light to attack.

"It was a tough day yesterday, but I managed to hang in there and finish strong, and just continued to solid play today. So it’s going to be a fun day tomorrow."

Pettersen won the 2007 LPGA Championship. She has two top-10 finishes in three starts this year but also was slowed by a hip injury. Pettersen has three straight top-five finishes in the tournament.

"I’ve played a lot of good golf around this track," she said. "Hitting the fairways sets up a lot on this golf course."

-- Bernie Wilson

Masters

Tiger’s time finally arrives at Augusta National

Tiger Woods will drive past the 61 trees that form a canopy down Magnolia Lane, pull up in front of the white clubhouse at Augusta National and walk up the stairs on the side of the building to a locker room reserved for Masters champions.

It’s a routine he has followed since he won his first green jacket. Nothing else about this Masters figures to be remotely routine, not even that familiar introduction on the first tee.

"Fore, please. Tiger Woods."

Five months after a sex scandal that still lingers on the Internet and in the tabloids, Woods is coming back to golf — at a major that already attracts the largest television audience.

From his first press conference on Monday to his opening tee shot on Thursday, through Amen Corner and along the azaleas and dogwoods and Georgia pines, this should be a Masters like no other.

"I think it’s going to be one of the biggest events in golf history, because the biggest player in golf history is going to come back from this absence, and everybody is going to be scrutinizing his game and what he says and where he goes and where he has dinner ... everything," British Open champion Stewart Cink said.

For a dozen years, Woods has been the favorite to win at Augusta. Now he’s everyone’s favorite punch line. The countdown toward Jack Nicklaus and his record 18 majors has been replaced by a count of his mistresses.

"He’s made a career out of exceeding expectations," Geoff Ogilvy said. "He’s spent his whole life under a microscope, but this is going to be on a level he’s never seen before."

Woods went 15 weeks without touching a club while in seclusion from the paparazzi and in therapy for the deviant double life he was leading. He began practicing on Feb. 28. He spent two days at Augusta National in the weeks leading up to the Masters. Even so, he has no idea what to expect when he returns — from his game or from the gallery.

"I’m a little nervous about that to be honest with you," he told ESPN in a pair of five-minute interviews he gave television. "It would be nice to hear a couple claps here and there."

Nervous? Woods has spent a career making other people nervous with his 14 majors, 82 victories worldwide and a trophy from every continent where golf is played. A couple of claps? This is a guy who was wildly cheered for walking onto the tee.

Fans stood five deep on both sides of the fairway from every tee to every green the last time Woods competed. It was the Australian Masters in Melbourne, and he shot 68 in the final round on Nov. 15 for a two-shot victory. Everything changed 12 days later.

In the middle of the night, Woods drove his SUV over a fire hydrant and into a tree, a single-car accident that set off explosive revelations of rampant affairs, and the biggest scandal the genteel sport of golf has ever known. Three of his biggest sponsors dropped him. Comedians made fun of him. Players weren’t sure what to say about him.

Woods might have summed it up best when he spoke publicly on Feb. 19 at the TPC Sawgrass in a 13 1/2-minute statement he read to a room of family and associates and to a worldwide television audience.

"I have made you question who I am and how I could have done the things I did," he said.

Will anyone ever look at him the same?

"We have all put him up on such a pedestal, not only in the golf, but we took for granted the personal side, too," said Steve Stricker, who went 4-0 with Woods as his partner in the Presidents Cup. "We’ll have to wait and see what golf he brings when he comes back. This may fire him up even more and make him even stronger. He may have less distractions. Who knows? He could be better."

Augusta National already has said it would allow ESPN to show Woods’ opening tee shot. CBS president Sean McManus predicted that Woods at the Masters would rank only behind President Barack Obama’s inauguration as the "biggest media spectacle."

Equally curious will be the golf itself, especially now. Woods last won a major at the 2008 U.S. Open, when he returned from a nine-week break to win at Torrey Pines on a left knee so torn up that he had season-ending surgery a week later. He has never missed the cut at the Masters as a pro. He has won four times, but just once over the last seven years. And he hasn’t hit a meaningful shot in five months.

"Do I think Tiger Woods can be a competitive factor at the Masters? I can’t believe you’re even asking that question," Cink said. "We’re talking about Tiger Woods, the best player that’s ever played golf. I’ve seen the players who are usually in that conversation. I’ve never seen anybody that plays golf like Tiger Woods does. So the answer to that question is ‘Yes, I believe he can be a factor."’

Beyond the Masters, can he resume his pursuit of Nicklaus’ 18 majors? This already was shaping up as pivotal year for the 34-year-old Woods, with three of the majors held on courses where he has won seven of his 14 majors — Augusta National, Pebble Beach and St. Andrews.

"If Tiger is going to pass my record, this is a big year for him in that regard," Nicklaus said at the start of the season.

Golf managed to go on without him, even if fewer people were paying attention. Television ratings were down, and galleries were sparse at tournament that Woods traditionally played.On the course, no one filled the void. It took until the 12th week of the season — Bay Hill — for Ernie Els to become the first multiple winner on the PGA Tour. Eight players from the top 30 in the world have won.

The defending champion at the Masters is Angel Cabrera, who will serve Argentine beef at the champions dinner Tuesday. It is not known whether Woods plans to attends.

Els, a longtime rival, was among the most critical of Woods when he said the world’s No. 1 player was being "selfish" for choosing the middle of the Accenture Match Play Championship — Accenture was the first sponsor to drop Woods — to make his first public appearance. Now Els is a little tired of talking about him, an example of the pall Woods’ absence has cast over golf.

"It’s basically affected a lot of lives on tour, as well, because of the constant questioning that we have to answer about a fellow player’s private life," Els said. "It’s hard enough to make pars and birdies out there than with this whole situation hanging on the tour and everything else."

The Masters might be the first step toward returning golf to some degree of normalcy. Woods is playing again, his first time in America since the Presidents Cup in San Francisco the first week of October. That he chose Augusta National to return is not surprising. No other major has greater control of its property, from which fans get weekly badges to the strict decorum (no running, no cell phones). Media credentials are limited, shutting out the celebrity sites that gave Woods the kind of publicity he never imagined. How he responds on the golf course remains a mystery.

"It will be interesting to see how the other players around him react when his name is on that leaderboard again," Colin Montgomerie said. "It will be very different to see his name up there. He had that aura about him, and it will be interesting to see if other players react differently now, or the same as they did. It will be very exciting times."

Montgomerie played with Woods in the third round of the 1997 Masters, and those were exciting times. Woods shot 65 that day to build an eight-shot lead, and he went on to shatter tournament records with his 12-shot victory. That sent Woods on his way to becoming arguably the most famous athlete in the world, capable of commanding $3 million fees for playing tournaments overseas. He became the first athlete to top $1 billion in gross earnings on and off the golf course.

That seems so long ago now. Starting Thursday, a new era begins for Woods.

-- Doug Ferguson

Tiger can learn plenty of lessons from Kobe Bryant

ATLANTA — When the subject turned to Tiger Woods, the eyelids narrowed into a defiant squint. The jaw muscles tightened up to form something between a smile and a scowl. The head shook back and forth. With that, Kobe Bryant walked away.

No way he was going there. Fair enough. Yet Woods’ road to redemption after a string of tawdry affairs will undoubtedly follow many of the guideposts that Bryant so expertly navigated on the way to atoning for his infamous trip to a Colorado spa seven years ago.

"In taking his golf game and personal morality to a higher level, Tiger Woods’ rehabilitation role model will have to be Kobe Bryant," said Porcher L. Taylor III, who teaches business ethics at the University of Richmond. He recently chaired a symposium on what the Woods scandal might mean to future endorsement deals.

Bryant’s career was rocked by allegations that he sexually assaulted a 19-year-old hotel worker in the summer of 2003. The Los Angeles Lakers star denied forcing himself on the woman, and the criminal charges that could have sent him to prison were eventually dropped. But he was forced to acknowledge cheating on his wife, leading to the long, tedious process of reclaiming his once-sterling reputation.

Bryant still hears the occasional taunt from visiting fans, who have been known to shout out the room number where the sexual encounter took place. Still, he’s largely evolved from the butt of jokes to a revered sports star, one of the two best players in the NBA along with LeBron James, a future Hall of Famer who led his team to an NBA title last season and helped the U.S. capture a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Bryant is again a marketing powerhouse, commanding millions of dollars in endorsements. His replica No. 24 jersey is not only the biggest seller in the United States, but Europe and China as well. All has been forgiven, it would seem.

"A gold medal and an NBA title sure went a long way," said Larry DeGaris, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Indianapolis.

Winning is an absolute must in any comeback story. Americans have shown an inordinate amount of patience and understanding with their fallen sports stars, as long as they wind up with a ring on their finger or a medal around their necks.

Fortunately for Woods, that is probably the most reachable goal on his to-do list. Not even the biggest cynic or most vocal critic believes a five-month layoff and a lifetime’s worth of sensational headlines will turn the world’s greatest player into just another golfer.

How many fans will quickly forgive and forget should Woods’ return to the game at Augusta National ends with another green jacket? How many will block out the memories of his staggering fall from grace if he knocks off Jack Nicklaus’ record for the most career major titles? (Woods is four behind the Golden Bear’s mark of 18).

"We live in a country that loves to see turnarounds," Taylor said. "When there’s someone who’s on Mount Everest and they slide down the mountain, we love the return to success because it takes so much effort and energy to climb back up the mountain."

Make no mistake, it won’t be easy.

"We all thought he had this picture perfect life," said Gemma Puglisi, who teaches media relations and crisis communications at American University’s School of Communications in Washington, D.C. "What’s devastating is not just that he cheated. That’s bad enough. But it was not just one woman. It was all these women. He had this dark side that we never knew existed. That’s why his fall from grace is so devastating. He had everything, and he blew it all."

While Woods has surely received plenty of counseling on how to handle his comeback, there seems to be a consensus among academics about he must do to regain the adoration, or at least the grudging respect, of the fans:

— Be humble. Woods always carried himself with an intimidating aura that bordered on arrogance, certainly understandable given his success. He must now show some of the vulnerability that came through during his first public comments on the scandal, when he put the blame squarely on his own shoulders, apologized for the pain he had caused his family and friends, and conceded that he strayed off course because of an inexcusable sense of entitlement.

"I’ve always thought that Pete Rose’s biggest crime was arrogance, not gambling," said DeGaris, referring to baseball’s career hits leader who was banned from the game for wagering.

— Make himself more accessible. Woods has always been guarded with both the media and his fans, which was viewed as a necessary evil when dealing with a star of his magnitude. But vague, snippy answers to the media aren’t going to be tolerated like they once were. And some fans may not as accepting of a steely eyed Woods storming by them on the course, refusing to sign an autograph or pose for a picture like most other golfers do.

Puglisi said Woods might want to consider adding tournaments to his usually limited schedule, giving him more exposure to the fans. Or take up some new charitable causes, showing that he’s committed to spending his free time on more worthwhile pursuits than chasing women. Chip away at his guarded persona by going on more public outings with his wife (assuming their marriage survives) and two kids.

"He can’t just focus on his game," Puglisi said. "He’s got to show people he’s an everyday guy."

— Realize this is essentially a lifetime probation. Woods must accept that his off-the-course shenanigans have put a target on his back that will always be there. He can’t allow even a hint of scandal to crop up again.

Avoid the strip clubs. Never be the seen in the company of a beautiful woman unless his wife is there, too. Avoid even the most minor of transgressions (at the moment, even a parking ticket could be seen as a sign of arrogance, and he definitely needs to keep away from those fire hydrants).

"Stay at home," advised Phil Jackson, Bryant’s coach with the Lakers. "That does a lot for you."

Woods was such a marketing powerhouse that his scandal could have an impact not only on his future business dealings, but those of other top athletes and celebrities. Taylor can even foresee a day when companies will want clearance to actually spy on their clients to ensure their money isn’t going to flushed away by embarrassing revelations. Instead of being trailed by the paparazzi, athletes could find themselves shadowed by corporate-hired private investigators, on the lookout for any hint of public-relations trouble.

If there’s a saving grace in all this, it’s that at least Woods didn’t get caught cheating or taking performance-enhancing drugs. Those are crimes that might have stuck with him forever. Just ask Mark McGwire, who bulked up chemically and has little chance of making the Baseball Hall of Fame, despite ranking as one of the sport’s greatest home run hitters.

"Tiger really didn’t commit a crime against the sport," DeGaris said. "What McGwire did was a career killer. He can’t go anywhere outside St. Louis. No corporate sponsors are ever going to touch him. Ever. He’s done."

Woods, meanwhile, can hope he is starting the road to redemption.

-- Paul Newberry

Poulter goes from 4 handicap to top 10 in golf

PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Ian Poulter doesn’t see himself the way others do. They see an Englishman with spiked hair who was brazen enough to wear all pink before a New York gallery in the final round of a U.S. Open. They see a player with the audacity to scatter golf tees with the final score — Europe 18½, USA 9½ — on the driving range in Ireland two weeks after the 2004 Ryder Cup, a playful jab at the Americans.

What they don’t see is the photo Poulter keeps on his mobile phone of a rundown Ford Fiesta.

"My blue rust bucket," Poulter says proudly as he flips through the photos until he finds it. He bought the used car in 1995 with the meager earnings from winning a small-time tournament when he worked as an assistant pro.

The car didn’t look like it could go very far. At the time, neither did Poulter, a 4 handicap when he turned pro. But that’s why he keeps the picture. It’s a reminder of an amazing journey filled with defiance, determination and double portions of confidence, all of which helped him achieve so much with so little.

Poulter now goes to Augusta National as a serious candidate to win the Masters. He is coming off his first World Golf Championship title and is ranked in the top 10 in the world for the first time in his career. Surprising? Not to him.

"When someone hasn’t been exposed to golf at a high level early on, it becomes a shock when someone does something," Poulter said. "Eight-five percent of the top 50 in the world played college golf, the Walker Cup, good amateur golf. There’s a background story that has them jumping on the train and going on their way.

"That’s why it’s a surprise to people why I’ve gotten so far."

At an age when his peers aspired to play in the Walker Cup or qualify for the British Open, Poulter, now 34, was putting new grips on clubs, changing spikes in soggy shoes, folding shirts in the pro shop and giving group lessons to juniors on the weekend. Between jobs, he watched Greg Norman and Seve Ballesteros on TV, believing that could be him one day.

Poulter never doubted that. Not once.

"I didn’t know any differently," he said. "I just felt that if I worked hard enough and practiced, then I would have a chance to get out on tour and win golf tournaments."

Few others had reason to believe him. Some even discouraged him. His teachers mocked him for bringing golf clubs to class so he could hit balls on the soccer field during recess. They said he was wasting his time. The club manager at Chesfield Downs didn’t make it easy, requiring Poulter to take holiday time to play in local tournaments.

One of those was the Panshanger Classic, where Poulter shot 66-66 and won 1,800 pounds (roughly $2,700 nowadays), money he used to buy his blue rust bucket. To prove a point, he took the trophy to the shop and set it on the counter for the club manager to see.

"I was not very politely asked to remove it," Poulter said. "He came into work and says, ‘What’s that?’ I said, ‘I’ve just won the tournament.’ And he said, ‘You can just take it off the counter.’ I got a written warning for what I said to him, and I left a week later."

Small wonder he is perceived as brash and cocky. Justin Rose, one of his best friends in golf and his roommate during their days in the minor leagues, recalls playing golf in South Africa not long after Poulter got his European Tour card for the first time.

"My brother remembers Ian saying, ‘Now that I’ve got my European Tour card, it’s going to be easy. I’ll probably win a couple of times.’ And my brother said, ‘I just played with you and I beat you.’ But that’s the way he is," Rose said. "And it’s served him in good stead. Now he has the game to back up the confidence. And he’s always had the confidence."

Geoff Ogilvy also remembers playing with Poulter before his rookie season in Europe. In some respects, Poulter hasn’t changed. He was brash and funny. But his golf? Ogilvy can’t believe the turnaround.

"His game was not where it is now," Ogilvy said. "He had a lot going for him around the greens. From where he was then to now, he is the most improved player in the world. He was a 4 handicap when he turned pro. Most guys on tour were shooting 65 when they were 16.

"But his No. 1 attribute is belief," Ogilvy said. "He’s not afraid. It’s almost like he’s very defiant."

Poulter is known as much — if not more — for his clothes than anything he has done on the golf course. He famously wore trousers of the Union Jack flag in the 2004 British Open at Royal Troon. Another year, he wore pants with the claret jug down one side of the leg. Ballesteros looked at them and said, "That’s as close as he’ll get to the claret jug."

Poulter is used to hearing doubts. It’s been that way his whole life.

"There are plenty of naturally talented, better golfers out there," he said. "I just think mentally I might be stronger. And I’ve got a lot of self-belief in what I know I can do."

What makes his rise so remarkable is that he had so few good experiences to carry him through the struggles. It was nothing like Rose, who had a heralded amateur career and tied for fourth in the 1998 British Open at age 17. He turned pro, then missed 21 consecutive cuts.

"What got me through it was belief that I had to be good to have the amateur career I did, and if I worked hard, I could get back," Rose said. "If I didn’t have that, I would have struggled."

And what did Poulter rely on? Rose just shook his head.

"You see a lot of kids, and you almost want to say to them, ‘Listen guys, enough is enough. Move on,"’ Rose said. "It just shows you that sometimes that real determined streak ... I mean, it’s amazing where Ian has come from."

Poulter is more interested in where he’s going. He caught plenty of grief from a magazine interview two years ago in which he said when he reaches his full potential, "it will be just me and Tiger." It was a slap at the rest of the players, suggesting they didn’t have what it took to challenge the world’s No. 1. At the Match Play Championship that year, Woods passed Poulter walking out of the locker room and said, "Hey, No. 2."

But Poulter is rarely embarrassed over his words, his clothing, his play. He has done a brilliant job marketing himself through his clothing, and he believes that in time, he will be known as much for his golf. A World Golf Championship certainly helps. A major championship would change everything.

"I would say a lot of people over time would probably see me as the golfer that has worked hard on his game," he said. "Yet you’ve still got people who don’t watch a lot of golf that might think I’m cocky, arrogant, outspoken. I’ve heard it quite a lot. I see myself as someone who, from where I come from, always had the self-belief that I could achieve things in golf at a high level. And I’m now starting to achieve those goals.

"It’s been a long time coming," he said. "But I’ve always believed that. Always. And I always will believe that."

-- Doug Ferguson

Tiger’s return a delicate issue for ESPN, CBS

When Tiger Woods tees off at the Masters on Thursday, anyone who’s watching is already going to know he cheated on his wife. They’ll probably know a lot of the unseemly details that go with the story, too.

The challenge for ESPN and CBS isn’t whether to address the shocking sex scandal that turned the superstar into tabloid fodder. It’s how to do it — and how often.

"I don’t think it’s our intent to dissect, in detail, everything that’s going on," said Norby Williamson, ESPN’s executive vice president of production. "Once you hit that event window, our obligation is to focus on the event, and provide context of Tiger Woods and what he’s dealing with."

This is hardly the first time sports broadcasters have dealt with a high-profile scandal. In the past year alone, Michael Vick returned to the NFL from federal prison, where he’d served 18 months for his role in a dogfighting ring; Texas Tech played in the Alamo Bowl three days after its coach was fired amid allegations he’d mistreated a player with a concussion; and admitted steroid-user Alex Rodriguez helped lead the New York Yankees to a World Series title.

For sheer public fascination, though, nothing beats the world’s best golfer and one-time top pitchman returning to the course after a five-month period that reads like a soap opera plotline: mysterious car crash; tabloid headlines; apology for infidelity; inpatient therapy; televised confession; back to therapy; getting religion; and, finally, back to work.

It’s going to be a television event like no other. ESPN, whose coverage is hosted by Mike Tirico, broadcasts the first two rounds. CBS, with lead anchor Jim Nantz, has coverage Saturday and Sunday. Rest assured CBS is hoping Woods makes the cut, otherwise the massive ratings windfall accompanying The Comeback over the weekend will evaporate.

The network declined to comment on its coverage plans.

"My only prediction is when he comes back, it will be, other than the Obama inauguration, one of if not the biggest media spectacle in recent memory," CBS Sports president Sean McManus told The Associated Press before Woods announced he would make his return at Augusta National.

That kind of attention would thrill the organizers of most golf tournaments. But as everyone knows, the Masters is no ordinary tournament. The only major championship played at the same course year in and year out, the Masters prides itself on its rich tradition and history. Sarazen, Hogan, Snead, Arnie, Jack — they all won at Augusta National. Amen Corner, the green jacket and the Eisenhower Tree are landmarks in our sporting history.

Everything about the Masters says class and Southern grace (you’ll never see a "patron" running at Augusta National). And the Green Jackets don’t want anything — or anyone — to become bigger than their tournament. Not even Tiger Woods.

Augusta National is making a concession and allowing ESPN, which doesn’t go on the air until 4 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, to break into its programming for live coverage of Woods’ first tee shot. There also will be live coverage on the Masters Web site. But depending on when Woods begins play, ESPN might have very little live coverage of his first two rounds. Tee times for the first two rounds will be announced Tuesday.

"You would be dishonest to suggest it’s not a delicate situation for a rights-holder," said Ed Goren, president of Fox Sports. "However, you also have to respect your audience. And that’s a balancing issue.

"There’s a difference between reporting and commentary," Goren said. "We’re not talk radio. Talk radio is commentary. When we’re covering an event, we’re reporting what is taking place. And I think that’s where you find the balance."

Part of that balance is knowing when to cut off the discussion — and that’s the key to handling Woods’ return, just as it has been with other scandals. Take baseball’s 2007 All-Star Game in San Francisco. Joe Buck and broadcast partner Ken Rosenthal knew they had to address suspicions about career home run king Barry Bonds.

Bonds has denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs. But he has been linked to evidence from the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, including positive drug tests.

"Hey look, it’s the elephant in the room. Let’s talk about it. And we did," said Buck, Fox’s lead play-by-play announcer for baseball and the NFL. "(Rosenthal) and I bounced ideas and points off of each other during (Bond’s first) at-bat."

But Bonds’ at-bat only lasted a few pitches, and Buck said he and Rosenthal found themselves still talking about the slugger when the next hitter was at the plate.

"At some point we had to say, ‘Wait a minute, there’s another All-Star here,"’ Buck said. "Fans are going to say, ‘OK, we get it. What’s the score?"’

There’s been a steady stream of details about Woods’ affairs since late November, so much so that most fans no longer can — or want to — keep track. While there is sure to be a curiosity factor to his return Thursday, it shifts from his personal life to his golf game. And that, Williamson said, will be ESPN’s main focus.

When Woods tees off Thursday, it will have been 144 days since he last hit a competitive shot. One way commentators will likely address his return is by evaluating the state of his game following the layoff, using his previous extended absences as a comparison. He missed the cut at Winged Foot for the 2006 U.S. Open after his father died. He won the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines two months after surgery to repair cartilage damage in his left knee. His return did further damage, however, and he missed the rest of the ‘08 season.

"There’s a lot of golf fans who are just excited to have him back," said Greg Bowers, an assistant professor at the Missouri School of Journalism. "A lot of people feel they know what they need to know."

-- Nancy Armour

Nine issues in golf leading to the Masters

Some have not paid much attention to golf without Tiger Woods. Others don’t tune it until the Masters gets under way. Consider this the front nine of issues in golf leading up to Augusta National:

1. Tiger Woods: The record shows that he is going after his second straight "Masters" title, having won the Australian Masters on Nov. 15. That was 12 days before one the most shocking scandals involving the private life of an athlete unfolded. Caught in a web of infidelity, Woods announced in December he was taking an indefinite break to try to save his marriage. He missed the first three months of the season, including two title defenses. He went from being one of the most revered figures in sports to a punch line. Not only is the Masters is first competition in five months, he faces a public that likely will no longer regard him as it once did.

2. New Grooves: The USGA adopted a new standard for grooves in 5-irons through wedges, changing the dimensions from what was called a "square groove" to a "V groove" that allowed for less spin. The idea was to put a premium on hitting fairways by making it tougher to spin the ball out of the rough. It has been too early in the season to determine if the new grooves are making a difference. But there has been anecdotal evidence of trouble with distance control because of balls jumping out of the rough on full shots, and players struggling with chipping. One litmus test figures to be Augusta National, especially from the first cut of rough and around the greens.

3. Ping Wedges: Because of a lawsuit settlement from 20 years ago, Ping Eye2 wedges made before April 1, 1990, were exempt from the USGA’s new groove regulation. John Daly and Dean Wilson showed up at the Sony Open using Ping wedges with the square grooves. Phil Mickelson put a Ping wedge in his bag at Torrey Pines, leading Scott McCarron to say, "It’s cheating." That set off big trouble for the PGA Tour, which had to abide by the settlement, and it caused division among players. The controversy ended when Ping CEO and chairman John Solheim waived the company’s right that prevented the PGA Tour from enforcing the new grooves regulation. Ping wedges, like other square grooves, no longer are allowed.

4. Phil Mickelson: Phil Mickelson was the hottest player in golf when 2009 ended, winning the Tour Championship and the HSBC Champions in Shanghai, the latter playing with Tiger Woods in the final group. With Woods taking an "indefinite break" because of his infidelity, this figured to be a perfect time for Mickelson to fill the void and perhaps become No. 1 in the world for the first time in his career. He not only failed to win, it was the first time he failed to finish in the top three at any tournament before the Masters. Those close to him say his wife’s recovery from breast cancer is taking a bigger toll than Mickelson is letting on.

5. English Revival: Only a decade ago, Lee Westwood was the only player from England among the top 100. Westwood won the European Tour money title last year, Paul Casey won three times worldwide, Ian Poulter won the Match Play Championship, and England suddenly is all the rage in golf. England has three players in the top 10 in the world, and eight players in the Masters.

6. Drought Busters: Ernie Els had gone two years with a victory until he ended the longest drought of his career with a four-shot victory in the World Golf Championship at Doral. Then, he won consecutive events for the first time in seven years with a two-shot victory at Bay Hill. Between those tournaments was The Transitions Championship at Innisbrook, where Jim Furyk won for the first time in 2½ years. It was the longest Furyk had gone without winning since his first victory in 1995.

7. Parity: With Tiger Woods on indefinite leave, the search was on to see which player would fill the void. The answer was by committee. Thirteen players won the first 13 events on the PGA Tour until Ernie Els became the first multiple winner with his win at Bay Hill. Eight of the 13 winners on the PGA Tour are ranked among the top 30 in the world.

8. Sponsors: Despite the uncertainty surrounding Tiger Woods’ image and his absence, the PGA Tour continued to make progress against a tough economy. It found a new title sponsor for San Diego (Farmers Insurance), added a Fall Series event at Sea Island (McGladrey) and added another Asia event in the fall to be played in Malaysia. But it did lose a sponsor for one of its World Golf Championships when CA decided not to renew its contract.

9. Tim Finchem The Tiger Woods scandal made everyone a little testy, including PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem. In a rare display of temper, he became terse with an Australian reporter asking about Woods’ relationship with a Canadian doctor. Finchem also conceded that he underestimated the amount of problems the Ping wedges would cause, and he apologized for not informing players at the Match Play Championship why Woods had chosen the middle of the tournament to speak publicly for the first time. "That’s just a screw-up on my part," he said.

-- Doug Ferguson

Tiger impersonators are hurting, too

Herme Chua got booed. Canh Oxelson is no longer getting the best tables at restaurants, and will have to wait longer to pay off those student loans from Harvard. Think Tiger Woods is having problems? Try being one of his lookalikes.

"A lot of people just don’t want to be associated with Tiger right now," Oxelson said.

For Oxelson and Chua, that means a steady flow of extra cash has dried up. The exposure of Woods’ double life is hitting his doubles right in the wallet.

"I had to turn down a job that would have paid pretty well," said Chua, aka Tiger 2. "It was an adult nightclub that wanted me to go to six cities in six nights. But I’m active in my son’s school and help coach a track team. If the kids ever found out I was helping to promote adult nightclubs, it wouldn’t be appropriate."

Imagine if the real Tiger had such moral reservations. Chua would probably still have some work now. Instead the Tiger Woods impersonation business is hurting almost as bad as the real Tiger Woods business. For the faux Tigers, Woods’ comeback in the Masters can’t come soon enough.

"I’m rooting for him," said Oxelson, who goes by the monicker Tigersdouble. "Of course I have financial reasons for that."

The life of a Woods lookalike isn’t what it used to be, even in Southern California where Woods was raised and where Oxelson and Chua ply their trade. Before Woods’ sex scandal broke, they could pick up some extra cash by making appearances at anything from birthday parties to golf outings.

It wasn’t terribly difficult work, as long as they dressed the part. And the uniform was always the same — black pants, red shirt and black hat with the Nike swoosh. Chua was getting 10 to 20 gigs a year, a nice supplement to his day job as a database administrator. He parlayed his look into a small part in the comedy "Parfection," due out later this year, and made a recent appearance on the "Maury" show.

"The audience actually booed me," he said. "That was something new and different. Normally you get a positive reaction but because of the scandal it’s been a lot of negative."

Oxelson knows about that. He had a part lined up in a commercial he believes was for Gatorade and a big convention show in San Diego, but both were called off when the scandal broke. Meanwhile, the looks he gets while out and about in the Los Angeles area have changed.

"People yell things out at me, like ‘Hey, Tiger, how about all those blondes,"’ Oxelson said. "Sometimes I yell back, ‘Blondes have more fun’ or something like that. It’s all in fun."

Oxelson said he used to get great tables at restaurants because people thought he was Woods. Once he was at a restaurant with friends looking at pictures of himself dressed like Woods when a woman came up with her son thanking him for what he had done for black people and golf.

"I couldn’t say I’m sorry, I’m not Tiger Woods," he said. "She’s not going to believe it, especially with me looking at all the photos dressed like Tiger."

Oxelson, dean of students at a private high school, began his life as a Tiger double about 13 years ago. The idea came after he was at the AT&T tournament at Pebble Beach and people kept asking if they could have their picture taken with him.

"I figured I could pay for my graduate school at Harvard by doing lookalike stuff," he said. "It takes a while to pay off a Harvard education but as long as I kept getting events it was good."

The future is more uncertain, just as it is for the real Tiger. Both Oxelson and Chua say they were shocked and disappointed by the scandal, but are hoping Woods can somehow salvage his reputation down the road. Oxelson, who once worked with Woods on a commercial, said he still believes resembling the most famous athlete in the world has been worth it, though it can be a little disconcerting at times.

"I go to the mall or something and people look at me even if I’m not dressed like Tiger," he said. "I never know why. Are they looking at me because they think I’m like Tiger Woods or is it maybe because I have a sign that says ‘kick me’ on my back? You never know."

-- Tim Dahlberg

Tiger takes spotlight off other contenders

Few players have risen to No. 2 in the world with less fanfare than Steve Stricker. When he won so convincingly at Riviera in February, it was his fourth PGA Tour victory in his last 15 starts, the highest rate of winning this side of Tiger Woods. It was enough for Stricker to be considered among the best players who haven’t won a major, and with his pure putting stroke, he figures to be a contender at the Masters.

Not that anyone will notice in the days leading up to the year’s first major.

"I’m sure we’ll get a ton of Tiger questions, and rightly so," Stricker said. "It’s been a huge story."

The biggest story in golf — at least inside the ropes — in the month leading to Augusta National has been Ernie Els. He ended two years without a victory by winning his second World Golf Championship title, then made it two in a row with a victory at Bay Hill. That made Els the first player in 2010 with multiple PGA Tour victories, and a big favorite at the Masters. Now, he’s expecting a quiet week.

"People are not going to be talking about who’s in form until probably Thursday morning when we start the event," Els said. "It’s going to be all about Tiger and him coming back and everything. So I think we will all be sideshows until Thursday morning. And I think we’re fine with that. Everybody is fine with that."

Stricker and Els are among the half-dozen players who can be considered favorites at the Masters. Any other year, they would be getting more attention than usual on the road to Augusta. This year has been a little different.

Rarely has a tournament gone by without top players — just about any player, for that matter — getting asked about Woods.

"For a guy not being around, he sure has drawn a lot of attention," Stricker said.

Few other players have stood out. Seven of the top 15 players in the world ranking have won this year, with Els the only multiple winner on the sport’s toughest circuit. Geoff Ogilvy opened his season with another victory at Kapalua. Ian Poulter captured his first victory in America. Camilo Villegas threatened in two tournaments before winning the Honda Classic. Jim Furyk won for the first time in 2 1/2 years. All of them could be expected to do well at the Masters.

Being overshadowed by Woods might work to their advantage. They already feel pressure to perform without having to be constantly asked about the state of their game and whether this could be the year they break through at Augusta.

Mike Weir knows what that’s like from experience. He had won the Bob Hope Classic and Riviera early in the 2003 season, along with a tie for third at Pebble Beach. The Canadian was as hot as anyone headed to the Florida swing in March, the month when the focus turns to the Masters. Indeed, media activity was busier than usual that year, but not because of Weir or how he played.

That was the year of Martha Burk’s campaign to have Augusta National change its all-male membership. While the issue wasn’t nearly as salacious or shocking as Woods’ infidelity, it dominated the conversation. Weir quietly went to the Masters, and emerged with a green jacket.

"Going in 2003, I don’t think anybody was playing any better," Weir recalled. "I was hardly asked a question before the tournament started. So there’s some truth to that. When there’s a singular focus like this year, you’re going in under the radar."

Once the questions get beyond Woods’ stunning fall, his public apology and his decision to return to the Masters, they shift toward how Woods will fare at the Masters after not competing in five months. Els, Stricker, Furyk, Poulter, Ogilvy, Villegas and Martin Kaymer of Germany already have shown what they can do. Now it’s a question of anyone noticing before the Masters gets under way.

"It’s a good thing, especially for me," Stricker said. "I don’t care to be looked at as a favorite or a top player. I would rather do my own stuff, my own business, and slide under the radar."

That might not last once the tournament begins on Thursday, heads into the weekend and onto the back nine on Sunday. The course has not gone through any significant changes, and Masters officials showed last year they are interested in bringing some noise back by setting up the course for birdies and eagles. There is no shortage of players capable of taking advantage, even if all eyes are on one guy.

"I think it could be one hell of a year," Els said before winning at Bay Hill. "There’s a really good group of players playing well, and I think that bodes very well for the first major and the rest of the year. It’s not going to be a walkover for anybody."

-- Doug Ferguson

Commentary: Woods shamed himself but not game of golf

The azaleas will be in bloom as usual, because there are people who make sure of it at Augusta National. As a bonus this year, Jack and Arnie will reunite on the first tee.

Golf will be played as usual, and Jim Nantz will describe it all in reverential tones. By early evening next Sunday, someone will be wearing a green jacket.

The Masters will survive the sideshow born of the sordid tales of Tiger Woods, and that’s only fitting. Because while Woods has shamed himself plenty, he has done nothing to shame the game of golf.

Remember that when the circus begins at Augusta National on Monday, and Woods steps into the cross hairs of the once tepid golf media. Remember it, too, when he steps onto the first tee Thursday to hit a drive that will formally announce his return to golf.

Yes, he flaunted society’s rules of engagement with his bevy of mistresses. He did a terrible thing to his wife and, because of that, a lot of people will never again regard him the same way. But as the golf season begins anew in Georgia, life also begins anew for Woods. He’ll be back on familiar ground, with a familiar goal replacing some new ones he may have learned in therapy.

And, after four long months spent judging Woods for what he did away from the golf course, maybe it’s time to start judging him again for what he does on it. The game deserves it. So, in a way, does Woods, whose remarkable run over the last 14 years changed the very way the game is played.

I’ve been among those who have taken Woods to task — and quite regularly — for the way he has handled this whole mess. I find it irritating that he still tries to control the message and portrays himself as a noble figure who somehow went astray around the same time he stopped meditating.

The details of some of his escapades — if true — are even more disturbing. I don’t know how anyone can look at the infamous Woods glare now without either laughing or feeling queasy. But this isn’t about morality, or his startling lack of it. We’ve had plenty of time to digest and debate what Woods did and why.

This is about golf. And, really, that’s how it should be as the game returns to one of its most revered places with a story line the late Bobby Jones could never have imagined when he built it.

Expect some commotion, at least outside the gates. The paparazzi will be in town, and so will every kook attempting to latch onto the moment for his or her 15 minutes of fame. Expect a golf tournament inside, and, hopefully, nothing else. That’s what happened in 2003 when Martha Burk crusaded to enroll a woman at Augusta National. And that’s what golf desperately needs now.

I’m among the minority that doesn’t think Woods will do well in his first tournament since going into hiding and then into therapy. I think the combination of nerves and rust will not only prevent him from adding another green jacket to his collection, but may send him home before the weekend.

Still, he’s got every right to try, no matter what anyone thinks about his personal life. Yes, he could have been a better golf citizen by stopping occasionally to sign autographs or say hi to a spectator. And, long ago, he should have toned down his penchant for using expletives whenever something went awry on the course.

Woods himself seemed to acknowledge that when he vowed in his first public appearance since his accident to respect the game more. But he never kicked his ball out from behind a tree when no one was looking, never coughed in his opponent’s backswing. As far as we know he’s never put down a 4 when he really made a 5.

Though some might argue that his transgressions did, indeed, hurt golf, what they really did was hurt Woods. The game survived without its greatest player because the game has always been about more than just one person. Someday Woods will be replaced by the next phenom, just as Jones and Palmer and Nicklaus were before him. When that day comes, it will be time to take stock of his career and measure him against the greats of the past.

Those measurements, though, should be based solely on what he did on the golf course. There’s no grading curve where Woods loses greatness points because he couldn’t stop chasing women.

So go ahead and applaud Woods for the golfer he is. Or go ahead and turn away in disgust. But remember this: There’s Tiger Woods the golfer and Tiger Woods the person. One still has some redeeming qualities.

-- Tim Dahlberg

Key dates in Masters history

AUGUSTA, Ga. — A timeline of key victories at the Masters, which will be played April 8-11 at Augusta National:

Five years ago (2005): Tiger Woods won the Masters for the fourth time, the first time in a playoff. His signature shot came from the behind the 16th green, when his chip made a U-turn at the top of the slope, rolled back toward the hole and hung on the edge of the cup for two full seconds before falling for birdie. He bogeyed the last two holes, however, to fall into a playoff with Chris DiMarco, beating him on the 18th with an 8-iron to 15 feet for birdie. It was the first time the sudden-death playoff began on the 18th.

Ten years ago (2000): Vijay Singh won the only major Tiger Woods did not in 2000. He built a three-shot lead going into the final round, then held off one charge from David Duval and a late charge from Ernie Els. The key moment came on the par-4 11th, where Singh hit his approach into the water. Because of the hole location, he was able to take his drop on the edge of the green instead of behind the pond, and escaped with bogey. Singh sealed the victory with a 4-iron to 20 feet for a two-putt birdie on the 15th. He won by three shots over Els.

Twenty years ago (1990): Nick Faldo joined Jack Nicklaus as the only repeat winners of the Masters, and he remains the only player to win a major consecutive years in a playoff. Faldo made three birdies over the last six holes to close with a 3-under 69 to force a playoff against Raymond Floyd. In the playoff, Floyd missed a 15-foot birdie at No. 10 for the victory, while Faldo saved par from the bunker with a testy 4-foot putt. On the second extra hole, Floyd pulled his approach into the water left of the 11th green, and Faldo made par to win.

Thirty years ago (1980): Seve Ballesteros, at 23, became the youngest Masters champion in history and introduced his amazing flair to an American audience. The Spaniard opened with a 66 to share the lead, and no one caught him the rest of the week when he followed with rounds of 69-68. Ballesteros was so dominant that he took a 10-shot lead to the back nine, only to throw shots away with his daring. He closed with a 72 and still won by four shots.

Forty years ago (1970): Billy Casper defeated Gene Littler in an 18-hole playoff to win his only Masters, adding to his two U.S. Open titles. The previous year, Casper was atop the leaderboard all three rounds until closing with a 74 to finish one behind George Archer. He again had a 54-hole lead only to close with a 71 and fall into a playoff. Casper shot 69 in the playoff to defeat Littler by five shots.

Fifty years ago (1960): Arnold Palmer won the second of his four green jackets, and the most thrilling of his Masters titles. The record shows that Palmer led wire-to-wire, opening with a 67. He had to rally, however, because Ken Venturi finished well ahead of him and posted at 5-under 283. Palmer’s long birdie putt rattled off the pin — there was a rule then that it could be left in the hole — and he had to settle for par. He birdied the 17th to tie Venturi, then won with a 6-iron into 6 feet. Palmer became the first Masters champion to birdie the last two holes to win by one.

Seventy-five years ago (1935): With what became known as the golf shot heard ‘round the world, Gene Sarazen holed a 4-wood from 235 yards on the par-5 15th for an albatross that helped put him into a playoff with Craig Wood, who had already finished his round and was being congratulated for winning. In the 36-hole playoff on Monday, Sarazen shot 144 to win by five shots, making Wood the runner-up for the second straight year.