Woods to return to golf at the Masters

PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Tiger Woods said Tuesday he will return to golf next month at the Masters, ending a four-month hiatus brought on by a sex scandal that shattered his image as the gold standard in sports.

"The Masters is where I won my first major and I view this tournament with great respect," Woods said in a statement. "After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I’m ready to start my season at Augusta."

The Masters begins April 8.

The Associated Press first reported his plans to return at Augusta National last Thursday.

Woods has not competed since Nov. 15 when he won the Australian Masters for his 82nd victory worldwide. Twelve days later, he crashed his car into a tree outside his Florida home, setting off shocking revelations that he had been cheating on his wife.

"The major championships have always been a special focus in my career and, as a professional, I think Augusta is where I need to be, even though it’s been a while since I last played," Woods said.

"I have undergone almost two months of inpatient therapy and I am continuing my treatment," he said. "Although I’m returning to competition, I still have a lot of work to do in my personal life."

There had been reports he would play the Tavistock Cup exhibition next week in Orlando, followed by the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, where he is the defending champion and a six-time winner.

"When I finally got into a position to think about competitive golf again, it became apparent to me that the Masters would be the earliest I could play," Woods said.

Billy Payne, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament, said the club not only supported Woods’ decision to make his return there, but "additionally, we support and encourage his stated commitment to continue the significant work required to rebuild his personal and professional life."

Already the major with the highest TV ratings, this Masters could be the biggest yet. The first two rounds are televised on ESPN, with CBS Sports on the weekend.

"Obviously, the ratings will be off the chart," Heath Slocum said. "It will be interesting to watch — not only the reaction from him, but from the fans, the media, the players. I would venture to say he might be nervous."

Asked about a Woods return last week, CBS Sports president Sean McManus also thought viewership would be huge: "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."

Woods twice has come into a major after a long layoff without playing, with mixed results — he missed the cut at Winged Foot for the 2006 U.S. Open after his father died, and he won the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines while playing on a shattered left knee.

Woods is a four-time Masters champion, although he has not won at Augusta National since 2005, his longest drought there.

In some respects, the Masters makes sense for golf’s No. 1 player to return. Media credentials are limited regardless of who’s playing or what’s in the news, and Augusta National has more control of its tickets than any other golf tournament.

Those with season badges risk losing them if they violate policies, or are caught selling them.

Woods has been the biggest draw at the Masters ever since he became its youngest champion at 21 in 1997, when he broke the tournament scoring record with a 12-shot victory.

That likely won’t compare to this year.

Woods’ world came crashing down on Nov. 27 when he fled his house in the middle of the night and ran his Cadillac SUV over a fire hydrant and into a tree. About that time, allegations of womanizing began to emerge, and Woods’ silence was replaced by rumors of what happened that night and how, as the world’s most famous athlete, he could keep so many affairs a secret.

He eventually confessed to infidelity and said Dec. 11 he would take an "indefinite break" from golf. Woods spoke publicly for the first time on Feb. 19 at TPC Sawgrass, where he confessed to cheating on his wife, Elin.

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

He was in a Mississippi clinic from Dec. 31 until Feb. 11, then went to an Arizona clinic for a week of family counseling. He returned to practice when he got home to Isleworth, and swing coach Hank Haney joined him last week.

This will be the first time Woods won’t play Bay Hill, the only regular PGA Tour event he has never missed as a professional.

Meantime, the governing body of golf outside the United States said it hoped Woods would play at the British Open in July.

"We’re pleased to hear that Tiger is to return to golf. ... Golf needs the world No. 1 to be playing," Royal & Ancient spokesman Malcolm Booth said.

Woods has not yet entered to play at the British Open at St. Andrews, but has until May 27 to send in his entry form. Booth says it’s "normal that he hasn’t" entered yet.

Obama: Tiger Woods still a ‘terrific’ golfer

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says Tiger Woods will still be a "terrific" golfer despite his personal issues.

Woods announced this week that he will end more than four months of seclusion after revelations of his extramarital affairs by returning to professional competition at the Masters golf tournament in three weeks.

Obama said in an interview Wednesday with Fox News Channel that Woods has acknowledged betraying his family and that he has to work out those personal issues. But Obama said he’s sure Woods is still going to be a terrific golfer.

Woods announced in December that he was taking an indefinite break from golf. He made a public apology last month.

Tiger’s aura gone, probably for good

Oddsmakers didn’t take long to make Tiger Woods the Masters favorite. Even his fellow competitors say they can see him trying on another green jacket.

They’re expecting the Tiger of old at Augusta National. That might be because it’s the only Tiger they know.

I say he’ll be lucky to make the cut.

It’s not just the five months he has gone without hitting a shot for real, though that surely can’t help. Woods will be rusty, and the Masters is not a place to try to fine tune your game.

No, it’s because the Woods saga is a story that has morphed into a lot more than just the tale of a man who pretended to be something he wasn’t. Once one of the most esteemed athletes in the world, he’s now a soap opera-like figure whose last scripted apology clearly showed he has a lot more left to accomplish in his 12-step rehabilitation program.

He’ll go to Augusta still stinging from the pasting he’s taken from the tabloids and the late-night shows since crashing his SUV Thanksgiving night. He’ll go there vulnerable and, for the first time, unsure what kind of reception he’ll get.

The media will want to ask him questions. The fans will want him to act contrite.

Kind of hard to swagger down the fairway and say you’re sorry at the same time.

Unfortunately for Woods, it’s a new game. He will tee it up on No. 1 the Thursday of the Masters with more questions swirling about him than the first time he played there as an amateur 14 years ago.

At least then we knew the answers. The kid was good and there was something about him that screamed greatness.

The aura grew over the years, as did the collection of green jackets. Now it’s shattered for good.

The Woods we once knew seemed to enjoy sending his opponents broken and trembling to the scrap heap almost as much as he enjoyed picking up the winner’s check.

The Woods we know now — wait! We still don’t know who he is, do we?

"We have all put him up on such a pedestal, not only in the golf, but we took for granted the personal side, too," golf’s No. 2 player Steve Stricker said Wednesday. "We’ll have to wait and see what the golf brings when he comes back. This may fire him up even more and make him even stronger."

Hard to imagine that. The first glare may come not when he runs in a long putt to get into contention, but when someone screams out the name of mistress No. 5 in his backswing.

Who is going to fear a guy who spent the last two months confessing every failing of his life to a group of strangers?

The questions about Woods and the Masters used to be fairly simple, mostly about the state of his game. They’re still fairly simple, but very different: Will Elin be there?

There likely will come a day when Woods’ career is examined in two parts, and they likely will look very different. The first, of course, will be the 14 years since he turned pro — when he won 14 major championships, made a billion dollars, and was generally acclaimed as the best player to pick up a 7-iron.

The second may be more notable for what Woods couldn’t do. He would have had trouble matching his early success even before he crashed his SUV, but it’s even more unlikely now that he can dominate as he did in the past.

And that record of 18 major titles by Jack Nicklaus that he so desperately wanted to break? It might now be out of reach, along with the title that goes with it: greatest golfer ever.

So, welcome back to Augusta, Tiger, and don’t mind that tabloid helicopter buzzing overhead. Same thing for those guys going through your trash, hoping they’ll find a few old phone numbers.

The Tuesday press conference is standard procedure, so you’ll be invited to show up. If you do, don’t count on guys wearing green jackets to line the back wall in support as they did for Hootie Johnson when Martha Burk raised the issue of women members a few years back.

And, if you’re going to carry through on your plan to treat the game of golf with more respect, make sure caddie Steve Williams packs a Sharpie for all those autographs you’re going to sign with a smile.

Don’t bother trying to pack your aura for the trip, though.

It’s long gone.

--Tim Dalhberg

Commentary: Get ready for a Masters like no other

They mocked him mercilessly for four solid months and delighted in every sordid detail of his fall from grace. Now it’s Tiger Woods’ turn.

"After a long and necessary time away from the game," Woods said in a statement Tuesday, "I feel like I’m ready to start my season at Augusta."

Don’t bet against him winning the Masters, or for that matter, dozens of times after that. The bookies won’t, since the London-based firm William Hill just installed Woods as the 4-1 favorite and lists him at 25-1 to win all four majors this year.

Woods might have done that, anyway, whether the sex scandal that sidelined him eventually became public or not. Keep in mind that if even half the stories of his extramarital flings are true, he won a dozen times around the world knowing full well that secret could blow up at any moment.

Whether Woods is a changed man away from the course is something only his family and closest friends will be able to answer. But knowing as much — or as little, it turns out — as I do after covering Woods since he was 15, one thing is certain: The self-righteous, self-promoting and self-appointed experts offering opinions and-or advice have provided him with enough motivation to last the rest of his golfing life.

It’s not as though Woods needed any more, or even that winning again would somehow scrub off the stain of serial adultery.

No matter how he fares at Augusta and beyond, whether he returns in some fan-friendly incarnation or as the same steely-eyed predator, Woods will always be reminded of those sins. The sponsors who walked away from him may never come back. He knows that.

But winning will restore a measure of control over the narrative in a way that months of relative silence have failed to accomplish. It will also deny all those haters any more satisfaction at his expense. And if you think he burned white-hot to win before, just wait.

We used to make a big deal of the story about a young Tiger taping a list of Jack Nicklaus’ accomplishments to his bedroom wall, and the single-minded devotion Woods invested to beat Nicklaus to every one. Next we speculated about whether losing his father or starting a family would detour or eventually derail that pursuit. Then, as the last milestone on Jack’s list — 18 career majors — came into view, we wondered whether Woods could be as tenacious as Nicklaus and for as long.

The guys he will have to do it against have few doubts.

"He’s not going to be a whole lot easier to beat because of what happened off the golf course," Stewart Cink said.

Echoed Jerry Kelly: "He may come back and say, ‘You think this is going to bother me that bad? Maybe it is. but watch what I can do."’

Either way, we’re about to find out. The one thing no one ever questioned about Woods was his ruthlessness. Every fan in his gallery and every guy who played alongside him came away with a story about how cold-blooded Woods could be in moments big and small. Turns out all of those versions sold him short.

What we’ve learned in the intervening months is that Woods was willing to risk anything and everything to get what he wants. And no matter what else remains at the top of his list, winning isn’t going anywhere. That was apparent, first by his unwillingness to bend to other people’s expectations and apologize, and then, once Woods got it through his stubborn skull that wouldn’t work, by reversing course. He went to rehab. He went on camera. He said he was sorry.

That wasn’t enough for some people and won’t ever be enough for others. Yet the only ones Woods harmed were his wife and those closest to him, and he’ll be paying that debt forever.

Winning golf tournaments won’t even any of those scores, let alone all of them. But it’s as good a way as any to prove that for all the things that might be different about Woods, one thing will never change.

Jim Litke is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jlitke@ap.org.

Woods’ return to golf a boon to sponsors

NEW YORK — Tiger Woods’ return to the golf course is a long-awaited boon to sponsors that stood by him and marketers who stand to get big exposure from the big Masters audience.

Woods dropped out of the golf world last fall after revelations of his infidelities made him a mainstay of lurid headlines and left his value as a pitchman in shambles. Several of his sponsors, including accounting firm Accenture and telecommunications company AT&T, dropped him. But companies that banked more directly on his athletic prowess, such as Nike Inc. and Electronic Arts, stuck by him.

The payoff could be coming.

"He starts the journey back now," said Rick Burton, former chief marketing officer of the U.S. Olympic Committee and a sports marketing professor at Syracuse University. "Instead of being tabloid fodder for his non-athletic activities, he goes back to what he started out to be, which was an athlete."

Both Nike and Electronic Arts said in written statements Tuesday they look forward to seeing Woods return to golf. It’s especially timely for EA, whose next edition of the video game "Tiger Woods PGA Tour" is in testing and scheduled for release in June.

"Nike can probably imagine nothing better than Tiger coming back, withstanding the pressure of everyone watching him and winning," Burton said. "This is going to be a heavily photographed, heavily videotaped, heavily Youtubed appearance. Tiger’s Nike hat, Nike shirt and Nike ball are all going to get a lot of visibility."

Gillete, a unit of Procter & Gamble, said it has no immediate plans to change its advertising — which no longer features Woods. Damon Jones, spokesman for Gillette, said there have not been any decisions made about what comes next with the company’s advertising.

The Masters get the best TV ratings of any golf tournament and will likely be much more watched this year — maximizing the impact of his return.

The tournament itself has just three major corporate sponsors — IBM Corp., AT&T Inc. and ExxonMobil Corp., though tight control of the tournament keeps their logos all but absent from the course. AT&T, a former sponsor of Woods himself, declined to comment and the others did not immediately respond to requests.

While most golf events allow sponsors to put their logo on nearly every surface and host exhibits on the course, the Masters is nearly devoid of visible corporate presence. Commercial time is extremely limited for the Masters. Between two days representing nearly 8 hours of coverage last year, there was about 36 minutes of commercials, according to Nielsen.

"It is the cleanest venue you’d ever see," said Paul Swangard, managing director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at University of Oregon. "The absence of corporate monikers is pretty striking for the NASCAR-ization we see in sports today."

It probably doesn’t matter how well Woods even plays.

"When it comes to his brand it is irrelevant how he does," said John Sweeney, director of sports communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

He said the companies that have stood by him will continue to, but it will be be a while before he can lure any new sponsors.

"He is now a soap opera character in the tabloid reality show," Sweeney said.

-- Emily Fredrix and Sarah Skidmore

Fans say they’re set to welcome Woods back

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. — Jose Ramos was in line at the first tee when the conversation turned to Tiger Woods and his plan to return at the Masters.

He found that intriguing. Then the talk shifted to the sex scandal that has dogged the world’s best player for months, and Ramos lost all interest.

"I honestly think this: Golf fans, they don’t care about that anymore," the 28-year-old Ramos said, waiting for his turn to start at Greynolds Park. "Let’s see him play. Leave the other stuff alone, man. Lay off."

If there was one thing most recreational players on the ranges and courses of South Florida could agree on Tuesday, it was that they just want to see Woods play again and have talk finally end of extramarital affairs and rehab stints that have surrounded the 14-time major champion since November.

Some like him, some don’t, and others like him less now than they did before Nov. 27. That’s when he fled his house in the middle of the night and ran his Cadillac SUV over a fire hydrant and into a tree.

But just about all those who agreed to discuss Woods on Tuesday said they’ll be watching his every move at Augusta National.

Welcome back, Tiger.

"I wouldn’t say I’m a Tiger guy, per se, but I’ve always admired his golf skills and he’s probably going to end up being the greatest golfer who ever lived and played," said Daniel Manichello, who was hitting on the range at Miami Shores Country Club. "The stuff that’s gone on, that’s between him and his family. That’s where it should be kept."

Manichello was going to watch the Masters, anyway. He’s a year-round follower of golf, someone who drives around listening to golf news on his satellite radio, which is how he learned of Tuesday’s news before hitting a bucket of drives.

Still, Woods’ return means he’ll watch this year’s Masters even more closely.

"Makes it more compelling for television and for fans," Manichello said. "If he plays up to his abilities, the guy’s incredible. The shots that he pulls off and stuff like that, it makes it more entertaining. And this year and last year when he was out with the injury, nobody’s really stepped up into the spotlight."

Sue Ferguson-Pagan, a Scottish vacationer and one of the few women who were willing to speak with The Associated Press about Woods on Tuesday, was puzzled on why the Woods saga has attracted so much attention. A former reporter, Ferguson-Pagan said she thought the entire episode has been media driven.

"He’s a superb golfer and I’m just sorry that he’s been so publicly exposed for his failings," Ferguson-Pagan said, slinging her bag over her shoulder for an afternoon round. "Just because he’s a superhuman golfer doesn’t mean to say that he’s going to be superhuman in other areas. Leave him alone."

It’s unclear what effect Woods’ latest absence has had on the game, because he actually didn’t miss many tournaments in which he would have played. Doral, though, was one of those tournaments.

When Woods teed off on the Blue Monster in 2009, the gallery stretched nearly 300 yards up the course. While crowds were again sizable at Doral for the weekend rounds of the CA Championship this year — especially following Phil Mickelson, Camilo Villegas and 2010 winner Ernie Els — it was nothing like what greeted Woods a year ago.

"It was kind of empty," Alfredo Behar said. "The security was a lot less beefed up, I’ll tell you that much."

Behar, 32, isn’t a Woods fan. He roots for Mickelson, mostly. And Ramos, his friend, isn’t much of a Woods fan, either.

"He always acted like he was better than you," Ramos said.

They both think they’ll see a slightly different Woods when he returns.

"Tiger’s a little arrogant, I think," Behar said. "He can’t win every tournament. It’s impossible to win every tournament. I would have loved to see his comeback at Doral. He would have been all right in Miami. Miami’s a very liberal town. And, as a matter of fact, some people would tell you they like him better now."

-- Tim reynolds

Expect huge TV audiences for Woods’ Masters return

NEW YORK — Reviled, redemption-seeking Tiger will attempt to beat young, awe-inspiring Tiger.

The highest television rating ever for the Masters — or the final round of any major golf tournament, for that matter — came in 1997, when a 21-year-old Tiger Woods won the tournament for the first time in dominant fashion. More than 14 percent of all the homes with televisions in the United States tuned in.

If Woods is in contention on Sunday at Augusta National next month when he returns to golf after a sex scandal, expect the rating to blow that number away.

"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, whose network televises the last two rounds of the Masters, told The Associated Press last week before Woods revealed when he would return.

"If we are involved in documenting that, it would make me very happy."

Exactly how happy will he be? Former CBS Sports president Neal Pilson predicted a rating in the 16-18 range if Woods has a chance at winning on the final day.

"I don’t think it would do a 20, but it might," said Pilson, who now runs a media consulting firm. "There will be so much media focus on Tiger, especially if by Sunday if he’s back again and leading and at the top of the leader board or close to it."

Pretty much everything on television draws lower ratings these days than they did in ‘97, as the audience has become more fragmented. Last year’s Masters drew an 8.3 rating.

But then again, few events have managed to seep into as many of the numerous options viewers can now choose from. Woods’ saga has been all over the gossip magazines, not just the sports pages.

Whether CBS gets a big boost in ratings will depend on how Woods fares. ESPN, which airs the first two rounds, is guaranteed to draw interest in how he performs from the start.

The network’s coverage averaged 3.4 million viewers for Thursday and Friday last year. The final round on CBS averaged 14.3 million viewers.

"Tiger’s return to competitive golf at this year’s Masters Tournament will surely be one of the biggest stories the sporting world has seen," ESPN executive vice president John Wildhack said in a statement.

Woods’ return benefits everybody involved in documenting the tournament. Tom Stathakes, Golf Channel’s senior vice president for programming, said the network won’t add a lot to its coverage since it can’t do much more than the extensive amount already offered. It might start its pregame shows earlier depending on when Woods tees off.

Stathakes predicted the channel’s ratings will increase 20-25 percent from last year. It will also have more competition, though, as he expects other networks will start showing Woods’ post-match news conferences live, when Golf Channel used to be the only one to do that.

"If he’s in the final group on Sunday," Stathakes said, "it will be one of the highest-rated sporting events in years."

-- Rachel Cohen

Tiger favorite for Masters with British bookies

LONDON — Despite not competing since his car crash in November, Tiger Woods is still the favorite to win the Masters.

Barely an hour after the announcement Tuesday that Woods will make his return at Augusta National next month, the British bookmaker William Hill installed him the 4-1 favorite. Phil Mickelson is second at 6-1, followed by Padraig Harrington at 16-1.

Hill also lists Woods as 1-20 to make the cut at the Masters. He is 25-1 to win all four majors this year.

"All the major courses are Tiger’s favorites, so despite a terrible beginning we think that 2010 will end up being terrific for Tiger," William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams said in a statement.

Woods has not played competitively since crashing his car into a tree outside his Florida home, setting off revelations he had been cheating on his wife.

"We’re pleased to hear that Tiger is to return to golf," Royal & Ancient Golf Club spokesman Malcolm Booth said. "Golf needs the world No. 1 to be playing."

The Royal & Ancient, golf’s governing body sport outside the United States, hopes Woods will play at the British Open in July.

Woods has not yet entered to play at the British Open at St. Andrews, but has until May 27 to send his entry form. Booth said it’s "normal" that he hasn’t entered yet.

"Typically, we would receive entries within a few weeks of that deadline," Booth said, noting several players from the "exempt field" of former champions have already sent their forms.

The Masters begins April 8.

"It’s great to see him coming back again. It’s absolutely brilliant," said Darren Clarke, one Woods’ close friends on the European tour. "We all want him back because he’s the best player on the planet."

Woods has won 14 majors, including four Masters titles and three British Opens — two of them at St. Andrews, Scotland. The British Open is July 15-18.

"We’d always want the world No. 1 to return to the Open championship," Booth said. "He could be the first to win three times at St. Andrews, and it would be back-to-back. No one’s ever won three at St. Andrews."

English golfer Ross Fisher was driving to this week’s Transitions Championship in Florida when he heard the news of Woods’ plan to return at the Masters.

"It’s going to be very interesting now to see what happens at Augusta," Fisher said. "But I thought he might have come back a bit earlier at either the Tavistock Cup or Bay Hill to get some golf in. Still it’s going to be very exciting."

Fisher said the atmosphere had not been the same at the recent Accenture and CA Championship without Woods in the field for the first two big-money tournaments of 2010.

"There is always an extra element when you have the best golfer in the world taking part," Fisher said. "But the best news now is that he is coming back."

-- Chris Lehourites

Tiger Woods’ statement on his return to golf

Tiger Woods issued a statement Tuesday to announce he will begin his 2010 season at the Masters. Here’s the full text of his statement:

"The Masters is where I won my first major and I view this tournament with great respect. After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I’m ready to start my season at Augusta.

The major championships have always been a special focus in my career and, as a professional, I think Augusta is where I need to be, even though it’s been a while since I last played.

I have undergone almost two months of inpatient therapy and I am continuing my treatment. Although I’m returning to competition, I still have a lot of work to do in my personal life.

When I finally got into a position to think about competitive golf again, it became apparent to me that the Masters would be the earliest I could play. I called both Joe Lewis and Arnold Palmer and expressed my regrets for not attending the Tavistock Cup and the Arnold Palmer Invitational. I again want to thank them both for their support and their understanding. Those are fantastic tournaments and I look forward to competing in them again.

I would also like to thank the Augusta National members and staff for their support. I have deep appreciation for everything that they do to create a wonderful event for the benefit of the game."

Golf Glance

PGA TOUR

Transitions Championship

Site: Palm Harbor, Fla.

Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.

Course: Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club, Copperhead Course (7,340 yards, par 71).

Purse: $5.4 million. Winner's share: $972,000.

Television: Golf Channel (Thursday, 2-5 p.m., 7:30-10:30 p.m.; Friday, 11-2 a.m., 2-5 p.m., 7:30-10:30 p.m.; Saturday, 11-2 a.m.) and NBC (Saturday-Sunday, 2-5 p.m.).

Last year: South Africa's Retief Goosen won his first PGA Tour title in nearly four years, beating Charles Howell III and Brett Quigley by a stroke.

Last week: Ernie Els won the World Golf Championships' CA Championship at Doral for his 17th PGA Tour victory and first since the 2008 Honda Classic. He closed with a 6-under 66 for a four-stroke victory over South African protege Charl Schwartzel. ... Derek Lamely won the rain-delayed Puerto Rico Open in a Monday finish for his first PGA Tour title. Kris Blanks was second, two strokes back.

Notes: Second-ranked Steve Stricker, No. 6 Ian Poulter, No. 9 Jim Furyk and No. 10. Padraig Harrington top the field along with Goosen, Lamely, Geoff Ogilvy, Stewart Cink, Vijay Singh, Lucas Glover, Kenny Perry, Sergio Garcia and Japanese stars Ryo Ishikawa and Yuta Ikeda. ... John Daly is making his sixth start of the year. He tied for 24th at 10 under last week in Puerto Rico. ... The Tavistock Cup between Orlando-area clubs Isleworth and Lake Nona is Monday and Tuesday. The Arnold Palmer Invitational is next week at Bay Hill, followed by the Houston Open and Masters.

On the Net: http://www.pgatour.com

PGA EUROPEAN TOUR

Hassan II Trophy

Site: Rabat, Morocco.

Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.

Courses: Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, Red Course (7,343 yards, par 73), Blue Course (6,788 yards, par 73).

Purse: $1.89 million. Winner's share: $315,475.

Television: Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.- 11:30 a.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 9 a.m.- Noon).

Last playing: South Africa's Ernie Els won in November 2008, topping a 24-man field in the non-tour event at 17 under.

Last week: Els won the WGC-CA Championship at Doral for his first PGA Tour victory since the 2008 Honda Classic. He closed with a 6-under 66 for a four-stroke victory over South African protege Charl Schwartzel.

Notes: Els is skipping his title defense. ... The tournament, first played in 1971, is in its first season as a European tour event. ... American Erik Compton, a two-time heart transplant recipient, is in the field. He won the event in 2005. ... Ireland's Paul McGinley is making his first start since having surgery for the sixth time on his left knee. He first injured the knee playing Gaelic football at 19. ... Italy's Francesco Molinari is coming off a 14th-place tie at Doral. ... Robert Trent Jones designed both courses. The final two rounds will be played on the Red Course. ... The Andalucia Open is next week.

On the Net: http://www.europeantour.com

LPGA TOUR

Next event: Kia Classic, March 25-28, La Costa Resort and Spa, Carlsbad, Calif.

Last event: Japan's Ai Miyazato won the HSBC Champions in Singapore on Feb. 28 to become the first LPGA Tour player in 44 years to sweep the first two events of a season. She beat Cristie Kerr by two strokes.

On the Net: http://www.lpga.com

CHAMPIONS TOUR

Next event: Cap Cana Championship, March 26-28, Punta Espada Golf Club, Nicklaus Course, Cap Cana, Dominican Republic.

Last event: Fred Couples won the Toshiba Classic on March 7 in Newport Beach, Calif., for his second straight Champions Tour title, shooting 66-64-65 for a four-stroke victory. In his only other Champions Tour starts, he won the ACE Group Classic on Feb. 14 in Florida and was second in the season-opening event in Hawaii.

On the Net: http://www.pgatour.com

NATIONWIDE TOUR

Next event: Louisiana Open, March 25-28, Le Triomphe Country Club, Broussard, La.

Last event: Steve Pate became the oldest champion in Nationwide Tour history, winning the Bogota Open on March 7 when Aaron Watkins missed a 3-foot par putt on the second playoff hole. At 48 years, 9 months, 11 days, Pate broke the tour record of 48 years, 6 months, 17 days set by Dick Mast in the 1999 New Mexico Classic.

On the Net: http://www.pgatour.com

OTHER TOURNAMENTS

Women

DURAMED FUTURES TOUR: Florida's Natural Charity Classic, Friday-Sunday, Lake Region Yacht and Country Club, Winter Haven, Fla. On the Net: http://www.duramedfuturestour.com

LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR: Lalla Meryem Cup, Thursday-Saturday, Royal Golf Anfa Mohammedia, Mohammedia, Morocco. On the Net: http://www.ladieseuropeantour.com

JAPAN LPGA TOUR: T-Point Ladies, Friday-Sunday, Kagoshima Takamaki Country Club, Kagoshima, Japan. On the Net: http://www.lpga.or.jp