My take on news of Tiger Woods’ return to Augusta for the Masters is now up at Sympatico — and here’s a taste:
The rehabilitation of Tiger Woods’ public image after a sordid sex scandal may never be complete, but rebuilding of his professional career on the golf course will start next month at the Masters.
In a short statement posted today on his website, Woods said that “after a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I’m ready to start my season at Augusta.”
Truthfully Woods, who has been linked to extramarital affairs with up to 14 women, hasn’t been away that long. He usually plays a minimal schedule early in the season, so in fact he’s probably only missed a couple of tournaments. And though Woods says he’s returning out of his love for Augusta National and the Masters, the truth is much more cynical.
Tiger Woods loves to control things, from his golf ball to the media right through to, apparently, the multitude of women with whom he had secret liaisons over the past few years. By returning to play at Augusta, Woods is once again demonstrating that, regardless of whether he went into rehabilitation or whether he’s becoming a born again Buddhist, you can’t get a Tiger to change his stripes.
“I think Augusta is where I need to be, even though it’s been awhile since I last played,” he said in his statement. “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.”
A bestselling author and award-winning columnist, Robert Thompson has been writing about business and sports, and particularly golf, for almost two decades. His reporting and commentary on golf has appeared in 
“Tiger Woods loves to control things, through to, apparently, the multitude of women with whom he had secret liaisons over the past few years.”
What vast research did you do to provide you with the moral authority to make such a bold statement. Or is it just the keyboard stroking away, without any thought or consequence. That is why the media is wasteland and you are one of its main golf contributors. What a useless thought process you have.
Nigel: Are you REALLY that unobservant? Robert loves to give you lots of opportunities to take issue with him,, but in this case he is only stating the obvious.
Hey Robert,
You have nailed this one on the head. Rehab or not, Tiger will never change.
Back with his normal games.