Peter Alliss: ‘Tiger’s an idiot and I’ll tell him so’

The BBC's Peter Alliss

While he does laud his decision to begin his comeback at the Augusta National and the Masters tournament, as it is among the most controlled tournaments in the golf world and should allow Tiger to more easily weave himself back into golf, he does have concerns:

“I’m surprised, in a way, they are letting him play there,” Alliss said. “It either shows they have a desire to be helpful or a weakness. It would have been rather grand — but would have perpetuated the stupidity of it — if they had said, ‘Sorry, we don’t want your sort here.’

“But if he had to start somewhere, that’s the safest place because it is so controlled. Personally, I think it’s a little bit cowardly.”

With a use of language that sometimes betrays his generation, Alliss went on: “He’s been caught shagging birds. He’s not been married all that long and he’s an idiot. If he was sitting here now, I’d say, ‘Tiger, you are an idiot.’ ”

The Masters begins this week in Augusta Georgia.