Tiger Woods Announces Return to Golf at Masters

Tiger Woods is returning to golf, officially, and he will play his first tournament since taking a leave from work at the Masters in Augusta, Ga. (April 8-11), according to a statement Woods made to the press on Tuesday.

Woods has been reclusive, clearly, since Thanksgiving (with his only appearance being a public apology that drew plenty of scrutiny) and theories about when he would return to the PGA Tour have been rampant. That speculation is now over.

"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," Woods said in a statement.

"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."

The Masters always seemed like a perfect place for Tiger's return -- a somewhat sequestered club with limited public access and a club and network in Augusta and CBS, respectively, that will, for various reasons, keep Tiger from as much scrutiny as possible.

A return to the PGA Tour without any scrutiny for Tiger's recent behavior and actions would be impossible, of course. However, if he can dominate on the course -- and expect him to be heavily favored to win -- it will go further in redeeming Woods in the public eye than any apology.

Additionally, because Tiger's return will mean an absolutely monumental ratings boost for CBS and ESPN (as well as increased attention and revenue for Augusta), it should be expected that any opinionated coverage regarding Woods will be kept to a minimum, with his on-course play being the primary focus.

Join the thousands of fans already discussing Tiger on FanHouse's Facebook Page!