Tiger's swing still out of whack in opening round at Quail Hollow

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Quest for the Holy Quail, my nominee as the title to replace the Quail Hollow Championship, did not go well Thursday for Tiger Woods.

It was only one round, one day, but the bad news for Tiger followers was that he picked up where he left off — in the rough, in the trees, in the water. When last seen, Woods played some of his sloppiest shots on the weekend at the Masters, completely out of character for the 14-major-championship Tiger that we know. His swing was still clearly out of order Thursday, especially on his first nine holes. If his short game had not been magnificent, 80 would have been in his wheelhouse.

With some stellar scrambling, he was able to overcome three bogeys and a double in his first 10 holes to shoot 74, two over par, and avoid shooting himself out of contention. From where he hit it, that was a remarkable score.

The day had a movie-set beginning. It was another bright, clear, crisp morning — cold enough to see your breath. The sun filtered through the pines as Woods prepared for his opening drive on No. 10. His caddie, Steve Williams, exhaled and the steam of his breath drifted from the shade into the sunlight like a special effect. Left of the green, a fog rose eerily off the lake.

Woods tore a page out of the Phil Mickelson playbook on that par-5 opening hole. He banged a driver down the fairway — a rare occurrence, it turned out — smashed a 3-wood near the green and played a delicate flop shot to within a foot of a tough pin placement. Easy birdie, followed by nothing easy the rest of the nine. Or the rest of the day, for that matter.

"I had a two-way miss going all day, which was great," Woods said later, showing some sarcasm. "I didn't hit the ball very good at all. Two balls in the water and pretty much struggled all day. I had a lot of issues trying to figure out where my balls were going to go. I hit a bunch of balls left, a bunch of balls right and a few down the middle. That was about it."

The new and relaxed Woods? Well, maybe it was one of those days that all you can do is laugh it off. Woods was frustrated, obviously, but when asked if he was going to the range to try to solve his swing issues, he said, "I'm not going to the range today. Hell with it."

At the 11th, Woods tried to carve a draw with his 5-wood tee shot and succeeded only too well, getting a break when his ball ended up in the rough a few feet short of a fairway bunker. Still, he was blocked by a tree and had to chip a low shot down the fairway. From there, he flipped a 40-yard pitch shot to within two feet and cashed a par.

The next hole was nearly an instant replay. A 5-wood into the left rough, blocked by a tree. The ball was sitting down slightly in dew-covered rough and Woods was looking right into the morning sun with the shot. He punched another beauty, shouted, "Run!" and then walked with his head down after it, knowing it had come up short. It led to another 40-yard flop shot played to perfection, although the ball ran out some 12 feet past the pin and he missed the putt. Bogey.

On the par-3 13th, Woods played a good iron shot to 12 feet for birdie but had a slick downhill putt. "C'mawn, git one back, Big Tee," a chubby fan wearing a maroon ball cap said. Big Tee? That's a new one. Big Tee's putt broke across the hole and missed on the left edge. Par.

A mediocre wedge approach at the short 14th left him a 25-footer for birdie, which he missed. He finished his tee shot at the par-5 15th with a one-hand follow-through, which usually means he lost the shot to the right. This one ended up in pine straw behind a pair of trees. With no apparent shot, Woods bravely punched out through a tiny opening, a shot so amazing that fans came over to check it out, and so did a photographer, who took a shot of the divot. You could see where Woods had disturbed the pine straw. There was slight trench, followed by some straw sticking straight up.

The second shot ended up closer to the pond than Woods would've liked, and through the fairway. He still had 186 yards to the pin; playing for a fade, he pulled his approach into the left bunker. He played a spectacular long bunker shot to eight feet and holed the putt for a fighting par that was emblematic of his day.

At the 16th, Cink had to chip out from underneath a tree in the left rough. His ball ended up there after conking a man in the head. "And I was standing behind this tree," the man said as he was handed a blue surgical glove filled with cold water to use as a compress.

"I hear Cink has a crummy attorney," a passer-by joked. "I think you can take him down on this."

Woods was also in the left rough, just past the tree that snared Cink, and actually had a shot to a front-left pin position. He'd barely finished his follow-through, though, when he yelled, "Fore!" Consider that word his new favorite f-bomb. His ball missed the green left, leaving him short-sided, but he deftly chipped close for another par save.

Then came the three holes that ripped up his carefully constructed house of cards. He made a stuck, god-awful swing on the tee at 17, a dangerous, water-guarded par-3. He hated the shot the second it left the clubface because he knew it was wet. He took relief on the forward tee and hit a shot pin-high, two-putting for a double bogey. At 18, he yanked his tee ball left and splashed it into the stream that guards the left side. He dropped near the stream, hit a nice-looking iron approach to a front left pin and watched it come up short of the green. Another deft pitch-and-run left him three feet for bogey.

At the first hole, even more late-arriving fans joined the gallery of several thousand following the group. Some college-aged kids walking along the ropes asked aloud, "Where's Tiger"? Then they looked across the fairway and spotted Woods, who was way, way right and in the middle of a forest of trees.

Woods took aim at the green from his area of deep shade, an unlikely play, but if Woods can see it, he can do it. He sent a low liner through and beneath the tree limbs, bouncing it near the green and avoiding the bunker. It rolled off the back left edge of the green. His pitch nearly caught a piece of the cup, but a sharp incline caused it to roll eight feet past. It would have been yet another crazy par, but Woods missed the putt and dropped to four over.

From there Woods settled down, managing a front-nine 35 that included a nice birdie putt on the par-3 second hole and a two-putt birdie on the par-5 fifth. He added one more birdie at 17 and a bogey at 18 to finish with 74.

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Tiger's 74 leaves him chasing cut at Quail Hollow

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Tiger Woods had a different plan of attack after one of the most awful starts of his career.

Woods shot a 2-over 74 on Thursday that left him chasing the cut intead of the leaders at the Quail Hollow Championship. But instead of an exhaustive practice session pounding drives, Woods was eager to forget.

"Sometimes when I shoot a high round, I put the clubs away," Woods said with a grin. "Or break a few."

He might want to start with his driver. Woods hit just four of 14 fairways and struggled off the tee throughout.

He put tee shots in the water off the 17th and 18th holes and made mistakes at several other holes that cost him shots on a day when 66 players were at par or better.

Woods was tied for 88th, nine shots behind Bo Van Pelt, and needs a strong move Friday afternoon to stick around. He has not missed the cut in a regular PGA Tour event in five years.

It was his worst opening round at a regular PGA Tour event since he shot 75 at The Players Championship three years ago.

Not even Woods' is sure what's wrong.

"When you're fighting a miss like this and trying to piece together a round to keep myself in a tournament, it's pretty tough," Woods said.

Van Pelt, seeking his first PGA Tour win, moved in front with a sparkling 65. Kenny Perry was next at 66 with Camilo Villegas another stroke behind. Phil Mickelson, playing for the first time since capturing the green jacket at Augusta, opened with 70.

Woods had come in hoping to build off his 2010 debut at the Masters, which followed an embarrassing sex scandal and a five-month hiatus. Woods opened with a 68 at Augusta National and finished tied for fourth.

Woods didn't bring that game with him three weeks later.

He sprayed drives throughout the course. He shouted, "Fore!" when his tee shot on the 16th hole closed in on the gallery. The worst, though, was ahead. He splash-landed his iron to the par-3 17th, sailing it wide left of the green.

After the penalty, he stuck his next shot about 30 feet from the pin and settled for double bogey.

Woods wound up wet again on the 18th, settling for a bogey after finding a creek that slides along the hole's left side.

When Woods came up short on a 10-footer to save par on No. 1, he was 4 over through 10 holes.

Woods kept his cool through his struggles - he was criticized for foul language at Augusta - and eventually tapped into the game that made him the world's No. 1 player.

He started a rally on the second hole with a birdie, then continued it with two more on the fifth and eight holes. Once again, though, an ill-struck shot cost him as he overshot the ninth green and took a closing bogey.

Despite the troubles, Woods pointed to his improved play down the stretch as a reason to believe he won't be packing up the clubs early.

"Hopefully, I can be the guy who puts together a good round tomorrow," he said.

Mickelson withdrew from the pro-am Wednesday, dealing with an illness he had for a couple of days. He appeared ready to go in the opening round, rising to 4 under after a birdie on the 15th hole. However, Mickelson said that's when the hills at Quail Hollow Club began to wear him down.

"I don't quite have the energy yet, but I think this weekend I'll feel great," Mickelson said.

Van Pelt used a refurbished putter that helped him to a third-place finish two weeks ago at the Verizon Heritage at Hilton Head Island. Here, Van Pelt made seven birdies without a bogey.

"It's just converting on some of those opportunities," Van Pelt said.

Perry was the only one to catch Van Pelt after an eagle on the par-5 seventh. He followed that with a bogey one hole later to fall into second.

Woods, too, hopes to take advantage after letting several get away in the opening round.

"The course can be had," Woods said.

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South Korean golfers call off boycott against OneAsia

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean golfers say they have called off a boycott of the OneAsia tour after coming to an agreement with organizers over player quotas at domestic tournaments.

Park Do-kyu, representing the Korean golfers, says OneAsia agreed to allow 60 local golfers to compete in the tour's three South Korean tournaments.

The OneAsia Tour was launched last year as a joint venture between the Australian PGA and governing bodies in Asia, including China and South Korea.

South Korean pros protested the tour's qualification rules. They complained that only half the number of locals would be able to participate this year.

Park said the 13-day boycott caused much damage to the golfers and corporate sponsors.

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Green considers playing in Champions Tour event

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Ken Green feels so good about his return to golf after a year of tragedy that he might play in next week's Champions Tour event.

Green is playing in the Legends of Golf this weekend, a two-man competition where he was partnered with Mike Reid at Savannah Harbor Golf Resort.

After two birdies Friday, Green is thinking about next week's Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic.

He also wants to play an upcoming individual 54-hole event, the Dick's Sporting Goods Classic in Endicott, N.Y.

Since last June, Green suffered through the car crash deaths of his brother and longtime girlfriend. Green's injuries were so severe in the accident that he chose to have the lower part of his leg amputated so he'd could play on tour again.

In January, his son was found dead in his SMU dorm room.

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Bad weather suspends play at Zurich Classic

AVONDALE, La. (AP) — Dark clouds rolled in hours before the rain started at the Zurich Classic on Friday. However, even the brisk winds before the storm did not seem to hamper those who teed off early.

Lightning forced play to be halted at 12:57 p.m., and heavy rain continued for hours. Play was officially called for the day at 5:21 p.m.

According to the National Weather Service, 1 1/2 to 2 inches of rain had fallen by 3 p.m.

By the time play was halted, 47 players had finished their rounds, and three - Lee Janzen, Alex Cejka and Brian Davis - were atop the leaderboard at 7 under after two rounds.

Janzen shot a bogey-free 66, to snap a string of four straight missed cuts coming into the tournament.

"When you hear players talking about the difference between the guys barely making the cut or barely missing the cut and the guys that are leading the tournament, it's a very fine line," Janzen said.

Janzen said he made a putt on the first hole and that relaxed him.

"Physically or technically my swing, everything about my game is as good as it's ever been," Janzen said.

Davis also had a 66 and Cejka shot a 67. Greg Chalmers had a 68 and was one stroke back at 138, and Chris Riley (66) was at 139.

Jason Bohn, who led at 7 under after the first round, was about 20 minutes away from teeing off when play stopped.

"This golf course has a lot of bunkers, a lot of long bunkers and a lot of the edges have fallen down," PGA Tour director Steve Carman said. "So the maintenance crew is going to have to pull up all those edges."

It would take more than an hour to complete, Carman said. By that time there would not be enough daylight to play.

Officials said play would resume at 7:30 a.m. Saturday. They hoped that the rain would end during the night and groundskeepers would be able to get the course in shape so the second round could be finished and the third round started.

The forecast for Saturday calls for more rain. Tournament officials had planned to start players in groups of three from both the first and 10th tees early Saturday to beat the rain. But when the storm arrived on Friday, they hoped it would end early as well.

"The forecast for tomorrow isn't very good," Carman said. "We'll get them out there and if we can play, we'll do that. We've got about six hours of golf to finish in the second round."

Bill Lunde withdrew on Friday with one hole left to play because of a shoulder injury.

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Woods enters Players Championship, AT&T National

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods added two more tournaments Wednesday to a schedule that is not much different from previous years except for the timing.

Woods entered The Players Championship and the AT&T National, which benefits his foundation.

It was the second straight week that Woods made an early commitment to a PGA Tour event, allowing for more time to promote his appearance. For years, the world's No. 1 player waited until the last few days before signing up.

Last week, Woods beat the deadline by eight days for entering the Quail Hollow Championship, which starts April 29. He signed up for The Players Championship, which starts May 6, nine days ahead of the deadline.

Woods no longer is the host of the AT&T National, which will be held over the Fourth of July weekend at Aronomink outside Philadelphia. It had been played the last three years at outside of Washington at Congressional, which will host the U.S. Open next year.

Woods missed five months while caught in a sex scandal that shattered his image and cost him three major endorsements. He returned at the Masters, where he tied for fourth.

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Bohn takes advantage of calm conditions at Zurich Classic

AVONDALE, La. (AP) — Jason Bohn took advantage of calm morning conditions Thursday in the Zurich Classic, shooting a 7-under 65 to take a two-stroke lead over Jason Dufner, John Senden, Jeff Overton, Greg Owen and 2006 champion Chris Couch.

Bohn had eight birdies and one bogey - when he tried to reach the par-5 18th green in two stokes and ended up in the water - at Pete Dye-designed TPC Louisiana.

"I was playing aggressively on the last hole," Bohn said. "If I had to do it all over again, I'd hit the exact same shot."

Every time he had a chance for a birdie, he made it, Bohn said.

"And I made a couple of par-saving putts," said Bohn, who had 26 putts.

Bohn was just one stroke off the course record of 64 set by Kyle Reifers in 2007.

Bohn's score held up easily as the wind came up in the afternoon and made the course play much tougher.

"There is not much coverage out here on this golf course," Dufner said. "It's pretty open. So if it can get windy, that will make play a lot more difficult."

Five players - former British Open champion David Duval, Charles Howell III, Kevin Sutherland, 2002 winner K.J. Choi and Troy Merritt - opened with 68s.

Defending champion Jerry Kelly shot a 71.

This is the fifth time this year Choi has opened with a 68 or better.

Choi, Owen and Overton teed off in the afternoon.

"It was blowing," said Owen, who made five birdies on the front nine. "There were a few gusts, but it's obviously tough."

Defending champion Jerry Kelly had an opening-round 71.

Three players pulled out during their round due to injuries. George McNeill (elbow), John Mallinger (shoulder), and Jeff Maggert (shoulder).

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Fraser takes 1st-round lead at Ballantine's

JEJU ISLAND, South Korea (AP) — Marcus Fraser of Australia shot a 7-under 65 to take a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the fog-disrupted Ballantine's Championship.

Fraser had a bogey-free round and leads England's Mark Foster at the $2.9 million event, being held at Pinx Golf Club and sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and the Korea PGA.

Ted Oh of South Korea shot a 67 in near darkness Thursday after a six-hour fog delay to take a share of third place with Rick Kulacz of Australia and Welshman Jamie Donaldson, who are both 5 under through 17 and 16 holes, respectively.

Ernie Els of South Africa and American Anthony Kim both shot 68.

Nearly a third of the field did not start their first rounds.

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Jim Mackay dissects Phil's key shots at the Masters

Phil Mickelson's march to his third green jacket began on the 13th hole of the third round. He was sputtering along and in danger of losing sight of Lee Westwood, the 36-hole leader, who had birdied four of his first 10 holes on Saturday. Mickelson took an aggressive line off the tee on the bending par-5, leaving him 195 yards to a treacherous back-left pin. The safe play was to the middle of the green, leaving a long putt, but that's not Phil. He smashed a seven-iron dead at the flag. "I took a chance," Mickelson says. "If I don't pull off that shot and miss it left, it's unlikely I'm going to get that up and down, so it's a two-shot swing." With risk comes reward: He stuck the shot to 10 feet and made eagle.

"The biggest reason he won the tournament is how aggressively he played," says Jim (Bones) Mackay, Mickelson's longtime caddie. "You could certainly make the argument that a couple of times over the years, things haven't worked out for him when he's played aggressively, but he would not have won this tournament had he not done some of the things he did. You can't get to that pin on 13. It's the toughest pin on the green. But he attacked it and hit a great shot, and that got him on a roll to winning this tournament."

On the next hole Mickelson bombed a drive and had 141 yards left to a pin situated in a bowl. Mickelson knew a good shot would funnel toward the flag. "It's the easiest pin on the hole," he says. "You expect to make birdie there, and I hit a good shot and thought that the ball would be close. But you obviously don't expect for it to go in."

Says Mackay, "The roar when Phil made the putt on the final hole in 2004 is the loudest I've ever heard it [at the Masters], but this was pretty close, which is amazing when you think about it because not many people hang out behind the 14th green.

"Phil had a little stop-and-smell-the-roses moment coming up 14. He was like, This is so cool." But he wasn't done.

Mickelson was lusting after a third straight eagle as he stepped to the tee of the short but dangerous par-5 15th. "I thought it was possible that somebody had made two eagles in a row" — in fact, Gary Player and Dan Pohl are the only other players to have done so in the 74-year history of the Masters — "but I didn't think anybody had three, and I was trying to go for that."

But he pushed his drive and was blocked by trees, forcing a layup. From 87 yards Mickelson played a low, spinning shot that was on line the whole way. "He caught it perfect," says Mackay. "It took that big first bounce right at the flag, but with a 64-degree wedge you know the ball is going to grab hard. From our perspective it looked as if it was in — the ball must have passed behind the flag because it disappeared for a split second. It's crazy to say, but it was almost a little disappointing that it didn't go in."

Eagle, eagle, birdie, and just like that, Mickelson was leading the tournament. The crowd was going bonkers. "I was well aware that somebody was making a charge, and I figured it was Phil," says Westwood.

During the final round both Mickelson and Westwood cautiously navigated the exacting front nine. Phil made his first birdie at the 8th but followed with loose tee shots on the next two holes. He salvaged par out of the forest each time. "Massive," says Mackay. "Those par saves were almost more important than if they had been birdies, because it felt as if things were falling into place for us."

Mickelson hit a gorgeous nine-iron over the flag at 12 and rolled in his first long putt of the day for a birdie that put him one up on K.J. Choi. At 13 Mickelson didn't cut his tee shot enough, and the ball rolled through the fairway into a precarious position between two pines. His ball came to rest in a pretty good lie atop the pine straw, 207 yards from the flag, 187 yards to carry Rae's Creek. Mackay gently suggested a safe punch-out short of the creek by saying, "Hey, that was such a great pitch shot you hit back on number 8."

"I'm not laying up," Mickelson shot back. He had found an opening between the trees and felt confident that he could squeeze his ball through. "Then we found out Choi made 6 [up ahead at 13], so I tried again," Mackay recalls. Mickelson was unmoved, and Bones later recounted his boss's reasoning: "There's an opening in the trees. It's not as if I have to play a big slice or a big hook; it's only a six-iron. All I have to do is execute."

As it became clear that Mickelson was going to give it a go, a palpable current of electricity ran through the gallery. Among the masses was Phil's swing coach, Butch Harmon. What was he thinking? "You can't print it," says Harmon. In Mickelson's mind the shot did not carry a high degree of difficulty. "Well, I had to hit a shot between those two trees, whether I laid up or went for the green, and I decided to hit it 90 yards farther than a layup," he says.

"I felt as if a good six-iron was going to be plenty. It was a shot where I kept saying, If I simply trust my swing, I'll pull it off. And I made a good swing; it went right at the pin." His ball stopped five feet from the flag and will forever symbolize Mickelson's courage and creativity.

Says Mackay, "That's Phil — he simplifies things. 'Give me the club, and get out of the way.' "

Mickelson missed the eagle putt but regrouped to bury a tough comebacker, pushing his lead to two strokes. He put the tournament away with another birdie on 15, the watery, do-or-die hole at which many Masters have been lost. "I hit a good drive there," he says. "It was playing 196 with the downhill factored in. Normally that's a stock seven-iron, but I had adrenaline going a little bit, and I ripped an eight-iron and ended up 15 feet from the hole just to the right and trickled that thing down and two-putted."

That's how spectacular Mickelson's Masters was: He made this ridiculously important moment seem routine. Ho hum, another birdie, another green jacket.

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In her new book Swinging From My Heels, Christina Kim dishes on life, love and the L-word on the LPGA tour

Christina Kim has won just twice in seven full seasons on the LPGA Tour and never finished in the top 10 on the money list. Yet thanks to her candor, hip hop-infused style and irrepressible charisma (not to mention her rabid Tweeting), the Northern California native has become one of the tour's most vocal and visible members.

Just last June the Golf Channel miked up Kim during the first two rounds of the LPGA Championship, a nod to the golfer's gregarious and, yes, marketable personality. Now Kim has put her world into words, compiling a warts-and-all first-person account of her 2009 season — "the longest, hardest year of my life," she writes — with Sports Illustrated senior writer Alan Shipnuck. It's an insider's look at a golfer (and a tour) in transition, laced with straight talk, juicy anecdotes and more than a couple of wild nights with her pals. "I hope it reads less like a traditional sports tome," Kim notes, "and more like an intimate diary." Judge for yourself... (Buy it here.)

In 2003 there were five other players on tour named Kim — now there are a dozen — but I'm pretty sure none of them have ever been confused for me. The pimpish Kangol hats popularized by LL Cool J back in the day have become my trademark. During my rookie year I bought one in every color, to go along with the ever-changing tints in my hair. I also began shopping for clothes at a wannabe death-metal store at a mall in San Jose. My dad [Man] wanted me to dress in more boring, traditional golf attire and would suggest some hideous matronly outfit. My standard reply: "The only way I'm wearing that is if I die and you get to dress me for the funeral."

One thing I loved about golf from the beginning was that it was a way to get my parents' attention. As the runt of the litter, I crave attention. I chug it.

When I was 11, my dad turned up with a funny-looking metal stick with a bulbous end. Marching me to the backyard he threw down a strip of Astroturf and grunted, "Here, swing hard as you can." I did, and it was kind of fun. Then he told me to do it 499 more times. This was my introduction to a golf club, and the golf swing. Being a dutiful Korean daughter I never thought to question my dad, and every day after school I would spend two hours making the required 500 swings, as would my older brother Mel and older sister Gloria. After a month of this tedium Dad finally took us to a driving range so we could hit actual golf balls and watch them fly. It was like the clouds parted and the angels were singing and I finally understood there was a point to all of this.

It's not easy to get laid on the LPGA tour. We're like a traveling circus that barnstorms in and out of a new town every week, and this vagabond lifestyle makes it hard to meet quality people, or get serious with those you do come across. If one of the guys on the PGA Tour is feeling lonely there is always a nice selection of so-called rope-hopers, those pretty young things who show up at tournaments in short-skirts and do-me heels and preen by the gallery ropes, hoping to attract a wandering eye. Even if you are so inclined, it's slim pickings in our galleries: horny teens clutching Natalie Gulbis calendars, dads with their daughters, or retirees in sandals with black socks.

Lorena Ochoa has a mischievous side that few people see. I got my first taste of it at the 1999 Mexican Women's Amateur. We had repaired to the clubhouse to celebrate her victory when Lorena and a group of other players brought me a michelada. It was so tangy and fizzy and delicious I had two or three more. What I didn't know is that beer is the active ingredient, along with lime juice and salt. So I like to say that when I was 15 Lorena Ochoa got me drunk off my ass.

When it comes to equipment, I'm a total slut. I've never signed an exclusive deal with any manufacturer because I want to be able to spread it around to different companies.

It's worth pointing out that I'm not the only player who feels picked-on [by the Korean press]. All the other Korean-Americans do, too. The press over there loves to write negative things about all of us gyopos, as if we chose for our parents to procreate beyond the mystical borders of Korea.

Because there's never been an honest, open discussion about lesbianism on tour, it has become a source of fascination among many golf fans — and especially male reporters — who have only heard various rumors and innuendo. Contrary to what many people think, we are not the Lesbians Playing Golf Association. By my count there are no more than two dozen gay women playing the tour right now. Considering there are 230 active members, you're only talking about 10 percent of the players, which from everything I've read is in line with the population as a whole.

I understand that thanks to Howard Stern and Internet porn many guys are keenly interested in girl-on-girl action, but to every player I know the issue is just not that big a deal. There are no super-freaky homophobes out here or militant man-haters. At most, a player's sexuality may be an occasional practice-round conversation piece:

"Hey, did you hear that so-and-so likes girls?"

"Really? Huh. So, did you hit an 8-iron or a 9?"

I vowed in December 2005 to drastically improve my fitness. I was also spurred by my dad, who, with typical delicacy, had declared, "You too fat. You need to lose 40 pound to make you better golfer." So I moved in with family in Korea and began to work my ass off (literally). The alarm went off every day at 5 a.m. for a five-mile run, and this was followed by two hours in the gym doing weight training and various exotic forms of torture. Then I would go for long sessions of deep-tissue massages and acupuncture. They focused on the juicy areas where fat is stored, and it was excruciating. These little old ladies would say, "Ah, look, poison is leaking out of body!" I would be like, "No, bitch, I'm crying because you're hurting me!"

Two days before the Canadian Women's Open began I was part of a racy photo shoot for ESPN The Magazine 's "Body Issue." The shoot took place at a local golf course [in Calgary] that was being renovated and was thus deserted. Unfortunately no one seemed to realize until too late that the setting was flanked by a fairly busy road and the course's trees and shrubs did not entirely block the view of the three of us. So Sandra [Gal], Anna [Grzebien] and I had to step into our robes every time a car or jogger or biker passed by. When the coast was clear we'd drop trou and get back in place for a flurry of photos. It was, as you might imagine, a bit nerve-racking.

English remains a defining factor for the Koreans on tour. I'd estimate that only 10 percent of them are comfortable enough with their English to interact with all of the other players. The other 90 percent of Koreans break down into two distinct groups. About half of them lead very solitary lives. They are usually the youngest girls — around 20 years old or even younger, having left school in their mid-teens to turn pro — and they travel with one or both parents. If they're not on the golf course they are on the range or putting green or in their hotel room resting so they can practice even more the next day. The other Koreans move in small, insular groups of four or five or six girls, and they're as self-contained and dependent upon each other as a bobsled team. They play practice rounds together, hit balls next to each other, and eat every meal together. Some of the cliques even have nicknames. One is the self-styled GMG, for Golf Maniac Girls.

It's easy to forget how hot LPGA golfers are until they slip out of their visors and boxy polos and capri pants.

One of the highlights of Kim's season came at the Solheim Cup at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill. Kim went 3-1, helping the U.S. to a stirring 16-12 victory.

After an emotional closing ceremony the team piled on to a bus for a victory party in a ballroom at a Holiday Inn about 10 miles away. The only people missing were the European players. Win or lose those girls never skip a party and we were all disappointed that they never showed up. By midnight I was exhausted and so were all of my teammates so we caught a bus back to Rich Harvest Farms. Arriving back at the cabins we could hear music and laughing and we realized the Europeans had decided to stay on-site for their party. Even though I was completely knackered I shouted, "I'm going to the Euro party — who's with me?"

No one, as it turned out, but I didn't care. When I rolled in all the European players were so cool and welcoming and a couple of them said, "We knew you were the only one who would show up." It was now about 1 a.m. and the party had gotten very sloppy. One of the team's helpers had passed out drunk and was sprawled on the floor. The players had covered him with a tarp, encircled him with pylons and taken police-style photos of the scene.

The party featured some bumping hip-hop music and sometime around 2:30 a.m. I spotted Tania Elosegui on the dance floor and went out and joined her. Twelve hours earlier we had been locked in a battle for the ages. Now we were dancing and laughing together, bonded forever by the incredible experience of competing in the Solheim Cup.

Unbeaten Galaxy counting on wealth of depthMore than a quarter-century after his first moment in the sun, long-shot Jim Roy is an elite pro golfer again

PGA Tour Confidential: Verizon Heritage

Every week of the 2010 PGA Tour season, the editorial staff of the SI Golf Group will conduct an e-mail roundtable. Check in on Mondays for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors and join the conversation in the comments section below.

TIGER'S BUSY SCHEDULE
Damon Hack, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: What a week in Harbour Town, our annual Masters chaser, a sweet departure from all that major championship pressure. While we all hail Jim Furyk and his second victory of the season, I can't help but start with the surprising early commitment from Tiger Woods to Quail Hollow. Where is this coming from? Is this a favor to the PGA Tour? (Quail Hollow has now sold out its daily tickets for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Don King would appreciate that kind of hype.) Is this the continued evolution of Tiger Woods, now channeling his inner Jay Haas?

Cameron Morfit, senior writer, Golf Magazine: Tiger knows he is in for a circus largely of his own making any time he tees it up. And when the circus comes to town, there are a lot of moving parts. Early notice gives him the best chance of being adequately protected, security-wise, with the happy byproduct of selling advance tickets. Thought it was interesting that Phil chose to commit immediately after Tiger did. Not sure if there was a message in that or not.

Hack: I thought the same thing: Tiger vs. Phil, part deux. It also seemed to indicate that Tiger is back for good. You know, Quail Hollow, The Players, Memorial, U.S. Open, etc.

Jim Herre, managing editor, SI Golf Group: Good move by Tiger from a golf perspective. He's heeding the advice of many of his peers — Brad Faxon's in our pages for one. (Next we'll see if he gives up the first tee time for practice rounds.) Plus, Woods needs to play, although I'm not sure doing so does his marriage any good.

Morfit: All I know for sure is I have no idea what Woods needs. Those pop-ups he was hitting on Sunday at the Masters were unlike anything I've seen from him. Very odd.

Gary Van Sickle, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: It's got to be Tiger throwing tournaments a small bone by committing early. Since he now apparently requires extra security, events may need a little extra notice to make preparations. Once the tourney knows, it's going to leak to the public that he's coming, so he may as well make everybody happy (well, everybody who wants him to play) by committing earlier.

Charlie Hanger, executive editor, Sports Illustrated: I don't think it'll be a circus this time. He's returned to the public eye already. I wonder if there's much left to work on at home. May just be that he might as well play as sit around the house alone.

Morfit: I think we don't know what it'll be like at Quail Hollow. It isn't Augusta, which is sort of like the make-believe world in that movie "The Truman Show." The only thing Augusta National lacks is a bubble over the whole place, and I'm still not sure it's not there. (The "Bootyism" plane may have been a clever special effect.) Quail Hollow exists in reality, and reality may hurt for a while.

Van Sickle: The tabloids (who still can't be trusted) seem to indicate the marriage is irrevocably broken. You hate to rely on People magazine for the news, but if they're right this time, Tiger may as well get on with his golf career.

Jim Gorant, senior editor, Sports Illustrated: I think it's more evidence that Tiger is trying. Obviously, we saw at Augusta that it's hard for him to change his stripes (sorry), but he's making an effort — waving to fans, signing autographs, answering questions.

Morfit: I said it in last week's Confidential, and Peter Kostis wrote a column about it. You can't just wake up a totally different guy after getting to be your previous self over the course of 34 years. Woods does seem to understand people want him to reform, and he does seem to actually want to reform. When he's able to stop and think about it, he'll be able to do it. But the visceral reactions to crappy golf shots will take the longest to change.

Farrell Evans, writer-reporter, Sports Illustrated: Wow! How bad a character is this guy that we give him credit for making an early commitment to a tournament? This is still his way of stealing the show and being a distraction and being a tour of one.

Van Sickle: I totally disagree. By committing early, he's helping the event market itself. How is that possibly a negative?

Gorant: It's not so much that we're giving him credit as we're recognizing this is a change from his normal mode and debating what that change means. I'll mark you down as unimpressed.

IS GOLF HAVING ITS ALI-FRAZIER MOMENT?
Hack: What about in terms of the golf? Tiger commits to Quail Hollow and Phil right after. When was the last time the sport was teeming with so many stories? Anybody else seeing this as the summer of Ali-Frazier, er, Tiger-Phil?

Alan Shipnuck, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: Quail Hollow is a big week for Tiger, golf-wise. He has to show he can control his swing after his rocky performance at the Masters. Right now Phil knows he can beat Tiger, and Tiger knows it, too. It's never too early for Woods to reassert his dominion.

Van Sickle: For Ali-Frazier in golf, you need two guys playing their best at the same time. Phil's play is pretty spotty, and a primary reason he and TW haven't had a face-to-face duel in a major. It may never happen. And Tiger is still a question mark, although you have to think the Masters was a positive sign for him — some terribly sloppy play and he still finished fourth.

Shipnuck: This Masters was the first major Phil has won with Tiger in contention, and that was barely so. If their rivalry is going to really pop, they need to go head-to-head at Pebble and/or St. Andrews.

Hack: Well they did square off at the '01 Masters, but Phil wasn't Frazier yet. Maybe Ingemar Johansson?

Morfit: I'm going to have to see more from Phil to be convinced that this will be some kind of monster year from him. He's a different guy at Augusta. Will he be the same guy at Quail Hollow who did absolutely nothing coming into the Masters? I don't know. I hope not.

Evans: Phil probably checks out until Pebble Beach. Emotionally, I don't think he can sustain the momentum for an entire year. I don't think he cares that much about winning at Quail Hollow or anywhere else except at the majors. It's no accident that Amy was at the Masters, where Phil needed her to be when he wanted to play his best.

BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD
Hack: Well, let's just have at it then. Who is the best player in the world today? Is it Tiger? Phil? Y.E. Yang? Furyk?

Morfit: There is no obvious No. 1 at the moment, but Tiger's as good a place-holder as any.

Amarikwa hopes Colorado embraces him the way SJ didMasters champ Mickelson joining Tiger in Charlotte

Hot? Yang, Furyk and the gentleman's game. Not? Sergio, New Orleans and Rickie.

HOT
1. Y.E. Yang. Coming off a strong showing at the Masters, he beat a good field at the China Open, his first win since his breakthrough at the PGA Championship. Take that, K.J.

2. Jim Furyk. Great player, classy guy. And his preshot routine is so, uh, deliberate that we get extra time to ruminate on his virtues.

3. The gentleman's game. No one yelled "You suck, goddammit" on TV, and some dude in a playoff called a penalty on himself. (Never mind that Brian Davis was going to lose anyway.) All is suddenly right in Jim Nantz's world.

4. The Mojo 6. The telecast is on major tape-delay (til freakin' May!), but this inaugural unofficial LPGA event was great fun to follow thanks to a wonderfully quirky format. Hey, maybe it's not too late for the Olympics to rethink its dreadful decision to go with 72 holes of stroke play.

5. Bernie Langer. What a sweet gig this Champions exhibition circuit is: $255,000 for two rounds. Plus Sundays off.

NOT
1. Newspaper hacks. The third round of the U.S. Open will not end until 11 p.m. Eastern, leaving about 15 minutes until deadline. Luckily, there are only a few fishwrap scribes left to be inconvenienced.

2. Sergio. Experimenting with a new grip, he hit a new low with a 67-77 to miss the cut at Hilton Head. I'm actually starting to feel sorry for this guy.

3. New Orleans. Great town, but stuck between Hilton Head and the Quail Hollow-Players double-dip, it's left with one of the worst fields of the year. How desperate is the tournament? They actually gave John Daly a sponsor's exemption.

4. Rickie Fowler. Overall, a t8 in his first spin around Harbour Town is a nice result for the rookie. But after a front nine 30 on Sunday he was near the top of the leaderboard ... and then young Rickie promptly bogeyed the next three holes. The good news? No meek layups.

5. Golf's jet-setters. Iceland's ash cloud is wreaking havoc with the schedule, forcing a cancellation of the Euro tour event in Morocco and complicating numerous players' trip to the Ballantines in Korea. I just hope there's not a flare-up during the British Open — it would be awful to be stuck in Scotland with nothing to do but play golf.

Have a question for Alan Shipnuck? Submit it here and come back Friday to read his weekly Mailbag.

Kelly aces No. 4 at Hilton Head — againAmarikwa hopes Colorado embraces him the way SJ did

Heritage in peril? PGA Tour stop needs sponsor

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Stewart Cink can't imagine spending the week after the Masters anywhere else but Harbour Town Golf Links.

Many of the PGA Tour's best players build the popular course into their schedule, but that could soon be changing. Verizon and its preceeding companies, MCI and Worldcom, had sponsored the event since 1987, but the deal ended with the final round Sunday.

Right now, there's no replacement sponsor for the nearly $8 million necessary to put on the tournament each year. Organizers and pros alike are worried that the event, which began with Arnold Palmer raising the first trophy in 1969, might be in jeopardy.

"I hope that a company can see how valuable this could be for them, to step in and take the place of Verizon," said Cink, who won at Hilton Head in 2000 and 2004.

Five-time winner Davis Love III, a member of the PGA Tour's players' advisory council, has spoken to potential sponsors directly about the Heritage's appeal. Other pros have also praised the event, including Jim Furyk, who beat Brian Davis on the first playoff hole Sunday to earn the champions' tartan jacket.

"It makes a lot of sense" to come to Hilton Head, said Rick George, the PGA Tour's executive vice president and chief of operations. "It's been a staple on tour for the last 42 years and we hope to be here another 42 years."

Tournament director Steve Wilmot announced last September that Verizon had chosen to spread its sponsorship dollars over several events instead of concentrating it all on the Heritage.

Wilmot remembers meeting with PGA Tour officials in November and asking when he should be worried about Harbour Town's place on the schedule. The answer was around tournament time.

"Well, it's tournament time," he said this week.

Wilmot said in March that the Heritage was safe for next year, even without a sponsor. He's still confident that will happen because of the Heritage Classic Foundation's solid financial footing. However, new agreements must be reached with the PGA Tour and tournament host course Sea Pines, typically a formality but hurdles nonetheless.

The PGA Tour has had its hands full finding sponsors for companies who no longer wish to market at golf. The WGA-CA Championship at Doral is also seeking a new sponsor.

Right after the Masters, the Heritage has been a wonderful antidote to the grueling pressure of Augusta National. Ernie Els and his family were often seen riding bikes, pros brought their families to the beach, and even the course - at just over 6,900 yards - was a welcome change.

"It's the anti-Augusta," Cink said with a smile.

Although the Heritage doesn't release attendance figures, Wilmot figures about 130,000 people come out each year. A 2005 study by Clemson University found the event has an impact of $84 million to the region.

The Heritage Classic Foundation had a long-term relationship with Verizon Business since 1987, when the Sea Pines Heritage Classic became the MCI Heritage Classic.

The only stumble came between the 2002 and 2003 tournaments - a "hiccup," Wilmot calls it - when the bankruptcy of troubled Worldcom sent organizers scrambling for sponsorships.

In the end, a reorganized and rechristened MCI signed on with the Heritage and continued its backing after Verizon acquired the company in 2006.

Boo Weekley, whose only two tour wins were at the 2007 and '08 Heritage, challenged the PGA Tour to do what it can to keep the event at Harbour Town.

"As a player it stinks that the PGA can't help them out," he said. "That's my feelings. Why can't the PGA Tour, they help everything else out, why can't they come in here and say, 'We're going to help you all raise enough money to do this?'"

George said the tour is doing all it can to ensure a Heritage in 2011 and beyond.

South Carolina lawmakers earlier this year voted to lend the tournament $10 million from the state's insurance reserve fund to keep things going if no sponsor is found. George and Wilmot both said that's not something they sought or expect to use.

"It's very much appreciated," George said, "but I don't think we will need that. I don't want to go in that direction."

One thing is clear: Players want to keep the PGA Tour in Harbour Town.

"It's really special to a lot of players, and it's a unique event in a small community where everybody really rallies together," said Brian Gay, the 2009 champion. "I think somebody will step up and keep it going."

The Sideline: Is threat of terrorist attack on South Africa for real?Kelly aces No. 4 at Hilton Head — again

Langer takes Champions Tour lead

LUTZ, Fla. (AP) — Bernhard Langer shot a 5-under 66 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over Mark O'Meara and Mike Reid in the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am.

Langer, the German star who won the Allianz Championship in February in Boca Raton for his ninth Champions Tour title, had a 9-under 133 total at TPC Tampa Bay.

"My game plan seems to be working so far, so I'll play the same way I have the past two days," Langer said.

O'Meara shot a 69, and Reid had a 68.

Fred Couples, trying to match the tour record for victories in consecutive starts of four set by Chi Chi Rodriguez in 1987, followed his opening 71 - his only score higher than 68 in 14 senior rounds - with a 67 to move into a tie for 12th at 4 under. "I need to be 5 or 6 under to really make a move," said the 50-year-old Couples, sixth last week in the Masters. "I don't know what I need to shoot tomorrow - 8 under - to be there. I need a hot round and I've had few of them this year."

Tom Kite (67) was fourth at 7 under, and defending champion Nick Price (70) was another stroke back along with Keith Fergus (68) and Dan Forsman (66).

Tom Watson, the 2007 and 2008 winner, was 5 under after a 70. A one-stroke winner over Couples in the season-opening event in Hawaii, the 60-year-old Watson tied for 18th in the Masters. Hal Sutton (67) and Tom Pernice Jr. (70) also were 5 under.

O'Meara is winless on the Champions Tour after winning 16 times on the PGA Tour.

"I want to win. There's no question about it," O'Meara said. "It's been a while. Second's nice, but I've had enough seconds. I don't want anymore. ... Bernhard is out there playing well and he's always a force. I've probably got to shoot 4 under or better tomorrow to have a chance and hopefully get over the hurdle."

Couples says he’ll play practice round with WoodsMagee, Galaxy set for rematch with RSL

Masters champ Mickelson joining Tiger in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Phil Mickelson will be right there when Tiger Woods tees it up again.

This time, the two will square off at the Quail Hollow Championship.

A day after Woods announced that the Charlotte event will be his second tournament since his return from a sex scandal, Masters champion Mickelson committed to play on Friday. The tournament begins April 29 at Quail Hollow Club. Mickelson edged Woods and the rest of the field on Sunday to win his third title at Augusta National.

"Phil has been a very positive ambassador of our tournament for many years now and we are excited to have him back in Charlotte," tournament director Kym Hougham said.

Woods finished tied for fourth at the Masters in his first competition since a shocking infidelity scandal. His first sanctioned PGA Tour event will include not only the world's two highest-ranked golfers, but also No. 4 Lee Westwood, No. 6 Jim Furyk and No. 10 Padraig Harrington.

Retief Goosen, Hunter Mahan, Kenny Perry and defending champion Sean O'Hair have also committed ahead of the April 23 deadline.

Mickelson has played at Quail Hollow five times. He hasn't won, but has four top-10 finishes, including a tie for fifth last year. Woods finished fourth in the event in 2009 and won it two years earlier.

Ticket sales have picked up since Woods' announcement. The tournament announced that second-round daily tickets sold out Friday, a day after third-round tickets were sold out.

The Sideline: Is threat of terrorist attack on South Africa for real?Tiger Woods to play in two weeks at Charlotte event

Tiger Woods to play in two weeks at Charlotte event

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Out of golf for five months until the Masters, Tiger Woods is waiting only two weeks to tee it up again.

Woods announced Thursday he will play the Quail Hollow Championship, which begins April 29. It will be his first time playing at a tournament where tickets are sold to the general public since his spectacular downfall from a sex scandal.

Woods tied for fourth last week at the Masters, which has the most controlled gallery in golf. Weekly badges are secured months in advance, and fans fear losing them if caught showing poor etiquette. Woods received warm applause when he teed off in the first round, and the support was steady throughout the week.

Kym Hougham, tournament director for the Charlotte event, said they've been preparing for Woods' possible participation for some time, and will need to make only slight tweaks with security plans.

Hougham doesn't expect Woods to run into problems from hecklers at Quail Hollow Club.

"I think our crowds are very respectful and they always have been. The players have always told us that," Hougham said. "If there is inappropriate behavior, we'll act on it swiftly. I'm sure that if Tiger didn't feel we could handle it he wouldn't be coming here."

The early commitment was a sign that Woods plans to be helpful to the promotion of tournaments. He had been criticized over the years for waiting until the last day to announce he was playing, except for tournaments to which he had a sponsorship connection.

The commitment deadline for Quail Hollow is April 23.

"It's going to be a huge benefit for the people who have been waiting to buy tickets," Hougham said. "Ironically, our Saturday daily tickets sold out yesterday. Friday and Sunday are not far behind, so this will probably put us over the top, which we're excited about. The economy has made people change their buying habits and people are waiting longer."

Woods has played the Quail Hollow Championship four times, winning in 2007. He finished fourth last year, two shots behind Sean O'Hair.

But his return will be unlike his other visits after his Nov. 27 car crash near his home led to salacious details about his infidelity.

Tournament media director Lee Patterson said the media credential request deadline was April 2, and there were at 72 outlets on Thursday. Patterson said they'll make room for reporters with PGA Tour national badges.

What about others, such as celebrity magazines and tabloids?

"We'll try the best we can," he said. "At some point, I'll be maxed out."

It's uncertain what Woods' pre-tournament plans will be, and how often he'll be available to the media.

Last year, Woods spoke to reporters in Charlotte after playing in the Wednesday pro-am with Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. He has also played a pro-am round with Michael Jordan.

Woods held his first press conference since the scandal on April 5, during Masters week, and revealed he had five stitches in his lip from the SUV accident that preceded the tales of his womanizing, and that he had a torn Achilles' heel last year.

He also held a press conference after each of his two opening rounds at Augusta National, although the questions by then were geared mainly toward his golf and the tournament.

Woods opened with a 68 - the first time he had ever broken 70 in the first round of the Masters - and remained in the picture until he made three bogeys in five holes to start the final round. Despite two eagles, he never caught up to Phil Mickelson and finished five shots behind.

Woods said after the tournament he was going to take some times to evaluate before deciding on his next event.

"One day I heard he was coming, then one day I heard he wasn't coming," said Hougham, who attended the Masters. "It really didn't matter to us at that point because we had to plan as if he was. Then if he didn't come we wouldn't have to implement a few things.

"We're happy he let us know this far in advance. We never had this much notice. It's great for the city of Charlotte. Ticket sales I'm sure will increase now."

The Sideline: Is threat of terrorist attack on South Africa for real?Couples says he’ll play practice round with Woods

Kelly aces No. 4 at Hilton Head -- again

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Jerry Kelly aced the fourth hole at Harbour Town Golf Links, the second time since 2007 he's gotten a hole-in-one there during the Verizon Heritage.

Kelly was among the early competitors Thursday when he came to the 193-yard, par 3, fourth hole. He hit a 4-iron that ended in the cup.

Kelly did the same thing during the third round in 2007, also using a 4-iron for the ace. That moved him into a tie for the lead with Ernie Els. Kelly eventually finished eighth behind champion Boo Weekley.

It's Kelly's third ace during PGA Tour competition.

Chivas USA still tinkering with formationCouples comes up short in bid for second green jacket

More than a quarter-century after his first moment in the sun, long-shot Jim Roy is an elite pro golfer again

For a guy who made it through both PGA Tour and Champions Tour Q-Schools on his first try, Jim Roy has had a testing journey in golf. The 2010 Champions Tour rookie, who earned the final exempt senior-circuit spot by winning a three-way playoff with a first-hole birdie, appreciates his newfound status all the more for beating such long odds.

Born and raised in Syracuse, N.Y., Roy grew up loving all sports, especially baseball. His father, a State Supreme Court judge for 35 years before retiring, has multiple sclerosis and was no longer able to walk by the time Jim was born; it was Roy's mother who introduced her son to golf. Though Roy grew up next to a Donald Ross course, Bellevue Country Club, he didn't play seriously until age 15.

When it came time for college, Roy called University of South Florida golf coach Bob Shiver on a friend's recommendation. Shiver told Roy he was welcome to come visit but that there were no scholarships available. Undaunted, Roy made the trip and played nine holes with USF star Beau Baugh, who later played several seasons on the PGA Tour.

"Beau went in and told the coach, 'This kid is pretty good, you should get him to come down here,' " Roy recalls. "Coach told me if I could make the top five [players], he'd get me some scholarship money starting the following semester, and that's what I did."

Roy won a few college tournaments at USF and after graduation in 1982 decided to try PGA Tour Q-School that fall. He aced it, surviving famed and feared TPC Sawgrass in the final stage. But his rookie PGA Tour season proved his only one.

"I played 27 events and missed 11 cuts by one shot," says Roy. "I was close to doing alright, but I lost my Tour card and never got it back."

It wasn't for lack of trying — Roy made nine return trips to Q School. Still, in those pre-Nationwide Tour days, Roy had to make a living outside of golf. He got involved in the mortgage business back in Syracuse, married, and began a family. Later, Roy became a stockbroker before ultimately rejoining his in-laws' real-estate business in management and commercial capacities.

In 1993, Roy applied to the USGA to regain his amateur status and, after a probation period, returned to competitive amateur golf in 1996. He had always kept himself in good condition. "And I love practicing," he says. "In fact, I tend to over-practice." Coaching his three kids — two of whom are now college golfers — also helped keep his game sharp. Roy went on to win four New York State Mid-Am titles and qualify for six U.S. Amateurs.

As he approached age 50, the question became: Did he want to try top-tier golf again?

"I didn't know if I was good enough, and I wasn't 100 percent sure I even wanted to do it — all that travel," Roy says. "It was my wife and kids who said, 'What have you got to lose? Give it a shot!' "

He also found inspiration in the example of his parents. In addition to his father's longtime battle with MS, his mother is a cancer survivor — as Jim himself is after a thankfully brief bout with prostate cancer five years ago. Upon making the 7-foot birdie putt to make the Champions Tour, "I thought, 'Holy mackerel! I can't believe this actually just happened,' " Roy says. "I couldn't wait to call my wife, Cheryl. There were more than 30 people who'd shown up at the house, unannounced, just to follow the final round on the computer. My kids were going crazy. I couldn't wait to share it with all the people that were rooting for me."

Now, in his second shot at rookie success, Roy faces the same issue he did last time, 27 years ago.

"I'm still trying to accomplish the same thing," says Roy. "Play my own game, and trust it will be good enough. That's the best advice I've ever got, though it's easier said than done. Golf can frustrate the heck out of you, but I just love it so much."

Nudist disrupts play at Andalucia OpenFCD rookie Loyd pleased with his debut

What's next for Tiger?

So Tiger Woods has returned and appears to be no worse for the wear. His game is unchanged by scandal and, at least when he has a club in his hands, his mind is clear and focused. One question remains though: What comes next?

Tiger answered some questions during his sit-down with the media on the Monday before the Masters, and while he seemed remorseful and sincere, he revealed no specific plans about his future other than to say that he would follow the path of Buddhism. Buddha did not win 18 majors, but as it turns out he knew a thing or two about karma, and it's time Tiger started thinking about his own.

Twenty years from now what will be the first thing that comes to mind when Tiger Woods is mentioned — his record or his recklessness? If he wants it to be the golf, and I'm certain he does, he needs to begin making amends. He can do that by committing to tournaments earlier than the deadline, hitting a few new events every now and then and playing practice rounds a little later than sunrise so fans without insomnia might get a chance to see him in the lighter mood of a Tuesday.

Small things all, but they would go a long way toward showing the world that he cares about more than breaking Jack Nicklaus's record for winning majors. Mind you, Tiger doesn't need to do these things, but if he cares at all about his legacy, considering the plight of fans and tournament sponsors is as good a place as any to start.

FCD rookie Loyd pleased with his debutCouples says he’ll play practice round with Woods

Couples comes up short in bid for second green jacket

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Fred Couples couldn't get the break he did in 1992.

Knowing he needed to be aggressive to have any chance at catching Phil Mickelson, Couples tried to stuff an 8-iron right at the pin on No. 12. But he hit it poorly, and the ball tumbled down the slope in front of the green. He was in almost the exact same spot when he won in 1992, but that ball hung up in the grass.

This one trickled into the water - effectively ending any chance the 50-year-old had at becoming the oldest winner at Augusta National.

"That took a lot of steam out," Couples said.

He would birdie his next two holes, and finished sixth, seven strokes behind Mickelson at 279.

"I finished well and I had a great week," Couples said. "I have a game that's suited to this course and what it means right now is I'm really disappointed in a few shots, but at the same time I'm glad to finish it out. So that's pretty good for me."

It was a good week for Couples.

After missing the cut the last two years, he looked an awful lot like the "Boom Boom" of old, shooting a 66 on Thursday to become the oldest player to hold the outright lead after the opening round of this tournament. A rough finish Friday appeared to take him out of contention, but he came back with a 68 on Saturday that left him five strokes behind third-round leader Lee Westwood.

"This is my all-time favorite spot," Couples said. "I had a great time."

CLOSE CALL: K.J. Choi got one of the last spots at the Masters, and he made the most of it.

Choi, who only earned a trip to Augusta National three weeks ago with second place at the Transitions Championship, tied for fourth Sunday, finishing five shots behind Phil Mickelson. Add in PGA champion Y.E. Yang, who tied for eighth, and South Korea had two players in the top 10.

"In the past, the mindset of the Asian players was that when it comes to the Masters, there was a fear factor there, that we can't do it," Choi said. "But now I hope that this gives motivation for the younger players, other players, that they can do it at big tournaments like the Masters."

Choi was actually even with Mickelson after a birdie on the 10th hole. But he unraveled on the 13th, a hole where he had made birdie the previous three rounds. From the fairway, he tugged his approach into the back bunker, leaving him a frightening shot down a steep slope toward Rae's Creek.

He barely got it out of the sand, then three-putted for a bogey. Another bogey followed on the 14th.

This is the second time Choi was involved in a back-nine shootout at Augusta National, finishing third in 2004.

"It was exciting like 2004," Choi said. "Only this year I think it was, on a personal level, it was better for me because my playing level has improved a lot compared to 2004. So I'm more satisfied."

Not even playing all four rounds with Tiger Woods could faze him. This was the first tournament Woods had played since the sex scandal that made him tabloid fodder and the butt of late-night jokes, and all eyes were on him.

"I think we're playing the Monday qualifier for Hilton Head tomorrow," Woods joked. "No, it was a fun week. We have always had fun playing, with and against each other, and this was no exception."

COME ON BACK, Y'ALL: Nick Watney's 65 matched the low round of the Masters.

Got him an invitation back for next year, too.

The top 16 and ties automatically qualify for next year's Masters, and Watney finished alone in seventh place.

"It's always nice to nail down an invitation," said Watney, who began the day tied for 16th. "I felt like if I played a good round that would take care of itself. Then once I got off to a good start I just kind of wanted to keep it going and kind of ignored all the, tried not to get too lost in the moment. But it's definitely nice to have an invitation back here next year."

Also earning return trips were Lee Westwood; Anthony Kim; K.J. Choi; Hunter Mahan; Ricky Barnes; Ian Poulter; Miguel Angel Jimenez; Jerry Kelly; Ryan Moore; David Toms and Steve Marino. Winner Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Fred Couples and Trevor Immelman were already exempt as past champions.

EAGLE-EYED: There were 34 eagles at this Masters, three shy of the tournament record set in 1991.

No. 15 produced the most, with 15. That's three shy of the record for a single hole, also set on 15 and also in 1991. There were 10 on No. 13, three on No. 2 and two each on the seventh and 16th holes. There was one apiece on No. 8 and 14 - the one on 14 coming Saturday when winner Phil Mickelson holed out from the fairway.

Mickelson had also had an eagle on 13 Saturday, joining Dan Pohl (1982) and Dustin Johnson (2009) as the only players to make them on consecutive holes.

And Tiger Woods made four eagles, equaling the individual record for a single tournament.

"There's a lot going on," said Fred Couples, who eagled 15 on Saturday. "We haven't really had this course, since they lengthened it, this dry and fast. So a lot of the holes are a little shorter than they normally are, which helps."

ONE TAKE: Nathan Green and Ryan Moore have a place in Masters history.

Some nice crystal, too.

Green and Moore each aced the 170-yard 16th Sunday, only the second time there have been two holes-in-one in the same round at Augusta National. Padraig Harrington and Kirk Triplett did it in 2004 - playing in the same group, no less.

"It was disbelief a little bit at first," Moore said. "I'm watching it, you can kind of see it and you hope your eyes aren't playing tricks on you. It's the loudest roar I've ever heard in my entire life - certainly for me."

The aces were the first at the Masters since Ian Poulter's in 2008, which also came on 16. Of the 21 holes in one at the Masters, most - 12 - have come on No. 16.

With the pin tucked tightly on the left edge of the green, the pond a few feet away, Green used a 6-iron, Moore a 7-iron. Both balls landed in the middle of the green, well below the cup, but curved toward the hole and rolled ever-so-slowly into the cup.

"It's a nice way to end the week," said Moore, who shot a 68 and finished at 2 under.

For Green, it was a little bright spot in what was otherwise a dismal week. The Australian finished last, failing to break par in his first trip to the Masters.

"If you're playing bad it's not that much fun," said Green, who shot 3-over 75 Sunday. "It's just a disappointing last two days in some respects. But sort of a good way to finish, I suppose."

Both receive a large crystal bowl for their efforts.

DIVOTS: Phil Mickelson played bogey-free on his way to his third green jacket. ... Angel Cabrera, last year's champion, finished in a tie for 18th at 1-under 287, 15 strokes behind Mickelson. ... Pre-tournament favorite Ernie Els closed with a 68 to finish tied for 18th at 1-under.

Couples pulls away for Champions Tour win

Mickelson's Masters win completes role reversal with Woods

The Phil people are delirious. The Tiger people are devastated.

The good guy, a green jacket draped comfortably over his open-collared polo, addresses an adoring crowd at sunset. The bad boy, who was last seen walking past the clubhouse in his no-longer-bulletproof red victory shirt, heads for home (wherever that is) to the yawns of a surfeited tabloid press.

The winner's family — the adoring wife, the two daughters, the mischievous son, the proud mother — wrap him in hugs and kisses. The third runner-up's wife and kids …. well, they're out there somewhere. Possibly on another continent.

Phil Mickelson's third Masters win is as emotionally satisfying as it gets, for obvious reasons. A cancer-battling wife. A cancer-battling mom. Three anxious kids. CBS commentator Jim Nantz practically tapped it in backhanded when he tagged Mickelson's tournament-winning putt with a sonorous, "That's a win for the family." But it was more than that, thanks to Tiger Woods's ragged, sometimes brilliant, but mostly desperate play on Sunday. It was a parable of comeuppance, a High-Def dispersion of just deserts.

For more than a decade, after all, Phil has been eating Tiger's dust. Before Sunday, his 37 PGA Tour wins and three major titles were compared unfavorably to Tiger's 71 and 14, respectively. Phil was famous for screwing up. (He hit the hospitality tent at Winged Foot! He yanked it into the ocean at Pebble Beach!) Tiger was lionized for buckling down. (He won by 12 at St. Andrews! He beat a U.S. Open field on a broken leg!)

Phil played low-percentage golf. Tiger always played it smart. Phil changed equipment companies on the eve of a Ryder Cup. Tiger made his equipment company adapt to him. Phil made millions. Tiger was said to be pushing a billion. On top of those indignities, you had the perception — encouraged by Woods — that Phil couldn't handle pressure. Who can forget the look of contempt that Tiger gave partner Phil eight years ago, when Lefty nearly yanked his tee shot out-of-bounds on the final hole of a Ryder Cup alternate-shot match.

If Tiger was steak, a columnist wrote, Phil was salad.

Well, that's no longer the case. Phil was the high-cholesteral golfer the past week, seizing the stage on Saturday afternoon with a three-hole, five-under-par stretch that Bobby Jones couldn't have imagined in his wildest dreams. Was Phil dangerously bold at times? Yes he was. His final-round 5-iron to the 13th green — snaked between two pines and plopped down a yard past the bank of Rae's Creek — was total Tin Cup madness. And it made you vibrate to your core, having been privileged to witness it.

It was the sort of shot we've come to expect from a charging Woods. And to be fair, the returned-from-tabloid-hell philanderer hit a number of Tigeresque shots during his four-birdie, two-eagle final round. Overall, however, Tiger looked like Mickelson at his most erratic, driving balls into adjoining fairways, playing pinball in the trees, and on the 14th green — mirabile dictu! — taking three putts of less than five feet in the space of fifteen seconds. Blame Tiger's frantic, lurchy swing on his five-month layoff if you like, but at least consider the possibility that he may never master the Hank Haney-authored swing drills he has been practicing for years.

But if swings are hard to master, relationships can be that much tougher. The pre-scandal Woods seemed to understand that. He set up house with a photogenic blonde, just like Phil. He fathered a couple of adorable kids, just like Phil. He looked for his loved ones in the crowd after sinking the winning putt, just like Phil.

But that's where Tiger drew the line. He craved a different kind of intimacy.

That's why, at the end of the day, it's the sight of the emotional Mickelson, locked in a never-ending embrace with his plucky wife, that drives home the point.

Phil's got it all. Tiger's got nothing.

Tiger tees off at Augusta, trailing leaders by 2

Couples can't duplicate magic from first round

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Life at the top of the leaderboard was sweet and short for Fred Couples at the Masters.

He three-putted 16. He three-putted 17. A misclub on 18 made it three bogeys in a row Friday, and Couples found himself sliding out of contention. A 75 left him at 3 under, five strokes behind Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood.

"I needed to be at five, six under, to be realistic," Couples said. "I'm not out of it, but 75 is not a great score."

The 50-year-old is playing some of his best golf in years, and his 66 on Thursday made him the oldest player to hold the outright lead after the opening round of this tournament. He plays Augusta National as well as anyone - he and Gary Player hold the record with 23 consecutive cuts made - and if there's one graying guy in the field whom fans would enjoy seeing in another green jacket, it's him.

But Couples' creaky back acted up again Thursday night. By the next morning, he was hoping he wouldn't drop to last.

"I didn't think I'd be able to play very good at all today," he said.

The back loosened up, however. He chipped to within 3 feet for a birdie on the par-5 No. 2, moving to 7 under.

"I didn't feel good, but I got it around," Couples said.

He couldn't get the ball to go in the cup fast enough.

Birdie putts on 11, 12 and 13 wouldn't drop. He had the three-putt on 16. On 17, he actually had a birdie opportunity but knocked the putt 5 feet past the hole and couldn't make the comeback. Putting wasn't the problem on 18. He misclubbed his approach shot and wound up flying the green.

"It's not a whole lot of fun at the moment," Couples said. "I would have taken a 75 at 9:45 this morning. But I had the capability of shooting much better, and I didn't."

Scores didn't go as low in the afternoon as Couples feared, and another good round like Thursday could have him on the rise again. But he also knows that, at his age and with his back, there's no margin for error.

Not at the Masters. And certainly not against players like Poulter and Tiger Woods.

"Yesterday was a good day," Couples said. "Today was not so good."

Tiger tees off at Augusta, trailing leaders by 2

Tiger tees off at Augusta, trailing leaders by 2

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Masters co-leaders Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood have teed off at Augusta National, trying to hold off Tiger Woods.

The Englishmen start out at 8-under 136, both going for their first major championship. Woods teed off in the next-to-last group and immediately made up ground on those ahead of him, rolling in an 18-foot birdie putt to climb within one shot of the co-leaders.

It's another sunny, warm day at the Masters, with only a slight breeze and a course that appears to be set up for some low numbers. Heath Slocum shot a 5-under 31 on the front side. First-round leader Fred Couples started with two straight birdies and almost had three; an 8-footer for birdie at No. 3 slid by the cup.

Couples says he’ll play practice round with Woods

A transformed Watson carries Turnberry magic to opening round at Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tom Watson finally seems at peace. Over the years, I have probably written more than 100,000 words about Watson — the good fortune of being a sportswriter in Kansas City for a long time. I have chased him from golf course to golf course. I have seen him overjoyed and grumpy and most places in between. Anyway, I never thought of him being at peace before.

No, there was always a certain restlessness about Watson. I always thought it had something to do with the strange arc of his brilliant career. Watson was a late bloomer — he was not an especially good golfer at Stanford. He jumped on the PGA Tour, and he tore up his swing again and again as a young man. He never felt like he could hit the ball straight enough to compete with the best.

Then he found a swing that worked well enough, and for an eight-year stretch, 1977-1984, he was about as good as anybody, ever. He won seven major championships and 33 tournaments and six PGA Tour player of the Year awards, and three times he beat Jack Nicklaus, head-to-head, in one of the biggest tournaments in the world. It wasn't the swing that won tournaments for him, incidentally. It was his creativity around the greens, and his intense competitive nature, and one other thing: Watson was the boldest putter on earth. He slammed putt after putt at the hole because he knew, deeply knew, that if he missed he would make the putt coming back.

Then, just as quickly as it started, his dominance ended at age 35. He won just one tournament in the next 11 years, and he never won another major. The funny part is that he truly believes he did not learn how to really swing a golf club until after his dominance ended. He learned what he, like Ben Hogan, sometimes calls "The Secret." But by then, secret or no, those four-foot putts would no longer drop for him.

Because of that weird career narrative, I think Watson tends to get overlooked in the grand discussion of golf. When you hear people talk about the Golfing House of Lords — the greatest of the greats — they will usually throw out five names: Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer and Bobby Jones.

Then, there is a second group — a Golfing House of Commons, if you will — which will include Gary Player and Walter Hagen and Sam Snead and Gene Sarazen and Byron Nelson and, maybe, Nick Faldo and Lee Trevino and Seve Ballesteros and some others. This is where Tom Watson's name fits for people, but to be honest, people sometimes forget to put him here too. Watson's career was so odd, and his posture so Midwestern modest, that he has been easy to overlook. It is like he's golf's Stan Musial, another star of the heartland. Their greatness tends to get lost in the back of people's minds. When you bring them up, people will often say: "Oh yeah!"

But Watson is more than an "Oh Yeah" in golfing history. He belongs in Golf's House of Lords. He's one of the handful of greatest golfers to ever play this game. Take Thursday. This wasn't his day. Everybody understood, coming in, that Thursday belonged to Tiger Woods, playing in his first golf tournament since an all-encompassing sex scandal rocked his world and energized tabloid journalism. And The Tiger Woods Show sparkled. There would be planes flying Tiger-mocking banners overhead. There would be massive crowds cheering and holding back cheers. There would be ominous skies, two Tiger Woods eagles, howling wind, a few missed putts, Tiger's stirring round of 68 and a tornado watch, too.

There were other stories too on this great day — Fred Couples' sockless 66, Phil Mickelson's return to the top of the leaderboard and so on. And so, yet again, it was easy to overlook Tom Watson. All he did was shoot a bogey-free 67 at age 60. It matched the best Masters score of Watson's career. He shot 67 on Sunday in 1977, when he beat Nicklaus. He shot 67 in 1990, when he was trying desperately to find stuff that worked. And he shot 67 Thursday, when he was the oldest player in the field and he had his son Michael as caddie.

"Where would you place this in the best rounds you've played," he was asked.

"Tied for first," Watson said. "It's all about the score."

Only, maybe, this was about more than the score. I once asked Watson to tell me something about himself that would surprise me. He told me that he did not like playing golf on sunny days. It bored him. He craved wind. He needed a challenge. He longed for dare-to-be-great situations. When he first turned 50, he had mixed feelings about playing on the Senior Tour; he loved being around his old friends but he did not have the same feeling playing those tournaments. Trouble is, then he would come to Augusta and feel dwarfed by the course that he had once dominated. He missed 11 of 12 cuts. "I can't play here," he told us again and again. No, Watson did not seem happy at all to be growing older.

But, lately, something has changed. Maybe it was Turnberry. Watson, of course, created the golf story of 2009 when he went to Turnberry and played his heart out and came to the 18th hole needing only par to win the British Open at 59. He hit his second shot too flush, missed his par putt, and lost in a playoff. For a while, he saw that tournament as a failure. He did not win, and as everybody knows the whole point is winning.

Ernie Els tired of questions about Tiger Woods

Tiger's return highlights magical day at Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods came back from scandal, a months-long exile and a verbal spanking from the Masters Tournament chairman to shoot a four-under 68 that could've been even better.

He showed, after all the speculation and talk, that he is quite ready to challenge for a fifth Masters title. It was business as usual for Woods at Augusta, especially the way he dominated the par 5s, making eagles at Nos. 8 and 15, the first time he'd ever made two eagles in the same Masters round.

Tiger's long-awaited return would've been enough for any given Thursday, but there was more, so much more.

Fred Couples, age 50, shot six-under 66 to take the first-round lead. Tom Watson — sorry, make that The Legendary Tom Watson — wasn't all that far from shooting his age. The 60-year-old shot five-under 67. The rest of the leaderboard bore a resemblance to the world rankings: Phil Mickelson, Y.E. Yang, Lee Westwood and K.J. Choi were tied with Watson in second place at five under. Ian Poulter, Anthony Kim, Trevor Immelman, Adam Scott and Zach Johnson were among the big names a few shots back. That's serious starpower.

Two other over-50 players, Bernhard Langer (71) and Sandy Lyle (69), also broke par. Soft, receptive greens and forgiving pin locations offset windy afternoon conditions and led to a birdie-fest.

So the start of the 74th Masters featured Tiger's impressive return, big names and low scores. Somebody write this recipe down for the rest of the week along with these instructions: Repeat three more times.

Couples did his best to steal some of the spotlight from Woods. Fresh off three Champions Tour wins, Couples played like a man 20 years younger. He drove it straight and long, hit sharp irons and putted well. Amazing. What else can you say?

"It's just happening," Couples said. "Putting has become the best thing in my game. Then I can be more of an attack player. I'm not surprised but I'm thrilled. There's just something in the air that makes me feel like I'm going to play well when I come here."

Couples made seven birdies and made it look easy. He missed a short but hard-breaking birdie putt on the last hole, but his 66 was still the lowest score he's ever put up at Augusta National. His coolest play had to be saving par from the bushes left of the 10th green, where he bumped a 7-iron chip shot to three feet.

For a guy who played sockless (his comfy golf shoes feel like tennis shoes, and Fred says he never wears socks with his tennis shoes), it was quite a show.

Still, the remarkable run by Couples couldn't overshadow the sport's biggest day of 2010 — Tiger's return. You knew it was going to be special from the size of the gallery jammed around the first tee, waiting to catch a glimpse of Tiger for his 1:42 tee time. It's doubtful a bigger crowd has ever surrounded that tee.

You also knew it was going to be a unique day when an airplane began circling overhead at 1:30 p.m., moments after a wave of applause announced Tiger's walk from the clubhouse to the putting green. The plane pulled a large banner that read, "Tiger, did you mean bootyism?" The plane circled back around just as Woods got to the first tee. Woods said later that he never noticed the plane or its banner, but it would've been hard to miss.

For the record, Tiger busted a perfect drive down the middle of the first fairway, which by then had a yellowish tint from tiny tree droppings that were blown by gusty winds and covered the fairway. The assembled press corps tried unsuccessfully to describe them, but they're brown, about an inch long and kind of fluffy. Blossoms? Not exactly. But they were everywhere.

Woods tried to hit a careful cut with his driver on that first shot, just to make sure he got the ball in play. It worked so well that he did it most of the day. If he drives it this well for an extended period of time, he will be very tough to beat. Woods played a nice approach and just missed the birdie putt. For the record, his playing partners, Matt Kuchar (70) and K.J. Choi (67), did just fine despite the crowds.

At the par-5 second, his 5-wood second shot came up short and right, and he tried to use the new backstop on the redesigned second green to get his flop shot close. His ball carried a few feet too far — a little rust? — and the ball didn't catch the slope. That left him a slick downhill putt, and he settled for par.

He got his first tournament birdie of 2010 on the short par-4 third. Another perfect drive, followed by a low spinning approach shot that stopped inside four feet. He made the putt.

By this time, there was little doubt that Tiger's game was in fine form. He played a low 5-wood shot at No. 4, a 240-yard par 3, that was so good that it cut right through the wind and went just long. It was a dicey chip but no problem. Woods got it close and made par.

There were more classic Tiger moments. He hit it close in two at the eighth for an easy eagle. At nine, he was a bit more spectacular. His drive caught a branch down the left side of the fairway, leaving him blocked by trees. He sweep-hooked a 5-iron shot around the trees and landed the ball just in front of the green. It ran to the back fringe, where it caught the slope and backed up toward the cup. He holed the 10-footer for an unlikely birdie — well, unlikely unless you're Tiger Woods.

You'll see the replay of that shot over and over this week. After he hit it, Woods scissor-stepped to his right once, then four more times, then broke into a jog as he attempted to get a look at the result. It was vaguely reminiscent of Sergio Garcia's shot from behind a tree at Medinah in the 1999 PGA Championship.

"I was surprised it held the green," Woods said. "That was the first putt I made all day, just about."

He made two bogeys on the back nine, which negated some solid play and another eagle, this one from six feet at the 15th after he hit a massive tee shot. His eagle putt at the 13th power-lipped out, and he also had near misses at 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18, to name a few.

So forget about the five-month layoff. Look out for Mr. Woods.

"I'm very pleased, I hit it well all day," Woods said. "I had one loose shot on 14, then I made a sweet pitch and I should've made that putt. I didn't putt very well today or it could've been a pretty special round."

Most people would've thought a 68 after what Tiger has been through would qualify as a pretty special round, but he's right — it could've been lower.

"I was looking at all the scores; guys were tearing the course apart today," he said. "Most of the tees were up, especially on the par 5s, so if you drove the ball in the fairway, you could be pretty aggressive. You've got 30-some guys under par. I feel like I'm in the right spot, but there are so many guys up there, anybody can still win this event."

On this Thursday, Tiger answered the question. He is back. All the way back? We'll see.

At times, he did live up to his pledge to be a kinder, gentler, more fan-friendly player. He smiled and waved after he made that birdie putt at the ninth, mouthed "Thank you" to the gallery, and tipped his cap while adjusting it. He had a few tantrums, but they were minor compared to what we've seen from him in the past.

At the 11th, he didn't like his tee shot and slammed the driver head into the ground and uttered an audible "God-----t!" When he pulled his approach shot badly at the 14th, he simply let his club drop from his hands after his follow through and chided himself, "Noo!" His celebrations were subdued, too, but Tiger doesn't normally go wild in the first round. The tournament isn't at stake yet. There's no one to intimidate or scare yet. No need for theatrics.

Woods wasn't going to let on that this was anything but just another day at the office.

"It felt normal," he said. "I was pretty calm all day. I was just trying to plod along and not throw away shots."

He's wrong about it feeling like a normal Thursday at the Masters. There was Tiger. Watson. Phil. Fred. Airplanes with banners. Ovations for Tiger at tee boxes and along fairways. Birdies and eagles. It was anything but a normal Thursday. It was a day to remember.

Couples says he’ll play practice round with Woods

Augusta chairman says Woods 'disappointed all of us'

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Every year, on the eve of the Masters, a tradition unfolds in the Augusta National press center.

The club's chairman sits before the media and tackles questions ranging from practice facilities ("Four hundred yards long," chairman Billy Payne offered of the new range) to the makeup of the membership ("Subject to the private deliberations of the members," he said).

On Wednesday, after rattling off a number of changes to the tournament in his opening remarks, Payne took on the topic that has shadowed the Masters like no other: the return of Tiger Woods.

"We are aware of the significance this week to a very special player," Payne began. "As he ascended in our rankings of the world's great golfers, he became an example to our kids that success is directly attributable to hard work and effort.

"But as he now says himself, he forgot in the process to remember that with fame and fortune comes responsibility, not invisibility. It is not simply the degree of his conduct that is so egregious here; it is the fact that he disappointed all of us, and more importantly, our kids and our grandkids. Our hero did not live up to the expectations of the role model we saw for our children."

The room was silent as Payne continued.

"Is there a way forward?" he said. "I hope yes, I think yes. But certainly his future will never again be measured only by his performance against par, but measured by the sincerity of his efforts to change. I hope he now realizes that every kid he passes on the course wants his swing, but would settle for his smile."

Payne's words were a reminder that Woods's admitted infidelity did not go unnoticed inside the club's gates. Not only will the golf world be watching the level of Woods's play Thursday, when he competes for the first time since November, but also his comportment on and off the course. Payne said Woods had "clearly and emphatically" proved his game worthy of Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, but that his job was not finished there.

"I hope [Woods] can come to understand that life's greatest rewards are reserved for those who bring joy to the lives of other people," Payne said. "We at Augusta hope and pray that our great champion will begin his new life here tomorrow in a positive, hopeful and constructive manner, but this time, with a significant difference from the past."

Payne and Woods were present at the Tuesday night Champions dinner in the Augusta National clubhouse.

"I had a conversation with him," Payne said, "but I don't want to go into detail about what it was."

Payne addressed several issues during the session — from Nicklaus joining Palmer as an honorary starter to a new pin position on the front right portion of the par-5 15th hole — but the specter of Woods hovered over the conversation. Among the photographs in the interview room was a picture of Woods being greeted with a green jacket from Nick Faldo in 1997, when Woods won by 12 shots.

"This year, it will not be just for him," Payne said of Woods's return, "but for all of us who believe in second chances."

Palmer thinks Woods should open up