Myrtle Beach area fans ready to see Woods

Professional golf got a little more intriguing on Tuesday with Tiger Woods' announcement that he will return to competition at the Masters Tournament from April 8-11 at Augusta National Golf Club.

It will be Woods' first tournament since he won the Australian Masters in Melbourne on Nov. 15, and it is expected to be the first time he faces the media since an accident on Nov. 27 that was followed by an admission of infidelity.

Members of the Myrtle Beach golf industry and players vacationing on the Grand Strand say Woods' imminent return gives them a reason to follow happenings on the PGA Tour more intently.

"It's good for the game," said Charles Christner, a district judge in Pennsylvania's Westmoreland County who is on a golf vacation. "I don't think golf was as interesting whenever he wasn't there. I think it's going to be interesting to see how he reacts. He's always been a man who had tremendous strength mentally. This will be a true test of mettle for him. If he can overcome this and go back to where he was, it will be fantastic."

For many, golf has been missing something since Woods' self-imposed hiatus.

"A guy who performs at that level, the same level as [Ben] Hogan, [Jack] Nicklaus and [Arnold] Palmer, it's way better with him out there," said Gary Schaal of Murrells Inlet, a course owner and past president of the PGA of America, the organization of the nation's club professionals that annually stages the PGA Championship.

"The sponsors, the players, the tour, the fans, they probably want him back. So he's making a check mark there on that block. The big question is can he alter some behavior and make better choices in the future, and he probably can."

Woods' late father, Earl, an Army Green Beret, groomed him to dominate the game and be stronger mentally than any of his competitors. Woods, 33, has lived up to his father's prophecy with 71 PGA Tour wins, including 14 major championships in pursuit of Nicklaus' record 18.

"This is the strain that was never put on him, the one his father didn't project or prepare him for," Christner said. "I think he should come back, and I think he should hold his head up and try to be where he was once before."

Dave Downing of Myrtle Beach, past president of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, believes Woods chose a good and calculated place for a return.

"The Masters would be where you would expect him to come back," said Downing, president of the Signature Golf Group. "I think he's coming back to an environment where he's comfortable and where he'll have a friendly media, and that will take away from the distractions. The media will be a golf media that's there for golf. And he knows the golf course so well it gives him a chance at success immediately."

While Woods has many detractors because of his deceitful and scandalous actions, he's also got a lot of golf fans pulling for him. "I think it's going to be a good step for him to get back on the course and maybe things will settle down for him a little bit personally," said Alan Parrish of Pittsburgh, who played at Myrtlewood Golf Club on Tuesday. "I hope he can put his life together."

Woods has been receiving in-patient counseling for his troubles - reportedly at a clinic for sex addicts - and is still working on repairing his marriage and improving his character. He acknowledged in a release on his Web site Tuesday that he still has a lot of work to do in his personal life.

"My only question would be can he do all the things he said he was going to do to earn back the respect ... of his family and the fans and still play golf?" Schaal asked. "I would make the point that maybe he's that good that he's working extremely hard on mending and creating some character and working on better life choices, and maybe he can make birdies while he does that."

How others react to Woods will be part of the intrigue upon his return.

"It will be interesting to see how the world reacts, it will be interesting to see how the players react and it will be interesting to see if he has any rust," Downing said. "If there's anybody that could come out and win right away, I think it's Tiger."

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