Speaking on Saturday at the WGC-CA Championship, Steve Stricker, who is friends with Tiger but hasn’t spoken with him since the scandal broke, acknowledged it would be strange for Tiger to return at The Masters and implied it would divert attention from the tournament. ESPN’s Bob Harig reports:

“Hopefully he comes back before that,” Stricker said at the Doral Resort. “You’d think as a player, being gone for so long, he’d want to come back before that.” “It’s going to be hard for him to not only worry about playing but all the hype. It’s going to be intensified even more so than it has been. That’s why I thought he’d come back for a tournament or two before that to get some of that put aside before Augusta.”

“Whenever he comes back it’s going to draw a lot of attention to that tournament and the focus is going to be on him coming back. I don’t know if Augusta would like that to happen, you know? To turn it into Tiger’s comeback instead of the Masters Tournament itself.”

In other words, show some respect for your fellow players and the tournament — don’t be selfish, Tiger.

[Photo by Harry How/Getty Images]

After the flurry of various reports citing several unnamed sources by the NY Post and the AP speculating on Tiger’s return date, yet another one has emerged. Once again, an unidentified source told ESPN.com “no final decision has been made” with regards to his schedule.

I believe this. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Team Tiger is deliberately feeding misguided information to the media. You know, just to mess with all the people he felt wronged him.

But if Tiger is seriously working on repairing his marriage, the longer he stays out, the better. Otherwise, his pledge to become a better husband and person is just as phony as his former impeccable image.

Can anyone see Tiger sitting out The Masters, though? If he does, it might be the most telling indication he’s serious about changing. In other words, he’s focusing on therapy and his family life.

Anyhow, even if it’s pointless, we’ll keep playing the guessing game because we can’t help it, and I care when he returns to golf. I want to see him play again, so we can move on from the sex scandal and talk about what he does best — achieve what’s seemed like the humanly impossible on the links. But for now it appears like the joke’s on us.

After the NY Post reported that Tiger would likely play at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, two sources told the Associated Press he would stay out of golf until at least The Masters:

The two people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because only Woods is supposed to release such information, say he is likely to play first at Augusta National in April.

And I had my hopes set so high on the Tavistock Cup! I can almost hear the officials at Augusta cheering with excitement when alerted their sacred grounds will turn into a circus side show.

Since the strange unfolding of events after the car crash on November 27, we’ve wondered why Tiger didn’t recruit a PR-savvy guru to help handle the fallout. Well, now, the NY Post is reporting that he’s (finally) hired Ari Fleischer, former presidential adviser to George W. Bush, to devise a plan for his comeback to golf at the Arnold Palmer Invitational:

“They were in his living room this week going over a strategy for how to handle Bay Hill in two weeks,” one source told The Post.

The other source told The Post, “I would be shocked if he didn’t play the Arnold Palmer.”

Since Tiger announced his indefinite leave, many have pinned Bay Hill as the logical date for his return (prep for The Masters, which no one can imagine he’d miss).

The Post also says Palmer has told “close confidants that Woods is definitely playing Bay Hill.” Meanwhile, longtime buddy and fellow Isleworth resident Mark O’Meara declared to the Golf Channel he “wouldn’t be surprised” if Tiger came back at the Tavistock Cup, the two-day exhibition matches which pits pros from Isleworth against the neighboring Lake Nona club.

Back to the curious decision to hire Fleischer who established Ari Fleischer Sports Communications in 2008. He was brought on by Mark McGwire to help repair the shunned hitter’s image after the steroid scandal in 2005. And that obviously went really well. Among Fleischer’s other clients are the NFL, the MLB and, of course, the oft-mocked BCS.

But more important, does this mean we finally know Tiger’s political affiliation?

Even though Tiger Woods isn’t playing in this week’s WGC-CA Championship, he’s still managing to make a presence. On Monday a source close to him told the Golf Channel that Tiger was working with swing coach Hank Haney last weekend at Isleworth, the gated community where Tiger lives. It was also reported it’s the hardest Tiger has worked on his swing since before the unfortunate car “crash’ in November.

Last week Charles Howell III and J.B. Holmes independently stumbled upon him hitting balls and gave shining reviews of his game.

Then on Tuesday, Mark Steinberg, Tiger’s agent, just happened to pop by Doral Golf Resort. (No word yet whether he chatted about the location of the cave where Tiger was hiding during those long winter months.) Steinberg doesn’t have any clients playing in the event either. But who knows, perhaps he just wanted to say hello to some old friends and scout out new clients (surely players are jumping on that thought!).

Meanwhile, Doug Ferguson reported that the PGA Tour has been notifying officials at every tournament between now and The Masters to make preparations for Tiger’s return:

“We’ve not indicated that we have inside knowledge,” [PGA Tour spokesperson Ty] Votaw said. “We just want them to be aware so they’re not scrambling.”

Best be safe! But of those three events, historically, Tiger only plays the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. That said, I’ve heard there are other solutions to preparing for the inevitable circus — I mean, would it really be too much to ask for Tiger to notify the necessary parties with ample time (he’s known to commit to tournaments at, like, 4:59PM the Friday before)? It sure would help save millions of dollars in wasted resources. I don’t know much about the Twelve Steps, but I’m assuming “Consideration” falls under one of them.

Now that Tiger Woods is finished with his reported rehab stint at a facility outside of Scottsdale, Arizona, everyone is wondering when he’s returning to competition. He’s been spotted tuning up his game on the range at Isleworth Country Club. Charles Howell III ran into him on Tuesday and J.B. Holmes did, too, on Wednesday — both reported his game was looking sharp.

Asked when he surmises Tiger to come back, Jack Nicklaus, who played in the Honda Classic Pro-Am, bets on a tune-up event before The Masters:

It would surprise me if he didn’t [play]. Oh yeah, I can’t imagine in a hundred years he is going to miss Augusta. I’ve been very non-committal about everything because it’s none of my business. My guess is as a golfer he’s going to want to try and play Augusta if he has his other things in order. I suspect he will play something before Augusta, and I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t play before Augusta.

Which makes everyone look toward the week of March 22 for the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, which Tiger won last year and five other times. Oh, let’s not forget there’s the Tavistock Cup, too.

I’m still digesting Tiger’s thirteen-and-a-half minute surreal statement, so please accept my preemptive apology for what I assume will be incoherent and incomplete thoughts.

Tiger walked out with bloodshot, teary eyes to a crowd that looked like they were there for an execution or a funeral, including his mortified mother. Was he peeling onions backstage? Or were those sincere emotions?

But I give him credit for standing up there and admitting guilt. It was clearly hard for him. Words like “selfish,” “irresponsible,” “foolish” and “embarrassed” were thrown around generously.

He read these words:

The issue involved here was my repeated irresponsible behavior.  I was unfaithful.  I had affairs.  I cheated.  What I did is not acceptable, and I am the only person to blame.

I stopped living by the core values that I was taught to believe in.  I knew my actions were wrong, but I convinced myself that normal rules didn’t apply.  I never thought about who I was hurting.  Instead, I thought only about myself.

I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me.  I felt I was entitled.  Thanks to money and fame, I didn’t have to go far to find them.

I was wrong.  I was foolish.  I don’t get to play by different rules.  The same boundaries that apply to everyone apply to me.  I brought this shame on myself.  I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother, my wife’s family, my friends, my foundation, and kids all around the world who admired me.

He spoke like a rigid robot with a hint of humanity. He stumbled over his words, got choked up and fought back tears. He looked frustrated, humiliated, apologetic and a little angry. But there was still a phony feel as he recited words from the script, especially in the controlled atmosphere.

Then he launched the blame-the-media portion of the program:

Some have written things about my family.  Despite the damage I have done, I still believe it is right to shield my family from the public spotlight.  They did not do these things; I did.

I feel bad for Elin and his children. And this was strange:

Part of following this path for me is Buddhism, which my mother taught me at a young age.  People probably don’t realize it, but I was raised a Buddhist, and I actively practiced my faith from childhood until I drifted away from it in recent years.  Buddhism teaches that a craving for things outside ourselves causes an unhappy and pointless search for security.  It teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint.  Obviously I lost track of what I was taught.

Huh? I assume that was a response to Brit Hume’s absurd advice when he suggested Tiger turn to Christianity for salvation because Buddhism doesn’t offer enough forgiveness and redemption. Or Tiger was just hitting a rehab talking point.

Now the I-didn’t-do-steroids-you-assholes part of the program:

Some people have made up things that never happened.  They said I used performance-enhancing drugs.  This is completely and utterly false.

I don’t remember anyone outright saying he actually used steroids — The NY Times article reported the doctor that treated him post-knee surgery was charged with prescribing patients with performance-enhancing drugs. Perhaps some made strong suggestions.

I credit him for admitting guilt. At times he seemed genuinely apologetic, but then the speech was strained and robotic.

As for golf, he left it open-ended, saying he’ll return when he’s ready — which surprised me. I thought for sure he’d be back for The Masters. So maybe he’s sincerely trying to change and work out his family life.

Whether or not Elin decides to stay with him is between the two of them. But he deserves another chance and forgiveness from the public, which I believe will come when he returns to golf and wins majors. But before that, he needs to answer the tough questions (not sordid details about his affairs). He needs to sit down with an interviewer and have a discussion.

Oh, the Sporting News Radio just called. My marathon begins. So I’ll leave it to you to discuss your reaction to this morning’s events. How do you grade Tiger’s scripted statement? Was he sincere?

Well, that’s to be determined. But finally, Tiger Woods will break his silence and address the public for the first time since the infamous car “accident” and sex scandal.

On Friday at 11AM EST, he will hold a press conference to apologize for his behavior, explain himself and discuss his future plans, according to Bloomberg:

“Tiger Woods will be speaking to a small group of friends, colleagues and close associates at the TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida,” the statement said. “Tiger plans to discuss his past and his future and he plans to apologize for his behavior.”

Woods has obviously taken some recovery steps, [agent Mark] Steinberg said in a telephone interview.

“Tiger feels as though it’s time to make amends and to publicly do that,” [Steinberg] said.

Naturally, Team Tiger has already commanded that he will not take questions from the “small pool of reporters” that will be present. Video cameras will not be permitted either, but it will be aired on the Golf Channel . So it appears Tiger is still trying to control the message, but hey, it’s about time given the rampant speculation over the past two and a half months. Most notable, it’ll be interesting how much Tiger will actually discuss. But it’s probably safe to assume he won’t be addressing certain sensitive issues, like the actual number of mistresses he had (or allegedly knocked up). Either way, it won’t be easy for him to face the media with his new identity and speak about his private life, which remained private for so long.

So will we see a stone-faced defiant Tiger or the never-before-seen emotional, remorseful Tiger? Given he’s taken “recovery steps,” perhaps we’ll see a vulnerable, emotional side of him that he’s never publicly revealed. Or, he’ll read a robotic speech and give some sort of non-explanation. You know, like, “I’m sorry for my behavior. I’ve sought treatment. I request no one bring this up ever again. See you at the Tavistock Cup and The Masters. “

But assuming he’s coming forward because he’s ready to return to golf, hopefully we’ll see he’ll break down and offer his sincere regrets for hurting his family and sponsors, and disappointing his fans. Shedding a real tear or two wouldn’t be the worst thing either — of course, only if it’s genuine.

Now does this mean he’s returning to competition? My guess is, yes. Otherwise, he probably would have stayed hidden behind the gates of Isleworth and posted another hollow statement on his website.

Finally, will Elin be standing by his side with a shiny new rock on her finger a la Kobe Bryant’s wife in his awkward presser?

Oh, the anticipation. The good news is, all signs point to Tiger’s return to the fairways.

*Update (5:00PM): More from Mark Steinberg: “Tiger plans to discuss his past and his future and he plans to apologize for his behavior. While Tiger feels that what happened is fundamentally a matter between he and his wife, he also recognizes that he has hurt a lot of people who were close to him.” Hmm…sounds like he’s pissed at the media and not genuinely sorry.

*Update (5:36PM): It’s also worth noting the timing of this announcement — the first day of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, the event sponsored by the company that was quick to drop him (for understandable reasons). With the Tiger news, it’s completely overshadowed the Match Play, which is pretty rude and selfish. There’s no doubt in my mind that it was intentional. Unless he’s playing next week, then why couldn’t he have waited until Monday? It seems like he’s reasserting command of the situation by striking back at those who he feels wronged him.

*Update (6:00PM): SI’s Alan Shipnuck tweeted: “Latest on TW soliloquy: wire service will be in the room and 3 “pool” reporters, chosen by Golf Writers Assoc. of Am. No ??’s will be asked.” I imagine the atmosphere will be…errr…very tense.

Apparently Tom Watson’s remarkable showing at the British Open last year — not to mention his lifetime of achievements — wasn’t good enough for the USGA to grant him a special exemption to play in the US Open at Pebble Beach just yet.

Doug Ferguson reports the USGA concluded its annual meeting ten days ago without handing out any special invitations:

“The decision was that our committee is going to look at it in April,” said Mike Davis, senior director of rules and competition. “They feel like if there’s any special exemption, they want to look at it closer to the time of the Open.”

Nick Price in 2005 was the last player to receive a special exemption to the U.S. Open. Watson would appear to be a logical choice.

Obviously, the 60-year-old Watson has shown he can still compete. We all remember his almost history-making performance at Turnberry, where only an eight-foot putt stood between him and becoming the oldest player to win a major. But placing second was pretty impressive. You know, especially when he can practically order from the senior citizen’s menu at Denny’s.

More recently, at last month’s Dubai Desert Classic, which is the fourth-strongest field in the professional ranks, he finished tied for eighth.

Don’t forget his amazing duel with Jack Nicklaus at the 1982 US Open at Pebble, where Watson chipped in on the 17th to take the lead and ultimately win. Now that would be a thrill to see him perform such mind-blowing heroics 28 years later — or at least to have a shot.

What’s the deal with the red tape, anyway? Adam Schupak offers this interesting bit:

Decisions regarding special exemptions generally are made around the time of the Masters, according to USGA spokesperson Rand Jerris. Some insiders tell me it’s a done deal and the USGA just waited for the end of Jim Vernon’s reign as president to avoid any implication of favoritism, because Vernon and Watson are old fraternity brothers.

Naturally, that’s the conclusion people would draw. I guess Watson will just have to wait until May for the official word.

[Photo by Richard Mackson/Getty Images]

According to TMZ, Tiger Woods and Tavistock Cup officials gathered at Tiger’s bungalow, adjacent to the Isleworth clubhouse, to chitchat about playing in next month’s exclusive exhibition match. The lavish two-day tournament pits PGA Tour players from Isleworth against the neighboring Lake Nona players.

The other week TMZ first proclaimed that Tiger would return to golf (and the pseudo-public eye) at the Tavistock Cup.

You know, initially it seemed preposterous, but the more I learn about the event, the more it seems logical. The fans only consist of members and VIP guests, all of whom will certainly be too proper to heckle. Assuming Elin has let him back in the house, he won’t have to leave the gated community and subject himself to the pesky paparazzi. And, of course, with the Golf Channel’s coverage, the most controversial topic they’ll bring up is whether or not his game looks rusty. Highly doubtful the commentators would dare to chat about this latest disturbing rumor. Most important, the officials will comply to his every demand, however absurd it might be. Hell, they’d probably let him play in boxer briefs if that were his style. Plus, the timing is close enough to The Masters to warm him up for the tournament that actually matters.

So you see, it makes perfect sense. That is, if Tiger plans to compete this year at all. But really, I can’t see him letting a year pass without taking a shot at getting closer to Jack Nicklaus’ majors record of 18. The only sure thing we’ve known all along about Tiger is that he cares about winning.

[Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images]