April 8. That is the return date Tigers Woods has set for his return to professional golf.
By itself, that would be a huge day in sports. But combine the fact that Woods' first tournament is the Masters, we are now looking at a whole new stratosphere of interest.
Many figured Woods would choose a minor tournament such as the Tavistock Cup or the Arnold Palmer Invitational to make his return. But for Woods, who long ago became bigger than the PGA, the Masters is the perfect stage for him to make his first public appearance with a club in his hand.
"The Masters is where I won my first major and I view this tournament with great respect," Woods said in a statement. "After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I'm ready to start my season at Augusta. "The major championships have always been a special focus in my career and, as a professional, I think Augusta is where I need to be, even though it's been a while since I last played."
Woods has not played in a PGA tour event since he wrecked his car Thanksgiving night in front of his house. The incident led to the revelation that he has been involved in multiple affairs throughout his married life.
Since that night, Woods' life on and of the course has been under a constant microscope. Everything from whether he will get a divorce to if he will ever play golf again has been the center of a media firestorm.
Woods took steps to calm the storm down when he made public announcement last month where he admitted to cheating on his wife and that he would play golf again, someday. At the time he didn't know when. At least that question has been answered.
In 1997 when Tiger won his first of 14 major titles at the Masters, it was the biggest moment to hit the sports world in the past 50 years. But his return to the Masters' this time could be an even bigger event.
It will not mean more in terms of historical context and it will be forgotten by next year. However, the interest Woods' scandal created around the globe could make the Master's the most watched sporting event of the year. That includes the Super Bowl, NBA Finals and World Series.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated CBS News and Sports President Sean McManus saw this moment coming before Woods' announcement.
"I think the first tournament Tiger Woods plays again, wherever it is, will be the biggest media event other than the Obama inauguration in the past 10 or 15 years," McManus said. "It is hard to overestimate how much interest there will be. Tiger Woods is the most famous, most recognized, most accomplished athlete in the world, and his celebrity and prominence is even larger than it was. When you look at the fact that he gave a very simple press statement with no questions and every broadcast and cable news network in America carried it with great interest, I think that is an indication that whatever he does has enormous interest. And whatever he does on the golf course for the first time since Thanksgiving will be of interest to almost every man and women in this country."
As it happens, the Masters will be televised on CBS.
I'm sure officials at the Masters will do their best to try and control the environment for Woods' return. But there is no telling what type of response he will get from fans and the media.
Regardless of whether he wins or loses, Woods is set to make his return as the biggest athlete in the world. Whether that happens or not it will be up to him, on and off the course.
"I have undergone almost two months of inpatient therapy and I am continuing my treatment," Woods said. "Although I'm returning to competition, I still have a lot of work to do in my personal life."
