Costa del Sol Golf

A week that began with Phil Mickelson eyeing the top spot in the world rankings ended prematurely on Friday when he missed the cut by a significant margin at the Colonial Invitational.  

On an ideal day for scoring at Colonial Country Club, the American left-hander battled to a three-over-par 73 in the second round to languish near the bottom of the leaderboard.

Mickelson, who would have replaced Tiger Woods as world number one for the first time with victory this week, bogeyed three of his last seven holes to lie a distant six strokes off the projected cutline.

“I played terrible,” the four-times Major champion said after recording five bogeys and two birdies in calm, hot conditions. “The course is in great shape.

“There was no wind and there were a ton of birdies out there. And I didn’t make have many of them. I thought my game was sharper.

“This was a good barometer, though,” Mickelson said after posting a four-over total of 144. “This starts my run into the (June 17-20) U.S. Open. It tells me that I have a lot of work to do.”

Mickelson, who clinched his fourth Major at last month’s U.S. Masters, had not missed a cut on the US PGA Tour since last year’s Houston Open, a run of 21 events.

“I thought I was playing really well,” the world number two said. “I had some good practice sessions at home. As it turned out, I’m a little bit rustier than I thought.

“I didn’t drive it very well. I didn’t hit many good iron shots. I’ll get home, get some practice in and see if I can get this thing turned around.”

Mickelson, a short game magician, has produced a glittering career resume including 38 US Tour titles but he has never topped the world rankings.

Asked this week whether he was surprised the number one spot had eluded him since he turned professional in 1992, he replied: “I don’t know how to answer that.

“I would say 13 of those years were in Tiger years. It hasn’t been the easiest.”

Woods has been world number one for the last 259 weeks, and an overall total of 601

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Tiger Woods will return to the PGA Tour to defend his title at next week’s Memorial tournament in Dublin, Ohio.

 The 14-times Major champion has not competed since he was forced to withdraw from the final round of this month’s Players Championship in Florida because of neck pain.

“The doctors advised me to take a week off and rest, which I did,” Woods said in a statement.

“They prescribed physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medication and soft-tissue messages, which I’m continuing with.

“Although I’m not 100 percent, I feel much better and look forward to competing next week.”

Woods, committed to the June 17-20 US Open at Pebble Beach, said he resumed normal practice sessions last week after healing an inflamed facet joint.

The 14-times major champion is a four-times winner of the Memorial tournament which is hosted by Jack Nicklaus at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

Woods has, however, played only three events since returning from a self-imposed exile of five months following revelations about his marital infidelities at the end of last year.

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Nine holes of practice had seen five balls disappear into water, but when Tiger Woods spoke to reporters in Florida it was clear that the state of his game is not his major worry right now.

Four days after crashing to a 79 and missing the cut at Quail Hollow by an incredible eight shots, Woods looked and sounded thoroughly down as he tries to prepare for the £6.2million Players Championship, golf’s richest event.

Amid continuing reports that his Swedish wife is seeking a divorce over the sex scandal that rocked sport five months ago, the world number one admitted that his emotional turmoil is impacting on his golf.

“Absolutely,” said Woods, who has Ian Poulter as one of his two partners in the opening two rounds at Sawgrass and who could lose top spot in the rankings to Phil Mickelson if he is outside the first five on Sunday.

“I’ve had two different low moments. Obviously what I’m going through now and then my father’s death.”

This is the third event of his comeback. In the first he managed what many considered, given the circumstances, a brilliant fourth place in The Masters, but last week was arguably the worst of his career.

Invited to compare this return to golf to last year after an eight-month injury lay-off he replied: “This is more taxing certainly away from the golf course with paparazzi following me and all those kind of things.

“I didn’t have the distractions getting ready for events. You know, helicopters don’t normally fly over you on the range and kind of hover and film you.

“That wasn’t the case then, but that’s the case now.”

And when asked whether he was angry or surprised about the Sports Illustrated article in which nearly a quarter of players polled said they thought he had taken performance-enhancing drugs he answered: “After what’s happened in my life?

“Well, I haven’t taken it. I’ve never taken performance-enhancing drugs, never taken HGH (human growth hormone), never taken any of that stuff.

“But everyone is entitled to their opinion.”

As for how he is playing Woods added in spite of some of the evidence of his morning’s work: “It’s getting better, no doubt. It couldn’t get any worse.

“I don’t like missing cuts (he has only ever missed six as a professional and never two in a row) and it’s just one of those things where just a little bit of work, tighten things up a little bit and get refocused for this event.”

There are rumours that he and coach Hank Haney could be parting company, but on that he stated: “I’m still working with him.”

He was also categorical that the man advertising his “Grand Slam” irons on ebay for 250,000 does not have the real thing.

“They’re in my garage,” he said.

Because of how he played last week Woods is only joint favourite with Mickelson this time - and bookmakers William Hill’s think that has not happened since the 1996 Masters.

Because of how Rory McIlroy played last week - closing rounds of 66 and 62 to win his first US Tour title by four - he is listed as third favourite.

Woods is as impressed as anyone by the Northern Irishman, who turned 21 today.

“Rory hits it past me. I shrimp it out there now,” he said after praising not only McIlroy, but also 18-year-old Ryo Ishikawa for his 58 in Japan on Sunday.

“I think it’s how the game has evolved. With the advent of technology these kids are able to view their swings via a camera and make improvements so much faster and earlier.

“Their golf swings are so much better at an earlier age, even from when I grew up.”

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Organisers of July’s Open championship at St Andrews are in no doubt Tiger Woods will be present to try to become the first player ever to win three titles there.

The world number one, triumphant at the Home of Golf by eight shots in 2000 and by five in 2005, returned at The Masters three weeks ago after five months out because of a sex scandal.

Delighted by the reaction of the vast majority of fans at Augusta, Woods plays again in North Carolina this week and has already committed himself to next week’s Players Championship in Florida and June’s US Open at Pebble Beach.

He has not entered for The Open, but Royal and Ancient chief executive Peter Dawson said today: “Entries close on May 27 and in a normal year he would not have entered yet.

“I am absolutely certain he will be with us.”

This year is the 150th anniversary of the first Open and celebrations include a four-hole past champions challenge on the eve of the tournament.

Seve Ballesteros was the first to put himself down for that, but whether his health enables him to return to the scene of his 1984 victory remains to be seen. The Spanish star is still recovering from four brain operations after the discovery of a tumour.

Nick Price (family reasons), Johnny Miller (other commitments) and 89-year-old Australian Kel Nagle, winner on the Old Course in 1960 and the oldest living champion, have all declined their invitations.

Dawson is still waiting to hear, however, from Greg Norman and Jack Nicklaus. Norman has recently had shoulder surgery, but Nicklaus controversially said at Augusta he would only attend if the Royal Bank of Scotland, one of his sponsors, wanted him to.

There is still hope he will attend and Dawson pointed out that for those champions not competing in The Open itself travel and hotel costs are being picked up by the club.

Security arrangements for Woods are to be discussed with the police, as is always the case, and Dawson admitted he was glad Augusta National and not the R&A were “guinea pigs” in staging the player’s comeback.

“We will be watching what happens with Tiger and discussing the situation with the police,” he added. “We always act on their advice.

“The Masters had a major problem in having no idea what to expect. If we had been first we would have been scratching our heads.”

Prize money has yet to be announced and could be affected by what happens to the economy after next week’s election.

The winner’s cheque remained £750,000 last year and so there is little chance of the first £1million champion being crowned, as will be the case at Wimbledon this summer.

The biggest change to the Old Course comes at the famous 17th, where what is already by common consent the toughest hole in golf is being lengthened by 40 yards to 495 yards.

And this despite the fact it played to an average of 4.63 five years ago, 4.71 in 2000 and 4.79 when Ballesteros won 26 years ago.

That event was effectively decided by Tom Watson, chasing a record-equalling sixth Claret Jug at the time, firing a two-iron second shot over the green, over the road and up against the wall.

The championship committee has subsequently watched players using seven-irons or even less for their approaches in the annual Dunhill Links and wanted to make it more demanding.

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Phil Mickelson (lefty) wins the US Masters as once again Englands Lee Westwood stall’s at the main event.

Phil Mickelson became the thrill-maker once again, pouncing for a third Masters victory in seven years to leave Lee Westwood a nearly man once again.

Champion at Augusta in 2004 and 2006 and with a US PGA title in between, Mickelson put a dreadful start to the season behind him to win by three shots from the Englishman - with a 16 under par total of 272.

Westwood, unable to hold onto the last day lead, already had third place finishes in the US Open, Open and US PGA, but now he has come third, third and second in the last three majors.

A one under 71 was never likely to complete the job and, sure enough, Mickelson shot a bogey-free 67 - and then went into one of the longest televised hugs with wife Amy.

And no wonder. Last May she was diagnosed with breast cancer and her battle goes on. This was her first visit to a tournament since the diagnosis last May.

Although Tiger Woods equalled a Masters record with four eagles in his first tournament back for almost five months - two of them came in his rollercoaster closing 69 for joint fourth place - the headlines will go quite rightly to the left-hander.

It started as the week Woods came back to golf, but it ended as the week when Mickelson proved again he is the world number one’s biggest rival.

With a pink breast cancer badge in his cap to remind people of the battles both his wife and mother have been fighting, Mickelson captured his fourth major in scintillating fashion.

And two shots above all others will be replayed over and over when the story of this incredible week is retold.

First there was his eagle two on the 14th in the third round as he moved one behind Westwood entering the closing 18 holes.

But that was trumped by his second shot to the long 13th on Sunday.

One ahead of KJ Choi after the Korean had just taken a bogey six there, Mickelson hit his drive through the fairway into the trees and onto the pine straw.

In front of him was a gap of no more than four feet between two trunks, but in the manner for which he has become known Mickelson decided to go for the 200-yard shot over Rae’s Creek.

Spectacularly - even he showed that by raising his club in triumph and then punching the air - he hit it to four feet.

It warranted his third eagle of the week there, but although he missed the putt Choi bogeyed the 14th as well.

Westwood, though, matched Mickelson’s birdie to stay two back and still had hopes of making his 50th attempt to win a major the one when he finally broke through.

But the Worksop golfer, with third place finishes to his name in the US Open, Open and US PGA, could not match Mickelson’s two-putt birdie at the long 15th.

Westwood needed something special after that. He could not become the third player to hole-in-one at the 16th on the day, but he did birdie the 17th and Mickelson’s five-footer there was badly needed.

It gave him a two-shot lead rather than just on the final tee and once Westwood had missed his 25-foot birdie putt Mickelson holed from eight for a birdie which put the icing on the cake.

Mickelson commented: “It feels incredible. I could go on and on, so many reasons why, and it’s the most amazing feeling.

“This has been a special day, something I will always cherish.

“It’s been a emotional year and I am very proud of my wife and the fight and struggle she has been through.

“This is one of the best things we have gone through in the last year. We’ve been through a lot and it’s been tough and to be on the other end and feel this kind of jubilation is incredible.”

Westwood said: “We both struggled off the tee early on, but being the great champion he is Phil hit some great shots. The second on 13 was incredible.

“He has been through a hard time and deserves a break or two.

“I just need to keep on doing what I am doing. One of these days the door is going to open for me, but there was time (he slumped from fourth in the world to outside the top 250 in 2002) when I didn’t want to go out and play or practise and couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.

“When I am playing like this I feel like a lucky man sometimes. I think when you have come as close as this there is a tinge of disappointment, but that does not last too long.”

Woods, who mixed his two eagles and four birdies with five bogeys, stated: “As the week went on I hit the ball worse.”

Fourth, of course, was no mean feat given his lay-off and all the attention on his sex scandal, but he added: “I only enter events to win.”

He also said he will now take “a little time off and re-evaluate.” His next appearance could well be the Players Championship in Florida at the start of next month.

Mickelson’s fellow American Anthony Kim, last week’s Houston Open winner, charged into third place with a joint best-of-the-day 65 that included a birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie run from the 13th.

Woods shared fourth with Choi, while Westwood’s compatriot Ian Poulter, the joint halfway leader with him, tied for 10th after weekend rounds of 74 and 73 which were a big disappointment.

Collated final round scores & totals in The Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC, Augusta, Georgia, United States of America

(USA unless stated, par 72):

272 Phil Mickelson 67 71 67 67

275 Lee Westwood (Eng) 67 69 68 71

276 Anthony Kim 68 70 73 65

277 Tiger Woods 68 70 70 69, K J Choi (Kor) 67 71 70 69

279 Fred Couples 66 75 68 70

280 Nick Watney 68 76 71 65

281 Hunter Mahan 71 71 68 71, Y.E. Yang (Kor) 67 72 72 70

283 Ricky Barnes 68 70 72 73, Ian Poulter (Eng) 68 68 74 73

285 Jerry Kelly 72 74 67 72, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 72 75 72 66

286 Steve Marino 71 73 69 73, Trevor Immelman (Rsa) 69 73 72 72, David Toms 69 75 71 71, Ryan Moore 72 73 73 68

287 Adam Scott (Aus) 69 75 72 71, Tom Watson 67 74 73 73, Ernie Els (Rsa) 71 73 75 68, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 73 74 69 71, Heath Slocum 72 73 70 72, Scott Verplank 73 73 73 68

288 Ben Crane 71 75 74 68, Matt Kuchar 70 73 74 71

289 Kenny Perry 72 71 72 74, Bill Haas 72 70 71 76, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 74 72 69 74

290 Yuta Ikeda (Jpn) 70 77 72 71

291 Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 70 71 75 75, Francesco Molinari (Ita) 70 74 75 72, Steve Stricker 73 73 74 71, Sean O’Hair 72 71 72 76, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa)69 76 72 74, Jason Dufner 75 72 75 69

292 Lucas Glover 76 71 71 74, Metteo Manassero (Ita) 71 76 73 72

294 Dustin Johnson 71 72 76 75, Retief Goosen (Rsa) 74 71 76 73, Steve Flesch 75 71 70 78, Camilo Villegas (Col) 74 72 71 77

295 Zach Johnson 70 74 76 75

296 Robert Karlsson (Swe) 71 72 77 76, Mike Weir (Can) 71 72 76 77

298 Chad Campbell 79 68 80 71, Robert Allenby (Aus) 72 75 78 73, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 74 70 76 78

302 Nathan Green (Aus) 72 75 80 75

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If he does then millions of people around the world, and not only golf fans that will tune into the BBC and TV channels around the world this weekend will believe that it is the second coming.

BUT LET’S BE SENCIBLE HERE - IT’S NOT POSSIBLE THE GUY HASN’T PLAYED COMPETITVE GOLF FOR MONTHS, SURELY ONLY MAD DOGS AND ENGLISMEN AND THOSE THAT GO OUT IN THE MIDAY SUN (NAMELY GOLFERS WHO PLAY ON THE COSTA DEL SOL) WOULD BET AGAINST HIM WINNING.

THEN WHY HAVE ALL THE MAJOR BOOKMAKERS IN THE UK AND ABROAD  MADE TIGER FAVOURATE TO WIN.

WELL I CAN REVEAL THE TRUTH HERE AND NOW –

BECAUSE BOOKMAKERS IN GENERAL ARE SENCIBLE CHARACTERS AND UNLIKE MANY GOLFERS AND MAD DOGS AND ENGLISMEN AND THOSE THAT PLAY GOLF IN THE MIDAY SUN (OR RAIN) THEY HAVE CALLCULATED THE ODDS ON TIGER NOT WINNING THE US MASTERS.

After all this is Tiger woods were talking about the greatest golfer off his generation and I am sure history will prove the greatest of all time.

When Tiger Woods returned last February from an eight-month injury lay-off he birdied his first hole and eagled his second.

If he does the same when he returns to golf on Thursday after nearly five months out - for a very different reason - imagine the scenes.  People will start thinking again that he truly is the Chosen One.

Make up your own mind about how Woods deserves to be treated when he steps onto the first tee of The Masters at Augusta at 1.42pm local time, but everybody interested in golf is fascinated to see how he plays.

Is his brain still scrambled from the scandals in his private life which have turned him from role model to villain in many eyes?

Or can his famed tunnel vision turn him instantly back into the golfer who totally intimidates the rest?

It could go either way. And Woods himself probably does not know the answer yet.

He made all the right noises when he said during Monday’s press conference - his first confrontation with a room full of reporters since his extra-marital affairs were exposed - “Nothing’s changed. (I’m) going to go out there and try to win this thing.”

But he expressed similar sentiments entering the 2006 US Open a month after his father died.

It was his first event back and he said after practising at Winged Foot: “I didn’t come back until I felt that I was ready to win a championship. I’m very excited the way I’ve played the last couple of days.”

Woods then went out and shot two rounds of 76 for a 12-over-par total that saw him miss the cut by three.

The following month, however, he successfully defended The Open at Hoylake - and won his next four tournaments as well. It might pay not to draw too many conclusions from however he does this week.

There has been talk of the world number one losing some of his aura now that previously secret unsavoury aspects of his life - past life rather than current life, he insists - have come to light.

He stated on Monday: “It’s not about championships. It’s about how you live your life. I need to be a better man going forward than I was before.”

But does that mean his quest to catch and overtake Jack Nicklaus’ major record - with 14 he is four short - does not burn inside him the same?

Nicklaus doubts that. Asked if he thought Woods still wants the record the Golden Bear replied: “Of course he does. Why do you think he’s here? I mean, I don’t think he’s here for his health or anything.”

The first three of this season’s four majors are at Augusta, Pebble Beach and St Andrews. Half of Woods’ major victories have come on them and Nicklaus fully expected him to be back for them.

On the subject of whether the world number one’s aura is likely to be any different because of the revelations, Nicklaus, who tomorrow joins Arnold Palmer in hitting the ceremonial opening drives, is unequivocal.

“As a golfer no. I mean why? It’s had nothing to do with him as a golfer.”

So the Woods era, already 13 years old, is set to go on. And on. And on. He is, after all, only 34 and could be at the top for another decade or more.

But there have to be doubts about this Masters. He has to be rusty and he has to have a lot of things going on in his head.

He is the clear favourite and so it could never be called a huge shock if he wins. But nor should anybody be stunned if he fails to make it to the weekend.

For the first six hours on Thursday, though, the Augusta National course is a Tiger-free zone.

He is in the penultimate group and 90 of the other 95 players will be in action by the time he hits that opening drive - on a hole that has caused him more problems than any.

Woods has had just three birdies in 58 attempts and is a cumulative 15 over par. As for the long second he has never had an eagle, so if he does start with a pair of threes, feel free to go wild.

As for the other 95 there are no fewer than 25 Europeans - and many have to be considered in with a great shout.

Lee Westwood, Paul Casey, Ian Poulter, Martin Kaymer and Padraig Harrington are all in the world’s top 10, with 20-year-old Rory McIlroy only just outside.

They are not seen by the bookmakers as the two main dangers to Woods, however. Twice champion Phil Mickelson, despite a poor start to 2010, and Ernie Els, twice a winner in the past month, are the two.

But do not forget that the last three winners were actually Angel Cabrera, Trevor Immelman and Zach Johnson.

In other words, anything is possible, except one thing. Woods holds centre stage before a ball is struck.

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The sporting world will have to wait until 1.42pm on Thursday - 6.42pm British Summer Time - to see the first shot that Tiger Woods has hit in competition for 144 days.

Woods, out of golf since his life was turned upside down by a sex scandal at the end of November, has been put in the penultimate group for the opening round of The Masters at Augusta.

The world number one will tee off with fellow American Matt Kuchar and Korean KJ Choi, both of whom should prepare themselves for one of the toughest day’s work they have ever had.

But it will not be easy for England’s Ian Poulter either. The World Match Play champion is in the group immediately ahead - and that inevitably means having to deal with a lot of crowd distractions too as everyone tries to get in position to see Woods on his return to action.

Poulter is paired with world number two Steve Stricker and also Japan’s Yuta Ikeda at the start of an event he hopes will see him complete an incredible journey from four-handicapper when he turned professional in 1994 to major champion.

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The Tiger Woods circus rolls into Georgia amid much hype and speculation for next week’s Masters where the disgraced world number one will make his highly anticipated return to competitive golf.

The 14-times Major champion has selected the best possible environment at Augusta National for his US PGA Tour comeback but no one, Woods included, knows how he will fare in his first tournament back after a break of almost five months.

Although he enjoys a huge comfort level at a venue where he has triumphed four times, he has not competed since winning the Australian Masters on November 15 following startling revelations that he had a string of extra-marital affairs.

While his golfing abilities and mental strength are the best of his era and arguably of all time, his emotional state of mind is likely to be an unknown factor when Woods tees off in Thursday’s opening round.

South African Ernie Els, who has won his last two events on the US Tour, expects the game’s leading player to cope with the distractions and intense media scrutiny at the Masters.

“Tiger is just a different player,” the three-times Major winner said in the build-up to the year’s first Major.

“He’s the one guy who probably could make (next week) a success. But it’ll be tough.”

Woods said last month he was apprehensive about the reception he will get from the fans at Augusta following his stunning fall from grace at the end of last year and efforts to salvage his marriage to his Swedish wife Elin.

While global media interest in the Masters is certain to reach unprecedented heights, Els had no concerns the April 8-11 event would be adversely affected.

“From our perspective I don’t think it’s going to influence the tournament at all, not in a negative way,” he said.”I think it’s going to be fine.”

For Open champion Stewart Cink, next week’s Masters will rank as the most extraordinary of all, given the wide range of Woods storylines.

“It’s going to be one of the biggest events in golf history,” the American said.

“The biggest player in golf history is going to come back from this absence and everybody is going to be scrutinising his game, what he says, where he goes and where he has dinner - everything.

“It will also end up being a great tournament because he will probably end up in the mix. It’ll be really compelling.”

Television ratings should be back to their best and possibly beyond for what CBS news and sports president Sean McManus recently said would be “the biggest media event other than the Obama inauguration in the past 10 or 15 years”.

Woods is ideally suited to the par-72 Augusta layout, which was stretched to a formidable 7,445 yards for the 2006 Masters, making it the second-longest course in Major championship golf at the time.

The 34-year-old American is among golf’s biggest hitters, has a superbly creative short game and is arguably the best putter of all time from inside 15 feet.

Augusta’s biggest challenge comes on the slick, severely sloping greens and Woods has become well acquainted with their nuances since making his Masters debut as an amateur in 1995.

Suggestions Woods might struggle to shake off the rust in his game after his self-imposed exile are scoffed at by compatriot Cink.

“We’re talking about Tiger Woods, the best player that’s ever played golf,” he said.

“I’ve seen the players who are usually in that conversation. I’ve never seen anybody that plays golf like Tiger Woods does. So the answer to that question is yes, I believe he can be a factor.”

While the US Tour reappearance of Woods will overshadow anything else likely to happen next week, several other players have the credentials to win the prized Green Jacket.

Experience is always a prized commodity at Augusta and Els, who has posted six top-10s at the Masters, plus twice champion Phil Mickelson are almost certain to be in the title hunt.

Other likely leading contenders include three-times Major winner Padraig Harrington of Ireland, Britons Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter, American Steve Stricker and double US Open champion Retief Goosen of South Africa.

Long-hitting Angel Cabrera of Argentina defends the title he won last year after a nerve-jangling playoff with Americans Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell.

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Fred Couples, one of golf’s most experienced campaigners and the US Presidents Cup captain, will play a US Masters practice round with Tiger Woods at Augusta National on Monday.

Couples said he was not sure what time he and Woods would play on Monday, speculating that it might not be until after the disgraced world number one’s 2pm press conference.

“I’ve played with him six or eight times the last 10 years in a practice round there, so it’s not like I’m trying to get around him,” said the 1992 Masters champion.

“He’s the best player in the world, he’s won it a bunch of times, he knows how to play the course, and even at my age I still learn some of the nuances about Augusta, and that’s why I’m playing with him.”

Couples said he expects four-times winner Woods to come out with all guns blazing at the Masters, which will be the world No. 1’s first tournament in nearly five months, since reports of marital infidelity first surfaced.

“We all know he made a mistake and we’ll see how he overcomes it. I’m a friend of his, not his counsellor but I know at Augusta he’ll be ready to go.”

Couples also has no doubt Woods will be part of the American team at next year’s Presidents Cup against a World team, but is not quite so sure Woods will be on board for this year’s Ryder Cup in Wales.

“I believe he’s ready to start playing and I know all the team mates will want him on there but I don’t know.”

Couples, 50, was speaking ahead of the Houston Open that starts on Thursday.

He arrived here on a hot streak after winning the past three tournaments on the Champions Tour for seniors aged 50 or over.

Couples attended a press conference with US PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, who announced that Couples and Greg Norman would return as respective captains for the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne in Australia next November.

Couples guided the Americans to victory against the Norman-led International team at last year’s event in San Francisco.

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Tiger Woods’ caddie Steve Williams does not expect the Augusta crowds to be anything other than respectful to the world number one when he returns to action at the Masters next week.

Woods will be making his first comeback appearance since his much-publicised extra-marital activities led the 34-year-old to take an extended break from the game.

New Zealander Williams will be carrying the bag at the Masters for the 25th time, and he is confident the tournament will be bereft of hecklers given its controlled environment.

Williams told TVNZ: “I don’t think (Woods) knows what to expect either. Just like me, he will be anxious to get on that first tee on Thursday and see what the reaction is.

“The people who are going to watch at Augusta are called patrons there, not spectators. They are all golf fans and it is a very difficult tournament to get into.

“It is the only golf tournament in the world where there is a waiting list to get in.

“I think they will be very happy to see Tiger playing at Augusta, where he has been successful.

“I don’t really expect any of those people to have any problems.”

Williams has always maintained he knew nothing of Woods’ extra-marital activities and the golfing superstar confirmed that last week.

In his first TV interview since the scandal broke, Woods stressed that those close to him, including his caddie, knew nothing of his double life.

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