Becoming weary when golf's greatest player says something about making amends only to have a former "acquaintance" force him to amend his story? Well, buckle up. There is no rest in sight, not with live television coverage scheduled for Tiger Woods' first swing today at the Masters at roughly p.
He is the story of today, no doubt. He shoots a 64, he leads newscasts around the country. He shoots 84, he may lead newscasts around the world. Even if he shoots par, he'll be the top sports story everywhere.
The undeniable interest here in Woods the golfer is balanced by the complexities of his situation. It was highlighted Wednesday, when Augusta National chairman Billy Payne spoke directly about Tiger's fall from grace in his annual state of the tournament address.
New claims surfaced Wednesday of another mistress as a year-old daughter of one of Woods' neighbors became the latest name to shoot to the top of Google searches everywhere. The details again paint the picture that Woods the person is every bit as unbelievable as Woods the golfer. He may need to hire an extra caddie, let Steve Williams carry the clubs and the new guy carry all that baggage.
Make no mistake, though, golf needs Woods, and he needs the game more than ever. Without a golf club, Tiger's a guy that cheated on his family who knows how many times. With a golf club, Tiger is, well, Tiger. Maybe, and certainly not here. The Masters will be the Masters regardless who plays. Woods, after all, is an invited participant -- like the other 95 players in the field. We are not threatened by other big news stories or things like that. Nice weather at exotic locales with sunshine and green grass -- it's a pleasant reminder to most of the nation that summer is coming and we can go outside again.
