Could Tiger Woods Return To the PGA Tour in Two Weeks?

So far in 2010, we’ve seen a dominant performance by Geoff Ogilvy at the SBS Championship.  But, that’s nothing new; Ogilvy always dominants January through March.  His struggles typically take place during the other six months of the season.  

We’ve seen Ryan Palmer skull a chip shot on the 72nd hole of the Sony Open, only to receive a $900,000 gift from the golf Gods when his rapidly moving golf ball struck the flag stick and came to rest just inches from the hole.

We’ve seen Bubba Watson and Tim Clark lay-up on reachable par-fives at the Bob Hope Classic and subsequently lose to the only guy in the field with the nerve to take the bull by the horns—Bill Haas.

We’ve seen Phil Mickelson fly Butch Harmon out to San Diego for a lesson prior to the start of the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open.  

That was one expensive golf lesson…particularly after Mickelson went out and bogeyed his first three holes on Sunday.

Mickelson’s scorecard, however, was the least of his problems.  He was too busy dealing with this Scott McCarron character accusing him of cheating because he was using a 20-year-old ping Eye two wedge.  

As ridiculous as that sounds, trust me, you couldn’t make this stuff up.

And finally we sat with our mouths hung open in shock as David Simms laid up on the reachable par-five 18th last Sunday while trailing Ben “the snail” Crane a single stroke.

Sorry, did I say “David Simms?"  I must have been thinking about that fella from the film Tin Cup who also laid up on the 72nd hole…How did Roy McAvoy describe his decision again?

Anyway, just to clarify, it was Michael Sim that laid up on the 18th on Sunday and not David Simms.

Not the best start to a PGA Tour season that Tim Finchem assured us all would be a success with or without Tiger Woods.  

But, maybe, just maybe there is a light flickering at the end the long, dark tunnel we’ve been treading through for the past four weeks of the PGA Tour season.   

The Melbourne Herald Sun is reporting that Tiger Woods may return to the PGA Tour as early as the Accenture Match Play Championship, which is scheduled to take place in just two weeks.

Needless to say, every other newspaper and website around the world immediately began relaying the Herald Sun’s report.

Could we really see Woods back on the golf course in a mere two weeks?

Could we be just 14 days away from seeing a golfer that actually knows how to close out a golf tournament?

Oh yeah, that’s right, there is that whole cocktail waitress ordeal to consider.

And yes, there’s also the small matter of his public image being ripped to threads over the past two months.

But after the start we’ve seen to the 2010 season, does anyone really care anymore?

At this point Woods could show up on the first tee at the Accenture Match Play Championship with a stripper in a pink thong carrying his bag and we’d all sit there and count our lucky stars that he’s back out on the golf course.

Perhaps it’s very shallow and selfish to think to think this way.

But then again, the PGA Tour is in dire need of some good golf.

And even more important, the PGA Tour is in dire need of someone or something to take everyone’s attention off of “groovegate.”

That fact that 20-year-old clubs are the biggest story in golf right now clearly demonstrates the complete lack of excitement coming from inside the ropes.  

Now, who knows if there’s any truth to this latest report on when Woods may return.

During the last two months we’ve heard that Woods is on his yacht, in the Bahamas, at an exclusive resort in Africa, at Jim Dolan’s house in the Hamptons, at the Trump Towers, sleeping on an air bed in Mark O’Meara’s vacant Isleworth home, sleeping on the floor of his half built Jupiter Island home, in rehab in Arizona, in rehab in Mississippi, etc., etc. etc.

But if there’s even an ounce of truth to this latest report, it will be the best news American golf fans have heard since Greg Norman announced his captains picks for the 2009 Presidents Cup.

The game of golf is bigger than one man.  It always has been and always will be.

However, anyone that says they would rather watch David Simms…sorry, I did it again…Michael Sim lay-up on the 72nd hole of the Farmers Insurance Open than see Tiger Woods take hold of a tournament with his unfaithful hands is a blatant liar.

Either that or your wife or girlfriend is within earshot of the conversation.