Masters Golf Tournament 2010: Tiger Woods Returns to The Masters

The wait is over.  Tiger Woods confirmed his return to golf.  The world's No. 1 golfer announced Tuesday morning that he will make his return to the PGA Tour at The Masters next month. 

It was at his much-publicized press conference in February where Woods detailed that his return would come at some future date, raising expectations that his first competition could come this summer.

However, since that press conference rumblings spread that Woods would hit the links much sooner than the summer.  Immediately, everyone circled The Masters as Woods' likely destination.  Woods confirmed that belief with this morning's released statement.

"The Masters is where I won my first major, and I view this tournament with great respect. After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I'm ready to start my season at Augusta," Woods said.

"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."

The Masters' more intimate atmosphere and limited media access make it a relatively soft landing spot for Woods, despite the magnitude of the tournament. Initially, rumors pointed to Woods' return at the Tavistock Cup, local to his Windermere, Florida home, or the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.  Woods, a four-time Masters winner ('97, '01, '02, '05), addressed those rumors in his statement.

"When I finally got into a position to think about competitive golf again, it became apparent to me that the Masters would be the earliest I could play. I called both Joe Lewis and Arnold Palmer and expressed my regrets for not attending the Tavistock Cup and the Arnold Palmer Invitational," Woods explained.

"I again want to thank them both for their support and their understanding. Those are fantastic tournaments and I look forward to competing in them again."

The Masters runs from April 8-11 with the first two rounds airing on ESPN and the weekend rounds held on CBS.