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Tiger Woods confirms US Masters return

Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Michael Weston
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Tiger Woods has been hitting balls now for a few weeks [Getty Images]

Tiger Woods has announced his intentions to play the Masters in April, ending months of speculation of when he'll return to competitive golf.

The world number one has not played tournament golf since last November's win in Australia at the JBWere Masters, which was shortly before news broke of problems in his private life.

Since then Woods has addressed his issues by giving a press statement last month during which he apologised to his family, fans and sponsors for his trangressions that had rocked the sport.

"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," read Woods' statement.

"I have undergone almost two months of inpatient therapy and I am continuing my treatment. Although I'm returning to competition, I still have a lot of work to do in my personal life.

"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.

"I would also like to thank the Augusta National members and staff for their support. I have deep appreciation for everything that they do to create a wonderful event for the benefit of the game."

The 34-year-old currently has 14 Majors to his name, four short of Jack Nicklaus' record, but it appears the lure of Augusta where he has won four Green Jackets has forced Woods to make a return when many were questioning whether he would even make an apperance this year.

The Masters gets underway on April 8 at Augusta National in Georgia and attention will now focus on whether Woods has the game to genuinely compete for his 19th Major.

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