No Entry to Augusta
Tiger Woods made a quiet return to Augusta National on Sunday to complete a weekend of practice for the Masters, minus the media crush trying to document his every move.
Last year Woods had been away from golf for nearly five months while coping with the crisis in his personal life and his arrival at Augusta on the Sunday before tournament week was the first time the media had seen him on the golf course since the previous November.
This time, he was one of several players soaking up a warm, peaceful afternoon with no fans on the property and no media allowed on the golf course except in the area near the first and 10th tees, and ninth and 18th greens.
He played with Masters rookie Jeff Overton, and Rory Sabbatini joined them.
Missing from the group was caddie Steve Williams, who was home in New Zealand. Williams was not due to arrive until Monday evening, so his boss used an Augusta National caddie for his two practice rounds on the weekend.
Woods was not expected to be back on the course until Tuesday morning.
Practice rounds for the majors can take so long during tournament week that more players are now preparing on the weekend, when there are fewer players on the course.
Former U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy arrived Friday night and had two days of practice.K.J. Choi, who missed the cut in Houston, played with U.S. Amateur Public Links champion Lion Kim.
Tom Watson and Ben Crenshaw took advantage of privileges afforded only Masters champions -- they each played with a guest.
Most of the players were gone by late afternoon, with no one in the clubhouse to watch defending champion Phil Mickelson win the Houston Open.
In the Golf World rankings Tiger Woods will fall to No. 7, the lowest his ranking has been since he was No. 13 going into the 1997 Masters, which he won by 12 shots.
