I gotta admit when I was watching The Golf Channel last night and they were interviewing all of the players about Tiger’s impending return next week – I actually felt for the first time that most of the players did not actually resent him. To a man, everyone was spouting some derivative of the following few statements…

” The guy that drives the Tour….”
” The Tour Needs Tiger…”
” We need him out here…”

Ryder Cup hero Kenny Perry went as far to say that ” Every time I see Tiger out here I ask him if I can carry his bag from the car to the club house…He’s just done so much for our Tour…”

Why would all of the best players in the World want a guy out there who pounds them into the ground every chance he gets? Money. The players know that when their biggest drawing card was out that attendance sagged, television ratings sagged, and interest in the game itself sagged. In these tough economic times, even the millionaires are feeling the pinch (or at least a prick).

So we know we can expect to see Tiger next week…but lets look beyond Match Play to get a feel for the rest of his schedule here in the US. Based on his previous years and playing schedule, we will see Tiger about 16 times between now and the playoffs….

• 3/12-15 – WGC CA Championships @ Doral
• 3/26-29 – Arnold Palmer Classic @ Bay Hill
• 4/9-12  – The Masters @ Augusta National
• 4/23 – 29 – Wachovia Championship @ Charlotte NC
• 5/7-10 – The Players Championship @ TPC Sawgrass
• 6/4-7 – The Memorial @ Murifield Village
• 6/18-21 – US Open @ Bethpage Black
• 7/2-7/5 – AT&T National @ Congressional
• 7/16-19 – British Open @ Turnberry
• 7/30-8/2 – Buick Open @ Grand Blanc, MI
• 8/6-9 – WGC Bridgestone Invitational @ Firestone
• 8/13-16 – PGA Championship @ Hazeltine

As far as the playoffs are concerned…I am just not too sure about the new  format to say for sure that he will play all four. I say he skips Barclays though. Tiger rarely plays three straight weeks.

• 9/4-7 – Deutsche Bank @ TPC Boston
• 9/10-13  – BMW @ Cog Hill
• 9/24-27 -  The Tour Championship @ East Lake

Of these tournaments listed here I am resonably sure (like 99%) that he has won each of them except for the AT&T National…which he has only played in once. The only reason I clarify that with the 1% eror, is that there are so many Buick Opens (Thanks Taxpayers) that I am not positive he has won the one in Michigan without doing some research. I would rather you call me out on the error.

As far as the Majors go and the pursuit of the Grand Slam…Tiger has won at Augusta obviously, and he won the only US Open @ Bethpage Black. As far as Turnberry for the British Open…it hasnt hosted the Open since 1994  and Tiger did not play. Hazeltine hosted the PGA in 2002 where he finished second to Rich Beem (who hasn’t done anything since). Other than Turnberry…we have pretty solid evidence that this could very well be the year that TW wins the Grand Slam. Although golf is fickle, I wouldn’t be suprised personally to see Tiger win 10 of his 16 starts…golf just isnt that easy – but Tiger Woods is just that good.

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