Tiger to talk on Friday: Choice of date may be

getting own back on ex-sponsors Accenture

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
By MARK REASON
Tiger Woods will make a public statement at the US PGA tour's headquarters in Florida on Friday morning.
It will be the first time the world has heard from Woods since he went into hiding following his car crash at the end of November last year and the subsequent revelations of his extensive sex life.
A message from Woods's management company said: "Tiger Woods will be speaking to a small group of friends, colleagues and close associates at 11:00am EST Friday at the TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Tiger plans to discuss his past and his future and he plans to apologise for his behavior."
It seems strange that the US PGA should sanction such a 'conference' in the middle of a World Golf Championship event. The Woods' statement will immediately suck publicity out of the Accenture Match Play Championship, currently taking place in Arizona and the sponsors will be justifiably furious.
Accenture used to sponsor Woods, but were among the first to pull out following the scandal. Is this Woods getting back at them? The thought certainly occurred to Rory McIlroy after he had completed a brilliant comeback victory over Kevin Na in the first round of the Accenture.
McIlroy said: "I suppose he (Tiger) might want to get something back at the sponsors. He's got to come back at some point. It's just gone on for so long. I'm sick of hearing about it and I'm looking forward to when he's coming back on the golf course."
How the world has changed in a year. Twelve months ago McIlroy was a kid making his debut on the big American Tour and Woods was making his return to competitive golf at the Accenture Match Play after undergoing knee surgery.
On Friday Tiger will make another return, but in staggeringly different circumstances.
The old Accenture advertisement showed Tiger looking down at his ball among the rocks, with the strap line: "It's what you do next that counts." It seems that Tiger is now going to throw Accenture's own line back at them.
The players are unlikely to be amused. Last month Geoff Ogilvy, the defending champion this week, urged Woods to make a public appearance before making his tournament return. That way, said Ogilvy, the tournament at which he returns would be less of a "circus."
It appears that Tiger has taken Ogilvy's advice, but only up to an extent. Woods is making a public appearance before his tournament return, but it is one that will detract from this week's tournament.
The brilliant start made by English golfers at the Accenture was almost buried by the news of Tiger's return - almost, but not quite. Luke Donald was the first to come in with a 2 and 1 victory over Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell, a win that included no fewer than eight birdies.
McDowell said afterwards: "I ran into a buzz saw. Every time I had a sniff of a chance, he made a great putt. He is unbelievable with the wedges and the putter. He's old school. I like the way he plays, I have a lot of respect for his game, he's a fabulous player."
As morning turned to afternoon Paul Casey, last year's runner-up, concluded a 5 and 4 dusting of Stephen Ames, Oliver Wilson beat Miguel Angel Jimenez by 4 and 2 and Ian Poulter won a colossal match against Justin Leonard on the first extra hole.
Poulter had come back from a two-hole deficit to take a one-hole lead going up the 18th, but then Leonard birdied to take the match into extra time. As Poulter walked off the 18th green he said: "That was silly, Arsenal are kicking off in ten minutes." He needed a speedy birdie and he got it.
Casey will next play Mike Weir who had a stunning win over Spain's Alvaro Quiros, the Canadian left-hander birdieing nine of his first 10 holes. Casey said: "I hope he watches the Olympics tonight and gets tired."
Sweden's Henrik Stenson, winner of the title in 2007, conceded his first-round match after only one-hole to American Ben Crane. Stenson felt like death warmed up - flu-like symptoms - but played one hole to see if the fresh air made him feel any better. He didn't - and conceded.
Crane continued to play the course on his own - a familiarisation jaunt. Even if Stenson had withdrawn before starting the match, Crane would have advanced unchallenged to the second round because none of the alternates (reserves) had gone to Arizona.