Tiger Woods May Return to Golf Later This Month

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We already know Tiger Woods has just hired former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer as his PR consultant, and now we know why—maybe.

New York Post's Mark Cannizzaro reported that the recent union has been formed to help Woods make a possible return to golf at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando on March 25th. The beleaguered golfer did say that he wasn't going to "rule out that it will be this year," but few expected it would be so soon— The Village Voice's Roy Edroso points out that it "took years—including 18 months in prison—before disgraced Olympic runner Marion Jones returned to sports as a member of the WNBA's Tulsa Shock."

Here's how the world is reacting to rumors of his return:

• "America is the land of reinvention," writes LA Times' Johanna Neuman. "Everyone gets a second chance. It's part of the Constitution. So it comes as no surprise—in fact it's wonderful news—that the best golfer in the world is preparing his comeback on the links."
• "Don't Call it a Comeback!" Sports blog Front Office Fans wonders: "...what is he exactly coming back from? [...]usually in sports you are talking about a broken ankle or a dislocated finger or some sort of tragedy--getting laid usually isn't one of them."
• Palmer Invitational is just a warm-up for the real test of his "return"—the Masters. Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel says: "Even Tiger must realize that his chance of winning his 15th major is greatly reduced without a warm-up tournament. If he makes his return in Augusta, he's all but writing off the event."
• Proper security measures must be taken: The AP reports that tournament directors have been coordinating with PGA Tour officials in regard to Tiger's return to the green and the onslaught of media frenzy that will inevitably ensue. Scott Wellington, director of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, said "We'll accommodate to the extent we're able to. But it's like a balloon. It can only get so big. We've discussed 'Plan B' scenarios, and we're prepared to react as best we can."