11-Under Par

By Jeffrey Jolson-Colburn

Augusta, GA (Hollywood Today) 4/11/10 – Tiger Woods’ return to the Game was illustrious with an 11-under par at the Masters – and you try doing that at the famed Augusta course.

Yet it was not enough to beat his often arch-nemesis Phil Mickelson, who took his third title.

Actually, Tiger’s arch-nemesis lately has been himself, followed by the media and his (ex?) wife in that order.

He took a five month leave from the links and a brutal beating in the press after admitting he was unfaithful to his wife, numerous times. However, what touring sport, rock or film star has ever been? If you marry a Mick Jagger, you know there will be groupies on the road and messing around is a sure prognosis. Please comment below.

Yet we are glad he came back to what he does best, in fact the best in the world, like Jagger to the stage. Winners win, they don’t quit under fire.

He didn’t win this tournament, even though it was his lucky field, having won the Masters four times. But he was a winner for showing up, which is what high school football coaches tell 16-year-olds. You are in the majors, so next time – Just Win, Baby, and shut the media up.

You are only four titles shy of Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 and infidelity with golf groupies will be a memory, not an asterisks in the history books of the game. Seriously, if you were Jagger or Woods faced with endless temptation, do you let it end your career?

The four-time Masters champion carded a final round of 3- under-par 69 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, capping his round with a birdie at the final hole. He finished five shots behind Phil.

Woods had bogeys on three of the first five holes to fall seven shots off the lead before an eagle on the seventh, followed by birdies on the eighth and ninth holes to get to 9- under for the tournament.

After a bogey on the par-4 11th, where Woods hit his tee shot into the trees right of the fairway, he then birdied the par-5 13th to climb back. His momentum was halted with a bogey on the 14th hole, where he two-putted from about eight feet.

Woods, 34, the top player in the Official World Golf Ranking, is competing for the first time since he won the Australian Masters in November.