Tiger Woods: Why Golf's Star Should Play in Charity Event with Former Teammate

Tiger Woods is missing his second major championship this year due to injuries. Nobody seems to have an idea as to when Tiger will ever play again, except for a former teammate. 

Notah Begay, who played golf with Tiger at Stanford, claims that Tiger Woods will play golf on August 31. Begay believes Tiger will play in the Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge, which is a mixed team charity event. 

Tiger has yet to confirm this, but golf's biggest star must play at this event. It's over a month away, and he would be doing a favor for a friend and former teammate.

Plus, it's a charity event, which means he doesn't have to give it his all out there. Just go have fun and play golf. 

Other than being for charity, the main reason Tiger has to play in this event is because it was supposed to happen weeks ago. Begay pushed back the event just so Tiger could be healthy enough to play in the event. 

Battling a knee injury as well as an Achilles injury, Tiger hasn't played competitive golf since May. He is itching to get back to the golf course, and by the end of August he should be healthy. 

Tiger has stated he isn't returning to golf until he is 100 percent healthy. However, this is a charity event, which means he wouldn't have to play all that hard.

This would be Tiger's first appearance on a golf course in what seems like forever. That means it would draw so much attention to a charity event. How could he turn that down? It would increase the awareness of the event, and generate more money for charity. 

Because he has yet to confirm Begay's statements, nobody knows whether or not the Begay is simply making rumors. However, it's a smart move on his part to announce this and put Tiger in a sticky situation.

Does he say no and turn down a charity event to continue to resting? Or will he say yes and help do wonders for his image?  

Dear Tiger: Wearing red on Sundays

Hey Tiger, I'm 11 and was wondering what handicap you were playing off when you were 11, and why do you always wear red on the last day of a tournament? I am your No. 1 fan!
— Luke from Dublin

Hi, Luke. I wear red on Sundays because my mom thinks that that's my power color, and you know you should always listen to your mom. Don't worry about your handicap right now -- just try to improve. When you hit balls, be sure to practice with a purpose. Work on the shots that are giving you trouble. And most of all, remember to have fun. It's great to be 11 years old.

No question -- just a comment. I have been watching you since your inception into the PGA Tour and have always enjoyed your play. But the Memorial was something really special. I have never seen you as "on" before. Great entertainment! Now, if I could just convince you to come to Texas and play, so I could see it in person.
— John from Galveston, Texas

Thanks, John. As a golfer, you know that some days you have it, and some days you don't. When you're playing well, you hit every shot flush, and you think you can make every putt. On the "other" days, I try to simplify my game and hang on until, hopefully, things improve. It's been a little over a year now, but I hope some things are back to normal after Hurricane Ike. That was a terrible storm.

Hi, Tiger, I am a woman in her 30s, and I have to tell you -- I have never seen my husband so happy when you win. It's entertainment in itself watching him clap and yell at the television! Keep up the good work!
— Caroline from Carrollton, Pa.

Caroline, I think your husband and I just get into the moment. In 2008, I made a putt at No. 18 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational to win and threw my hat. Or at least that's what they told me, because I don't remember doing it. At the U.S. Open last year, I celebrated making the putt on the last hole to tie Rocco, but I don't recall that either. I can definitely empathize with your husband, but at least we're entertaining.

Tiger, I was just wondering if you will have any new signed items up on the Upper Deck Web site anytime soon. Also, is there any other place I can purchase autographed items from you?
— Tommy from Portland, Maine

How's everything in Maine, Tommy? I hope this year it's going to be a mild winter. Upper Deck is definitely the place to buy my memorabilia. UD authenticates every item that I sign, so you know you're really getting my autograph. I'll be signing some new items for Upper Deck next year, and hopefully there will be something you'll like.

I am glad to see that you are adjusting to your post-surgery conditions. It is a terrific transition for any athlete to go from a painful condition to a repaired condition (surgery), rehabilitation and training to do what you used to do more easily. I wanted to congratulate you on your children and your life. You are an inspiration to all the golfers of the world!
— Merele from Redwood City, Calif.

Merele, I'll be in California next week for The Presidents Cup, mid-October for my Block Party -- an event that benefits my Foundation -- and then early December for the Chevron World Challenge. I always enjoy returning to my home state. When I started this year at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, I had a feeling of great uncertainty. How would my knee respond to competition? How much swelling would I have? Would my explosion return? All this while trying to get my feel back since I was away from the PGA Tour for eight months. How I feel today compared to February is like night and day. While I didn't win a major in 2009, I was very happy with my consistency.

Tiger's Blog: Some incredible fan support

I have to say it felt great to return to competition at the Masters Tournament. To actually contend in a major on the back nine Sunday and tie for fourth with very little preparation, with all that has transpired in my life, was pretty cool.

I honestly didn't know what to expect from the fans, but they were absolutely incredible from Monday through Sunday. It was unreal. They definitely helped me mentally to be more comfortable out there. I was hoping for the best. To get that type of warmth is something I did not expect and will never forget.

It also felt great to be in the hunt again, but unfortunately, I didn't have my game. I knew I needed to make a run, but I just didn't have one in me. I had a terrible warm-up session Sunday, and it carried over to the first tee.

As far as competing, it was just like riding a bike again. Once the tournament came, everything felt normal, and I fell into my old rhythm and routine. I didn't even think about it; it just happened. My body knew what to do.

I tried and wanted to interact with as many fans as I could. One little girl gave me a letter on the third tee, which was awfully sweet. I knew a few people in the gallery, including my mom, which was nice.

It was also great to see all the guys. They had been asked a lot of questions in my absence and handled the distractions very well. I appreciate their support, but it felt good to try and beat them again.

I received some criticism for bad language, which I apologized for immediately after Saturday's round. It's tough when you're in a competitive environment and in the flow of a tournament. I'm not perfect. All I can say is I'm trying to do everything I can without losing my fire and competitive spirit.

Although it was my first tournament using all V-grooves, it was a seamless transition. I played V-grooves in all my irons except my sand wedges at The Presidents Cup and for the remainder of the year, so it was a pretty easy change. I didn't have much trouble adjusting to the sand wedges because I have the softest ball on the PGA Tour.

Before I stop talking about the Masters, I want to congratulate Phil Mickelson on the win and for all it means to him, Amy and the entire Mickelson family. They have really gone through a lot this year, and I wish them good health from now on.

I hear Lorena Ochoa is retiring from professional golf. Although we never played together, I met her several times, and she is a wonderful person and a great champion. The game of golf is definitely going to miss her. I hope she decides to stay involved in one form or another.

I also heard that the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach this year will be televised in prime time on the weekend. I think the last time NBC did it was at Torrey Pines in 2008, and the ratings were pretty good. The only time we can be on prime time is when the tournament is held on the West Coast, so we might as well take advantage of it. I think it's great for golf.

Earlier this week, I committed to THE PLAYERS Championship and the AT&T National. Obviously, that's earlier than usual. The PGA Tour asked me to commit earlier if I could to help the tournaments with their planning and security. I completely understand and know they're trying to help out me and the other players. Whenever possible, I will continue to do this going forward.

Next week, I return to competition at the Quail Hollow Championship in North Carolina. Quail Hollow Club is one of my favorite courses on tour. It's traditional, right in front of you, difficult, and you have to shape shots both ways. I managed to win there in 2007 and look forward to going back.

I took a little time off after the Masters to go scuba diving and spend time with my family. But I did enjoy a fun round of golf with my friend John Cook at Isleworth Country Club. I double-eagled the par-5 17th hole -- the third of my life -- with a 5-wood and shot 63, so my game is improving.

Finally, special thanks to all my fans for their well wishes and support. It means more than you know.

Talk to you again soon.

Tiger's Blog: Playing three in a row

I had a busy stretch in which I played in three consecutive tournaments, something I've actually done quite a bit as a professional. Although I haven't done it since 2007, I've played in three straight events 16 times in my career and four in a row five times.

For the most part, I was very successful during my recent starts, winning the Buick Open and WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and finishing second at the PGA Championship.

I must admit, there was some wear and tear on my body. I lost nine pounds in three weeks. If you watch me play, I eat a lot -- usually bananas, nuts or a sandwich -- and drink a lot of Gatorade Tiger, but I burn it off quickly. I just couldn't seem to get enough calories in me a couple of those weeks, and it was pretty hot. I need meals in order to maintain my weight.

Winning at Buick was very special to me because it was the last tournament they sponsored at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club. Buick has been fabulous to me and the entire PGA Tour the last 50 years. I wanted to go back and support their event and enjoy the town and all the people I've gotten to know.

I got off to a bad start in the tournament -- played terrible. After that, I got it going and hit it better the next two days. On Sunday, I did enough to get the job done.

At Bridgestone, I've always felt great playing at Firestone Country Club, and I think my record reflects that. I think I'm the only player in PGA Tour history to win on the same course seven times.

I felt like I was hitting the ball well enough to win. It came down to a man-to-man battle between Padraig Harrington and me. Even though he's had a disappointing year, he still understands how to get it done. It was important to cut into his lead as fast as I could, and making the early eagle helped a lot. I made a couple mistakes on 13 and 14, and he capitalized. Padraig also made a couple mistakes, especially at 16. I was able to make birdie -- hitting one of the better 8-irons of my career there to regain the lead -- and hold on for the victory.

At the PGA Championship, I was hitting the ball well and putting well in streaks. I got off to a great start and was pretty much in control of the tournament until the 13th hole on Sunday. I missed a good birdie chance, and Y.E. Yang got up-and-down from a bunker. Then at 14, he chips in for eagle, and I have to make birdie to only lose one shot.

On Y.E.'s second shot at 16, you could see his ball stand up in the wind, and he was fortunate to avoid the hazard. Then at 17, I flushed a 7-iron right at the flag, caught a downwind gust and the ball carried too far.

The wind was just blustery. We had a lot of gusts out there, especially with the trees blowing. On some holes, greens were more exposed. It was just tough to pull the right club.

Some accused me of playing too conservatively. But with a two-shot lead going into Sunday, if I putt well, it's a moot point. There were a lot of times you couldn't be aggressive, plus the greens were pretty bumpy on Sunday.

I was sort of disappointed I didn't putt well at the right time. I felt pretty good over my putts. Most of my misses were left, and that's from poor alignment. It was tough to sleep that night. Well done to Y.E., who played phenomenal golf on Sunday and did what he had to do.

When I woke up Monday, it was on to the next day. I had a good run of three weeks. Unfortunately, I didn't putt well one day, and it cost me a tournament.

I was glad to hear golf and rugby were recommended for the 2016 Olympic Games. Hopefully, they will both be approved. It's a great way of exposing golf to other countries and will give them an opportunity to participate. It kind of reminds me of the Jamaican bobsled team. Maybe a team you would never expect can win a medal. I've got seven years to put on some weight and bulk up for the U.S. rugby team. Fortunately, I have a special adviser in Steve Williams.

On Monday, I played in the Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge in New York, where we helped raise money for improved health and wellness of Native American youth around the country. Notah has always been like a brother to me, even before our days at Stanford University, and he put on an incredible event. Notah should be very proud of himself for getting involved in such an important cause to help kids.

Later this week, I will compete in The Barclays, the first of four FedExCup events. We're all excited for the playoffs to start, and we'll see what happens. Time to lose a little more weight!

That's all for now. I'll catch up with you next month.

Preparing for The Masters Tournament

Hello from Augusta, Ga., where I'm preparing for the Masters Tournament. I arrived Sunday and played 18 holes, and the course is in perfect condition. I practiced Monday and will likely play Tuesday, depending on the weather. I'll practice but likely won't play on Wednesday, then go home early to rest for the first round. I started this routine at majors in 2006 at Royal Liverpool, and it's worked out pretty well.

Obviously, there is a lot of excitement for the first major tournament of the year. I feel good about my game and had good practice sessions with Hank Haney. I didn't work on anything specific; just did a lot of fine-tuning.

The main reason for that is we never know how the course is playing until we get there. As we all know, it usually changes from Thursday through Sunday -- it's just part of the experience. From year-to-year, we don't know what's going to happen. The last two years, the weather has been challenging. Hopefully, it will be better this week.

I'm bringing a 2-iron and a 5-wood and won't decide which one to carry until after I play my practice rounds. A lot will depend on how the fourth hole is set up.

I don't really have a favorite hole at Augusta National. I like all 18. They're so different from each other.

I will likely skip the Par-3 Tournament on Wednesday. I played in it about every year until 2005. You play a practice round in the morning, then sit around for your tee time. It just becomes a long day and takes away from your main preparation. I'm sure there will be a day when I come back and play, especially when Sam and Charlie get a little older and can caddie for me.

Charlie has touched a club, but he can't hold one yet. Sam didn't grab a club until she was able to crawl. She's still not swinging a club; she'd rather throw the ball.

It's nice to have a little momentum going into the Masters. The win at Bay Hill validated all the hard work Hank and I put in after my knee surgery. Honestly, it felt just the same as all my other wins. The only difference was I didn't have any pain in my left knee.

A year ago at this time, I was just hoping to get through the Masters. There's really no comparison; the knee is now stable. Last year, I had no ACL and my cartilage was damaged. I had surgery the following week. This year, the knee feels strong, and I can drive into my left leg.

I've been asked how I feel about being ranked No. 1 in the world. Obviously, you take pride in your performance. If you play well, the ranking will take care of itself. It shows you've been consistent and haven't had a lot of bad weeks.

That's all for now. Have a happy Easter, and I'll check back after the Masters.

Tiger

Tiger's Blog: Across the pond at Turnberry

I am at Turnberry in Scotland preparing for the British Open Championship. Before I left, I checked the weather forecast, and it wasn't very good. It was supposed to rain almost every day, but hopefully it won't affect the tournament too much.

I hadn't played the course prior to this week, but did watch video of the 1994 British Open. They've changed the course since then, adding bunkers and length, so I'm not sure what we're going to get.

I've been fortunate to win three Claret Jugs and there are two things that have to happen for me to be successful again: 1) I have to play well; 2) Hopefully, I play well on the correct side of the draw.

You just never know what the conditions are going to be, and you have to deal with it. That's part of the charm of the tournament and why we all love it over there. It could be bone-dry like Hoylake or rainy like Muirfield in 2002. I didn't play last year, but it could be windy as well.

The key is to formulate a game plan and go play. I'll do that during my practice rounds, figure out what the course allows, then decide whether to carry a 5-wood or a 2-iron.

Hank and I worked really hard in Florida last week. He won't be joining me in Scotland, but I feel like I have a better understanding of my golf swing and don't need him here this time.

I feel good about my game right now. I played well at the AT&T National and was lucky enough to win my third PGA Tour event of the year. Hunter Mahan played a great round on Sunday and really put the pressure on Anthony Kim and me. One thing about Congressional Country Club: You have to hit the ball well to score, and if you miss the ball in the wrong spots, you have some serious lag putting. Lag putting was one of my strengths that week, and I hope it carries over to Turnberry.

As host, I had a lot going on that week at Congressional. Thanks to my staff, the members, volunteers, military, fans and players for making it such a special week. We generated a lot of awareness and raised funds for the Tiger Woods Foundation, and I'm very grateful to all for helping make it such a big success.

In addition to everything we do at the AT&T National for the troops, we also hosted several Earl Woods Scholars all week. They volunteered in the USO Care Package Tent. I was very proud to have them there representing the Foundation and the scholarship program we created in honor of my Dad. He and I always talked about honoring the military and helping kids. I thought about him a lot after the tournament, and I think he would be pretty happy with how things turned out.

I had a little fun at the awards ceremony, where I interviewed myself. I've always wanted to do that, but it never came to fruition. I certainly didn't realize it would get so much play in the media. All in all, it was a fantastic week, and I am looking forward to bringing the tournament to Philadelphia and Aronimink in 2010.

I must admit it's pretty cool to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Memorial (Jack Nicklaus) and my tournament in the same year, especially while they're still around. It makes it that much more special.

Congratulations to my friend Roger Federer for winning Wimbledon and his record 15th major title. He's now one ahead of me, so hopefully I can catch him. We've never played golf or tennis together, which is something I would like to do. We're not in the same city very often, and when we are, we're usually competing in tournaments, so there's not a lot of free time.

Before my knee surgery last year, I played a lot of tennis and really enjoyed it. I'm not sure if I am a better tennis player than Roger is a golfer. I know he just started playing, so I'm not sure how good he is. As for my tennis, I'm a weekend hack.

Prior to the U.S. Open, I spent some time in New York promoting my new EA Sports video game, "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10." Jimmy Fallon beat me straight up the first time we played, but I got him the second time. He's a great guy, and we had a lot of fun.

Hope we don't get too wet this week, and I'll talk to you after the British Open.

t's nice to be home for the holidays after two weeks on the road. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a W, but I played well in stretches and feel encouraged about my game.

The first stop on my trip was Japan, where I played in a nine-hole, made-for-television pro-am with Ryo Ishikawa. Actually, I played three holes against Ryo; three holes against junior golfers in which we played three different formats; and three more holes against Ryo.

I've gotten to know Ryo pretty well. I played with him the first two rounds at the British Open last year at Turnberry and at The Presidents Cup in San Francisco. He's just a great kid. He just won again recently, which I think was his ninth professional win. When I was his age, I was still playing college golf.

Then I went to Shanghai, China, to play in the WGC-HSBC Champions. I had two good bookend rounds but didn't quite get it done in the middle rounds. I basically eased into a top 10, tying for sixth.

From there, I went to Thailand to play in the World Salutes King Bhumibol skins tournament at Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi against Thongchai Jaidee, Camilo Villegas and Paul Casey. I only won one skin, but the fans were just so nice. They were so happy to be out there watching us play golf.

I finished up the trip in Melbourne, Australia, at the JBWere Masters, where I finished fourth. I finally got it going on Sunday, when I played the last six holes 6-under par and shot 65. I can't wait until I can do that for an entire tournament.

It just takes time to build. You just have to go piece by piece. Before, I couldn't even do it on the driving range and now I can. Now, after working with Sean Foley, I can do it on the golf course sporadically, then it becomes more consistent. Eventually, it becomes a full 18 holes and beyond that, a full tournament.

I could just never gauge those greens in Australia because they were so much slower than anyone had envisioned a sandbelt course being. Everyone was surprised -- it wasn't just me. I love sandbelt courses, and they have probably the best bunkering on the entire planet.

I did want to make a couple comments about the Ryder Cup. Losing aside, it was a great experience. I had a good week with Steve Stricker again. Even though we lost one match pretty lopsided, we did well in the other matches. He and I together are 6-1, which is not too bad.

We had a great time in the team room. Phil Mickelson and I were partners in Ping-Pong most of the time against anybody that wanted to take us on. We didn't go undefeated, but we won every series. Matt Kuchar is an unbelievable player, and Zach Johnson is pretty darn good.

I have to say the people of Wales were extremely nice and very accommodating. The fans were incredible. They were partisan, obviously, but they were so respectful of both sides and great crowds to play in front of.

I recently hosted the Stanford men's golf team for a barbecue at my house. They were in town to play in the Isleworth Invitational, and it's become an annual event. It's great to have the guys around and let them basically ask questions. It's a lot of fun from both sides.

I close out the year Dec. 2-5 at the Chevron World Challenge at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif. I've had good success there, winning four times, and it's always fun to play in front of the Southern California fans. The golf course is always in spectacular shape and on top of that, the world ranking points just add to the field, which is by far our strongest ever.

As for my golf game going forward, the drive is still the same: to win golf tournaments. I had a pretty good run at No. 1 -- 281 consecutive weeks -- but you only stay there if you win.

It's good to see the next generation of players stepping up, because it's great for the game. My generation was Ernie Els, Phil, Retief Goosen and Vijay Singh. Those are the guys I went head-to-head with. But regardless of age, my goal is to beat whoever is in the field.

Obviously, this has been a very difficult year for me and my family, on and off the golf course. I got through the year, and I'm in a much better place than I was a year ago and my life has balance. It was a lot more difficult than people could possibly imagine.

That's all for now. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and a wonderful holiday season.