months until the Masters, Tiger Woods is waiting only two weeks to tee
it up again.
Woods announced Thursday he will play the Quail
Hollow Championship, which begins April 29. It will be his first time
playing at a tournament where tickets are sold to the general public
since his spectacular downfall from a sex scandal.
Woods tied for fourth last week at the Masters,
which has the most controlled gallery in golf. Weekly badges are
secured months in advance, and fans fear losing them if caught showing
poor etiquette. Woods received warm applause when he teed off in the
first round, and the support was steady throughout the week.
The early commitment was a sign that Woods
plans to be helpful to the promotion of tournaments. He had been
criticized over the years for waiting until the last day to announce he
was playing, except for tournaments to which he had a sponsorship
connection.
"It's going to be a huge benefit for the people
who have been waiting to buy tickets," tournament director Kym Hougham
said. "Ironically, our Saturday daily tickets sold out yesterday. Friday
and Sunday are not far behind, so this will probably put us over the
top, which we're excited about. The economy has made people change their
buying habits and people are waiting longer."
Woods has played the Quail Hollow Championship
four times, winning in 2007. He finished fourth last year, two shots
behind Sean O'Hair.