Tiger's Augusta par-3 promise

For the first time in six years Tiger Woods will play in the pre-tournament par-3 competition at Augusta. This is perhaps the clearest sign yet that he intends to make himself more accessible to the millions of sports fans that harbour more than just a passing interest in him.

But as Tiger continues his attempt at drawing a line under the events that have thrust him into world's celebrity spotlight, yet more revelations have broken. The latest issue of Vanity Fair magazine features an article with in-depth interviews with a number of his alleged mistresses. For the press within this media centre this has added fuel to a fire that already had no sign of dying out.

Monday's press conference was a unique event and as the dust has settled the general view within the media centre is that there are more questions than answers. One uncertainty that perpetuates is this, "if Tiger is going to become more open and honest, why are so many of the events in November and December still shrouded in mystery?"

While some believe that Tiger is back on the right path, there is a significant portion of the press corps that feel that nothing has changed. Time will tell.

The good news for Woods is that tomorrow morning the Masters finally begins and attention will naturally shift towards the action on the course. Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus will take their place as honorary starters and the army of hopeful Europeans will begin their bid to win a Green Jacket. Tiger's story will at last become the sub-plot - that is, unless he wins!

In July 2023, Neil became just the 9th editor in Golf Monthly's 112-year history. Originally working with the best coaches in the UK to produce instruction content, he went on to become a feature writer interviewing many of the biggest names in the game including Tiger Woods, Seve Ballesteros, Rory McIlroy and Arnold Palmer.

A 5-handicap golfer, Neil is a club member who takes a keen interest in the health of the game at grassroots level. You’ll often now find him writing about club-related issues such as WHS, membership retention and how best to bridge the gap between the range and the course.