Tiger made the right decision to return for Masters: Cook

PGA Tour veteran John Cook feels his good friend Tiger Woods has made the right decision to return to golf at the Masters.

“I think it’s a good choice,” said Cook. “As we all know it’s very controlled environment. The patrons there are golf fans. They respect the game, the players and the tradition of the Masters tournament.

“For Tiger to come out then is the right thing to do,” Cook said. “He will be ready to play no matter what. Competitive-wise I think it will be interesting because you can practice and play all you want, but to get back out there and get competitive again is another thing, so we’ll see how that goes.

“I would maybe have liked to see him play one other event before. Just to see where your game is. What your equipment is like. And to kinda shake off those nerves of having to make a two- or three-footer, which you don’t really have to do with your buddies at home,” said Cook.

“Once you have to sign you name on a scorecard, it’s a little bit different than playing with your buddies. In that respect, maybe he would have liked to play an event before, but I certainly understand why he chose Augusta.”

On Tuesday Woods announced he would effectively end a self-imposed exile from the PGA Tour by heading to the familiar confines of Augusta National, April 8-11, for the first major championship of the season and which he’s won four times, including as rookie in 1997.

Woods has been away from the game for several months while attempting to sort out his personal life after having admitted to extra-marital relationships with a number of women.

Cook spoke about Woods, a close friend for years, during a teleconference Wednesday to officially commit to the PGA Champions Tour’s inaugural Montreal Championship, a $1.8 million US event at Fontainebleau Golf Club in Blainville, July 2-4.

The 11-time PGA Tour winner and with four victories on the Champions Tour, the 52-year-old will be joined by three-time U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin, 64, who’s won 45 times on Champions Tour and is the tour’s all-time money leader.

Cooke, who defeated Johnny Miller in a playoff to win the 1983 Canadian Open at Glen Abbey, said only “golf-interested” people will be at Augusta to see Woods and that “golf needs him back.”

He also agreed players are experiencing a kind of “Tiger fatigue” from being regularly asked about the No. 1 player in the world.

“I believe so, but only in the sense that golf needs Tiger back,” said Cook. “Tiger is coming back and the players will welcome him with open arms. Tiger didn’t do anything to hurt the game of golf. He might have hurt himself personally, but he didn’t cheat at golf, he didn’t gamble on golf. So I think the guys are ready for their friend to come back and be part of that fraternity again.

“It was an unfortunate incident, but the guys want to compete against the best and, taking nothing away from the PGA Tour with it’s fine young players and fine young stories, they want to play their game against best, and with Tiger coming back the game of golf is ready for that.

“I’ve missed my friend,” said Cook. “I think he’s taking care of his issues and playing golf is a step forward for him. He knows he’s got other things to take care of, but golf has missed him and now we’re ready to get back to a little bit of normalcy.”

Montreal Gazette

rphillips@thegazette.canwest.com