Tiger Woods confirms PGA return at The Masters

On Tuesday, Tiger Woods confirmed what most had suspected: he will return to the PGA Tour at the Masters. The first round of the tournament is April 8th.

Tiger Woods has not competed since Nov. 15th, when he won the Australian Masters. That was his 82nd victory worldwide. Following that, on Black Friday 2009, he had a now famous single-car accident that opened up the doors to the scandal involving his numerous affairs.

He's been dropped by some sponsors, minimized by others, and he took a leave of absence from the PGA tour. Since then, he's been at sex addiction clinics, as well as attempting to repair his relationship with his wife, Elin Nordegren Woods.

Tiger Woods has 14 major wins (The Masters, the PGA Championship, the British Open, and the U.S. Open), while Jack Nicklaus leads overall with 18. It was widely believed, and in fact, reported by AP last Thursday, that Woods would not miss any major championships this year as he attempts to surpass Nicklaus.

In a press release on his website, Tiger Woods said:

"The Masters is where I won my first major, and I view this tournament with great respect. After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I'm ready to start my season at Augusta.

"The major championships have always been a special focus in my career and, as a professional, I think Augusta is where I need to be, even though it's been awhile since I last played.

"I have undergone almost two months of inpatient therapy, and I am continuing my treatment. Although I'm returning to competition, I still have a lot of work to do in my personal life.

"When I finally got into a position to think about competitive golf again, it became apparent to me that the Masters would be the earliest I could play. I called both Joe Lewis and Arnold Palmer and expressed my regrets for not attending the Tavistock Cup and the Arnold Palmer Invitational. I again want to thank them both for their support and their understanding. Those are fantastic tournaments, and I look forward to competing in them again.

"I would also like to thank the Augusta National members and staff for their support. I have deep appreciation for everything that they do to create a wonderful event for the benefit of the game."

Watch a video report:

Man Loses Arm to Golf Course Alligator

I can see a lawsuit coming on this one, as this was a private golf course. I can even see part of the paperwork, saying the "course should have taken care to make sure no 'gators were on the course." A 77-year-old golfer lost part of his arm when an alligator bit him as he leaned over to pick up his ball at a private South Carolina course.

The incident took place at Ocean Creek Golf Course. The man was retrieving his ball from a water hazard. The 10-foot alligator pulled him into the pond and performed a series of "death rolls," which is a technique crocodilians use to rip pieces off of their prey.

The victim was taken to the Medical University of South Carolina. Wildlife workers killed the alligator and performed removed the man's arm from the animal's digestive tract. Reports are that doctors attempted to re-attach the arm, but it is unclear if they managed to do so successfully.

The video below shows an example of a (small) alligator doing a death roll.