Mr Woods, we've been expecting you....

So it would seem the time has finally come for golf's most fornicated, sorry, decorated son to return to the game after another lengthy absence for abstinence!

No sooner had I put down my quill having moaned about the PGA Tour announcing that no comeback date for Mr Woods had been decided, the man himself pops in to tell us he will return at April's Masters tournament.

It seems fitting that he would choose the scene of his first Major win to try and redeem himself in the public eye. But you have to feel that pulling off a victory will be one of the hardest tasks of his career! Even more so than keeping multiple affairs under wraps for over a year when you're one of the most globally recognisable people to have ever existed! (I'm not condoning his behaviour, but credit where credits due!)

The whole comeback has been greeted with an air of sceptism and widespread tutting in the sporting world as the announcement comes less than a month after Tiger's souless and scripted apology in a live Florida address. At the time the serial bed hopper hinted that it may be a while before he returned but was making progress with a long road ahead. 27 days aint that long!

Golf will benefit from this return more than Woods will. The sport needs him like he needs cocktail waitresses! They're not going to be happy though, with no more hush money income they'll have to survive on wages alone! Tiger on the other hand could happily retire and live out his life in luxury without ever working again. So why rush this return?

You also have to wonder how the bloke has convinced Elin to stay with him. I know he's wedged up but a divorce would see her gain somewhere in the region of $500million, so it can't be for the money! Maybe she genuinely loves him, that would be an interesting twist in a celebrity marriage. Now Elin hasn't come out and said she's definitely staying, but the sickening publicity stunt which saw them both appear out in matching Nike hats hints to giving it a go. The man, the woman and the corporation defiant against the world! Apparently Tiger's offered to whisk her away on his yacht, "Privacy" to get away from the media. Presumably before it becomes her yacht.

Another intriguing subplot in this saga will be to see what endorsements Tiger gets hold of when he's back full time. I still think "Tag Heure" missed a trick dropping him. Think of the taglines that could be created with the brand name. "Tag Heure......and her, and her, and her".

I've got a sneaking suspicion that Tiger will retire when he breaks Jack Nicholas' Major record haul of 18 wins and may well just play in the 4 majors and maybe the WGC events until he breaks the record. Might be a comprimise! The theory being that if he plays four weeks a year he can be a proper family man and still chase the record. Also, the quicker he gets them, the quicker he can have a luxury retirement. Tiger was only playing 10 tournaments outside the majors anyway, mainly due to sponsorship deals. However it will be interesting to see how good he still is, as I'm fairly sure he's undergoing psychological help to stop him putting it in 18 different holes.

Whatever schedule the fallen man decides to take on for the rest of his career it will surely benefit the game of golf. It has been clear to see the decrease in viewing figures since the last time a member of the Woods family swung a golf club, and that was Elin. You can also be sure that his return will cause another media circus, so choosing the Masters makes sense as it is far more private than any other tournament on the calendar.

However, there will be no hiding place for Tiger when he returns, there will still be press baying for his blood and if he thinks he'll get through the week without people prying into his personal life then he obviously hasn't met the British tabloids!

I for one am looking forward to the Masters that little bit more now. For no other reason than Tiger won't win, but just being in the field will push everyone else odds up at the bookies!

And to quote the lothario himself, golf needs Tiger back "Huge....Quickly"