The Masters is in danger of becoming a sideshow after Tiger Woods picked the year's first golf major to make his comeback.

By Eugene YS Han

Yes, Tiger Woods is back. After all the controversy and speculation over his comeback date, Tiger has chosen to take his first competitive swing this year at arguably the biggest major of the season - the Masters.

But could the return of one of the richest and most successful sportsman of the modern sporting stratosphere overshadow the fierce traditions that Augusta has proudly displayed since it was established in 1934?

The Masters, which starts on April 8, is thought to be a perfect venue for Tiger's return because of its renowned tight security and its knowledgeable and respectable spectators.

And Tiger has fond memories at Augusta after winning the Masters in 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2005. Incidentally, this is also the place where Tiger won his first major and he did it by a record 12 strokes. Up to this day, Masters regulars have relived that winning moment to anybody willing to listen.

That major win started the Tiger phenomenon as the American sought to chase down Jack Nicklaus's 18 major wins record. Tiger's major wins now stands at 14 and he will be desperate to narrow the gap between him and Nicklaus.

After Tiger announced he was going to withdraw from golf indefinitely following the scandal, there were fears that the world number one could miss this year's four majors altogether.

But now that he's announced his comeback at the peaceful confines of Augusta, will the Masters become a sideshow with the American's return to golf?

Security is already expected to increase ten-fold around Tiger in anticipation of an increase in crowds eager to get a bird's eye view of the golfer who has not hit a golf ball competitively since Thanksgiving night.

Many golfing professionals are glad to have him back, but if they are picked to be the American's playing partners at the Masters, I doubt they will be glad any more. There is always a mob wherever Tiger goes on the green and imagine how much bigger Tiger's following will become now.

Will golf fans, as knowledgeable as they are at Augusta, resist heckling Tiger? Will golf commentators resist mentioning a single word about Tiger's infidelity?  If  they mention even a word, will they be 'deported' out of the event unceremoniously, thus creating even more bad publicity for Tiger and the tournament?

Will Tiger be available for press conferences before and after his rounds?

There are more and more questions but no definite answers - just yet.

There's no doubt that Tiger's return to competitive golfing action will boost golf in this present financial climate. He might, in time, make his former sponsors regret dropping him.

But to make his return at the year's first major and without playing in another smaller tournament could backfire on Tiger as well as on the Masters. Perhaps the Masters is one tournament too soon for Tiger's return to golf.