Tour chief may reveal Woods return date

US PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem has called a media teleconference for this evening, a day after hinting he knows when Tiger…

US PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem has called a media teleconference for this evening, a day after hinting he knows when Tiger Woods will return to golf.

Although the Tour gave no details of what Finchem will speak about at 6:30pm (Irish time), in Miami yesterday he said he expected the wait for Woods to announce his comeback date will be over "pretty soon".

"I'm as excited as everybody else to see him back I hope this spring, but my sense is we'll know pretty soon," Finchem said.

"Everybody's done looking back at the circumstances that resulted in him stepping away from the game and (are) now focused on when he's going to play golf.

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"I think that's good. I think that means people are paying attention to what he said.

"It's going to be huge when he comes back and it's going to be an interesting thing - how he re-enters the game, how he plays, how he deals with the reaction to his statement.

"But I do feel this huge change in the atmosphere because of what he said.

"I was impressed not only about him talking about personal issues, but about talking about the game, a renewed respect.

"I thought he set the bar for himself and we all know what happens when Tiger sets the bar from himself."

In his February 19th public appearance Woods, out of action since November because of revelations over extra-marital affairs, stated: "I do plan to return to golf one day, I just don't know when that day will be.

"I don't rule out that it will be this year. When I do return, I need to make my behaviour more respectful of the game."

The most recent indications are that he is planning a return in The Masters at Augusta on April 8-11, although the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando starting on March 25 has not yet been ruled out.