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After not making a comeback as suggested he might in the World Match Play tournament, Tiger Woods will be making a statement about his future on Friday. He had decided to take an indefinite break from the game after certain aspects of his personal life came to a head in the media. No-one is certain as to what his announcement will be, but it should reveal all about his place in the future of the game of golf. There was a lot of spectulation that Tiger would come out of the woods and play in the Match Play tournament, sponsored by Accenture, who was one of the sponsors which dropped Woods after his alleged extramarital affair.

While his announcement will occur during the tournament in Arizona, this perhaps this is a sign that he is ready to get his life and his game back in order. There will no doubt be an apology to the people he has let down, including his fans. There is still plenty of time for Woods to add to his glittering array of Majors this year, but once he does step back onto the tee in competition, he will be under even more scrutiny than before. Perhaps this is the first step back towards the game, in which his absence is having some major knock on effects.

In the Match Play tournament itself, which is unique on the PGA Tour as it is a knockout tournament, England’s Ross McGowan came up trumps after he beat the tournament’s top seed Steve Stricker in the second round. This truly was a case of top against bottom, as McGowan is the bottom seed in the tournament. Stricker wasn’t the only upset of the first round, as Ross Fisher, Kenny Perry, Padraig Harrington, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Angel Carbrera and Henrik Stenson all fell victim to first round losses.

This tournament is like a tennis tournament, broken down into four quarters, with a straight knockout and players trying to progress their way through the competition to the final. Tiger Woods has won the tournament three times, and would have been the perfect return to time. Defending champion Geoff Ogilvy who is strong favourite to win the tournament, comfortably got through the first round against Alexander Noren 7 and 5. He now goes on to play Camilo Villegas in the second round, who endured a first round match of up and down fortunes, and will have his work hard to get the best of Ogilvy.

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, one of the rising stars of the golf tour is through to the second round, but had to kick things up a gear as he was faced with elimination. He was matched up against Kevin Na and had to stage something of a comeback to squeeze through 3 and 2, and now goes on to play Oliver Wilson who knockout out veteran Jimenez in the first round. Britain’s Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood should be in the mix through the latter stages of the tournament. Poulter in particular is perfect for Match Play as he has that air of flair for this type of thing, and Westwood has looked in food form throughout the first stages of 2010 and will always be in with a shout.

There is some great golf to be played, but the big announcement by Tiger Woods threatens to overshadow that a bit. Hopefully not, as the last 32 players left in the tournament give it their bests to reach the final in this incredibly exciting singles Match Play tournament.

1st Quarter – Bobby Jones Bracket
Ross McGowan v Ryo Ishikawa
Robert Carlson v Thongchai Jaidee
Jeev Milkha Singh v Matt Kuchar
Ian Poulter (10/3 favourite to win Quarter at Stan James) v Adam Scott

2nd Quarter – Ben Hogan Bracket
Martin Kaymer (7/2 favourite to win Quarter at Stan James) v Tim Clark
Sergio Garcia v Anders Handsen
Rory McIlroy v Oliver Wilson
Robert Allenby v Luke Donald

3rd Quarter – Sam Snead Bracket
Jim Furyk (5/2 favourite to win Quarter at SportingBet) v Charl Schwartzel
Sean O’Hair v Stewart Cink
Paul Casey v Mike Weir
Brian Gay v Zach Johnson

4th Quarter – Gary Player Bracket
Lee Westwood v Nick Watney
Ernie Elsa v Retief Goosen
Ben Crane v Y.E. Yang
Geoff Ogilvy (11/2 favourite to win Quarter 5/2 at SportingBet) v Camilo Villegas

World Golf Championships Accenture Match Play Championships Outright
Geoff Ogilvy – 17/2 at Boylesports
Paul Casey – 12/1 at SportingBet
Rory McIlroy – 12/1 at William Hill
Martin Kaymer – 12/1 at Stan James
Lee Westwood – 16/1 at William Hill
Ian Poulter – 16/1 at BetFred

Could Tiger Woods be back in action sooner than most people had anticipated? Whispered rumours from an Australian press, which won’t seem to burn out, is that Woods will return to Tour action on February 17th at the WGC Match Play Championship in Arizona. Since admitting his transgressions, Woods has shied himself away from the public, and away from the game he loves. He has gone through a rough time, with sponsors dropping him, leaving his career in a sand trap, forcing him to take a wedge of time away from the game.

One baffling thing about these rumours is that the Match Play event in Arizona is sponsored  by one the sponsors who unceremoniously dropped Woods as the face of their advertising campaign. Maybe his return there though would show that he has been humbled and it really is all about the golf for him upon his return. The WGC Match Play Championships, is a little different from everything else on the tour, in that it is a knock-out event, leading to a final. The top 64 players on the tour automatically qualify for this, and Woods, should he return, will have only missed one tournament that he would normally show up for. The longer he stays away, the more it could hamper his pursuit of the Majors.

But, golf goes on without Mr Woods, as displayed in the USPGA’s Northern Trust Open in California, and the European Tour out in the Dubai Desert Classic at the moment. In Dubai, Lee Westwood made a great charge towards the top of the leader board yesterday, carding a wonderful 65, but it still wasn’t quite enough to touch Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee who hit a 66 in his second round to move one shot ahead of the pack on -8 under. Spain’s Ryder Cup star, Miguel Angel Jiminez is in contention, also on -7 under with Westwood and Wales’ Stephen Dodd. One of the upcoming new young stars on the tour, Northern Irelands Rory McIlroy, shared the lead after the first round, as he looks to defend his Dubai Crown. After two rounds, the 20 year old shares 5th place.

Dubai Desert Classic Outright Odds (Scores after second round in brackets)
Lee Westwood (-7) – 3/1 at Coral
Rory McIlroy (-6) – 9/2 at SkyBet
Thongchai Jaidee (-8) – 10/1 at Totesport
Charl Schwartz (-6) – 10/1 at Victor Chandler
Alvaro Quiros – 11/1 at William Hill

Over in the USPGA Tour, where the Northern Trust Open 2010 is underway, England’s Justin Rose is trying to hard to put himself on the golfing map again, as he shared 4th place after two rounds. Being played at the Riviera Country Club in California, it is Steve Stricker who is leading the way, along with Dustin Johnson, who made a hole-in-one in his second round. The weather on the course has not been great, with persistent and early darkness from heavy storm clouds causing delays in the game. Sticker and Johnson, under the conditions, look hard to catch after posting scores that have left them three shots clear of the nearest opponent. Johnson isn’t back in the clubhouse yet on his second round, thanks to the bad light, he still has two holes to play, so could still take the lead after two rounds.

Northern Trust Open Outright: Scores after second round in brackets:
Steve Stricker (-10)  – 13/8 at Stan James
Dustin Johnson (-10) – 11/4 at Paddy Power
Andreas Romero (-7) – 12/1 at Bet365
Phil Mickelson (-4) – 12/1 at Boylesports
Justin Rose (-6) – 22/1 at Bet365

The USPGA Tour’s Sony Open in Hawaii is at the third round stage as well, under less than ideal circumstances as well. Sure there is no Tiger Woods around at the moment to draw golfing headlines, but the spirits still look to be good around the USPGA Tour. There were smiles and commerarderie all round in Hawaii. It’s a big gusty out in Hawaii to say the least, and it is has been a show of persistence and determination for the players to get around the beautiful surroundings. Who wouldn’t want to be playing golf out in Hawaii in the middle of January, huh? Anyway, it is Steve Stricker who made an error free round of 67 to leave himself 7 under par, just two shots off the top of the leader board after two rounds. Discipline and focus is what is needed under these conditions, and that is what Stricker has produced, making him a good bet for the tournament. He is worth getting some money down upon, even it if is just to place.

But it is Ryan Palmer who lead at the end of day two, -9 under par, after posting rounds of 65 and 66 consecutively. His game should leave him in contention in the final round, but, as the only non-American in the top ten, Australian Robert Allenby could be the one to watch after looking steadier than ever with his putting. Sinking holes on the green is usually the side of the game which lets him down, but he has gained a marked improved in this tournament so far, and that side of his game alone has made him a real threat. Chad Campbell and Zach Johnson are just two shots off the lead, while joining Stricker on three back are Jeff Quinney and John Merrick (no, not that one) who all in close contention. The winds may not be as bad over the final couple of days and that could make the difference. Davis Love III and Tom Lehman are there or there abouts, as well as Argentina’s Angel Cabrera.

Sony Open Outright Winner
Zach Johnson (-8 under) – 9/2 at BetFred
Steve Stricker (-7 under) – 11/2 at SportingBet
Robert Allenby (-8 under) – 13/2 at Stan James
Chad Campbell (-8 under) – 8/1 at Totesport
Ryan Palmer (-9 under) – 12/1 at SkyBet

For someone renowned as one of the world’s best drivers, it’s hardly surprising that Tiger Woods‘ argument with a tree and a fire hydrant outside of his Florida home has captured the imagination of the world’s media. Especially as speculation seems to be mounting that his early hours collision may not be all it seems. Let’s be honest, despite golf being a big part of the family’s life, it was a bit of a coincidence that the first thing that came to hand for wife Elin when she was trying to break Tiger out of his damaged auto was a golf club. The next question that comes to mind is why break a rear window to fashion an escape – no wonder Woods couldn’t steer properly if he wasn’t sat in the front seat! The theory, of course, is that Tiger’s facial injuries weren’t caused by his crash, more by an irate Mrs Woods who apparently isn’t too pleased about an alleged romance between her husband and New York night club hostess Rachel Uchitel. The couple’s reluctance to speak to police has further fuelled the fire of gossip columnists, which must be very disconcerting for the Woods family who value their seclusion much more than most celebrities (they even holiday on a yacht called ‘Privacy’ for goodness sake). So, then, it wasn’t really a shock when Woods opted to withdraw from his own event, the Chevron World Challenge, in Thousand Oaks in California this week, announcing at the same time that he wouldn’t be resuming his career until 2010. World ranking points are at stake at the Sherwood Country Club, however, so this is no end-of-season shindig and new European number one Lee Westwood has been installed as favourite, with Paddy Power, Victor Chandler and extrabet all offering the Englishman at 13-2. Anthony Kim knows this course like the back of his hand and could be interesting at a general 11-1, but Padraig Harrington looked to be running into form in Dubai last time and Coral’s 8-1 could be the call.

No great surprise as to who leads the way in the golf Tour Championship in Atlanta. The one and only Tiger Woods picked up his game after a slow start to lead Ireland’s Padraig Harrison by a shot in the second round. Woods hit a second round 68, including four birdies, to streak to the front of the pack. His lead could easily have been much wider had he not netted a bogey on the 18th hole, as well as missing some putts in the round which one would expect the great man to sink.

East Lake Golf Club is the setting for the final FedEx Cup point-getting tournament, and if Woods holds on to his lead then he’ll bag himself a cool $10million for the title. Padraig Harrington, who is only one of two Europeans competing (the other being Luke Donald), can also claim the FedEx Cup title if he wins and Woods gets beaten down into third place or worse. Odds will be against that happening though, as the Irishman hasn’t won on the PGA Tour, nor the European Tour this season, despite having the prestige of being a three time majors winner.

The lack of winning form for Harrington is in stark contrast to his closest rival, for Woods has won 6 titles this year, and has won the Tour Championship before in 2007. He wasn’t happy with his round though, despite getting himself to the head of the pack. He appears to expect a lot of room for improvement over the next two rounds. Rain could play a big factor over the next couple of days in Atlanta.

Tour Championship Outright
Tiger Woods – 1/2 Boylesports
Padraig Harrington – 7/1 Boylesports
Sean O’Hair – 12/1 Stan James
Zach Johnson – 33/1 at Boylesports
Dustin Johnson – 40/1 at Boylesports
Stewart Cink – 66/1 at Bet365

Betting Tip: Woods will know what’s wrong with his game and what he needs to do to win. If he gets to the front of the pack playing scratchy shots and missing putts, then it will be game over should he find his rhythm.

The mere fact that Phil Mickelson is back on a golf course speaks volume about the character of the world’s best left-hander. Wife Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer last month and Mickelson immediately suspended his participation on the US PGA Tour to be by her side. Amy faces major surgery next month followed by a lengthy programme of treatment but she’s insisting that her husband try to carry on as normal in the interim, which is why Mickelson did his best to get rid of any ring-rustiness in last week’s St Jude Classic and why he’ll be lining up in this week’s US Open at Bethpage. The two-time winner freely admits that his putting still isn’t finely tuned, so it’s something of a surprise that he’s the one punters have been getting stuck into over the last 24 hours. A market drifter last week Mickelson, who turns 39 this week, is now as low as 10-1 in places but still be backed at 16-1 with Skybet to be what would surely be one of the most popular winners of a major since, well since Tiger Woods won last year’s US Open despite being in chronic pain with a knee injury. Woods, of course, is the man to beat on a course that always plays long but extrabet and betfair’s 2-1 is the biggest quote you are going to get about the defending champion which, as always with Tiger, will either be outstanding value or a criminally short price. Geoff Ogilvy is third choice in the betting at a general 20-1 but I’m of the opinion that Ernie Els is just too big at a general 50-1 for someone with his class. The ‘Big Easy’ looked in good order on his last outing in the Memorial, hitting the fairways and the greens and, though failing to make the most of his birdie chances, that will have given him confidence he can be among the leaders on Long Island. Els goes out with compatriot Retief Goosen (a general 40-1) and Mickelson in the first two rounds and if that doesn’t inspire him, nothing will!

Did you know there are three bridges on the Augusta National course home, of course, of The Masters? One is named after Ben Hogan, one Byron Nelson and one Gene Sarazen. Maybe they should consider naming something permanent after Gary Player, who is making his 52nd appearance at The Masters this year, two more than the legendary Arnold Palmer. The veteran South African can boast 15 top ten finishes in the year’s first Major but that’s still seven less than Jack Nicklaus. I must admit that the only time I’ve encountered a bridge on a golf course it led to a windmill which steadfastly refused to allow my ball through so I could make the clown’s nose light up – but that’s a story for another day. The darling of the Augusta crowd nowadays is, of course, Tiger Woods. Already a winner four times, the 33-year-old has returned from serious knee surgery as good as ever judged on his win in last month’s Arnold Palmer Invitational Tournament at Bay Hill. This is Woods‘first Major since he pushed Rocco Mediate all the way in last year’s US Open on virtually one leg and he’ll be keen to impress. But it must be remembered that Tiger has had to settle for place money on three occasions since beating Chris DeMarco in a sudden-death play-off in 2005 so you must make your mind up whether sportingbet and betdaq’s 9-4 represents value. I’d prefer to look at a few of the alternative markets. For example, how about an interest in Justin Rose to finish the top European? The Briton’s best-ever finish in a Major remains his debut fourth in the 1998 Open at Royal Birkdale but he has a fantastic qualifying record at Augusta, He led at the halfway stage in 2004 and tied at the end of the opening round in 2007 and again last year with eventual winner Trevor Immelman, only to fade away disappointingly after. Rose is very selective in the tournaments he plays nowadays, which means he arrives at Augusta relatively fresh so the 12-1 in this section with Paddy Power and William Hill is certainly worth a second look.

The Champions League emerges from its winter slumber next week with some mouth-watering ties on the table. The pick is arguably Inter Milan against Manchester United and another head-to-head between Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson. Inter, available at 10-1 to win the Champions’ League, are dominating the Scudetto in the same way that United, 11-2 with most layers, are beginning to run away with the Premier League. But they are likely to find the bang in-form Red Devils a different proposition to what they normally come up against in Serie A and it’s difficult to see them coming out on top over two legs. United and Barcelona are unsurprisingly favourites to lift the trophy in Rome in May with Lionel Messi and company preferred in all lists at a general 3-1. They should prove too strong for Lyon, available at 50-1, in the last 16 but great Primera Liga rivals Real Madrid (16-1 with Coral) face a tough task against Liverpool (12-1 in most lists) who traditionally save their best for this competition. The Reds could easily go further than Chelsea (9-1 on betfair and betdaq) and Arsenal (as big as 16-1 in several places) who both face tricky Italian opposition en route to the quarter-finals.

There was a great boost for golf fans this week as Tiger Woods revealed he is to make his first appearance since undergoing extensive knee surgery at a matchplay event in Arizona next week. Tiger will face Australian Brendan Jones in the opening round of the Accenture Championship in his first tournament since winning last year’s US Open and extrabet are taking no chances about the world number one returning as good as ever, offering only 8-15 that Woods wins at least one major in 2009. Tiger is currently 9-4 to win The Masters, the opening major, with the same firm but you can get 11-4 with totesport, skybet and betfair.