Fans here from near and far to get a glimpse of Tiger's return

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The fans are out in full force for the first round of Match Play.

MARANA, Ariz. -- The minute Mary Baukol and Jeannie Pladsen heard the news last week, they started looking at maps and airline schedules.

Neither woman had ever seen Tiger Woods play in person. What better time to make that happen than at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship as the game's No. 1 player returned after an eight-month layoff?

"This was our one chance," Pladsen said with a smile.

So Baukol and Pladsen decided to fly to Mesa, Ariz., and camp with friends there. Then they drove two-and-a-half hours Wednesday morning to the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, where they awaited the 12:02 MT tee time for Woods' match with Brendan Jones.

"It's been awesome," said Baukol as the two stood by the gallery rope on the left side of the first fairway. "I was 20 feet away from him at the putting green. I said if I got his ball, I thought I would just swallow it."

The two women live in Starbuck, Minn. -- yes, just like the coffee -- where, as an aside, it was 5 degrees on Wednesday. A "heat wave," Baukol said with a chuckle. Pladsen added that the wind chill there this winter has been as low as 40 below zero -- not at all like those 90-degree temperatures in Marana that prompted the two friends to break out the short shorts and short sleeves.

Cautioned not to get sunburned, Baukol said, "Don't worry. We've got our shirts in there," pointing to a pouch she was carrying. She was also armed with one of the PGA TOUR Network radios, and she relayed information to Pladsen.

"He's on the tee," Baukol said as the two women leaned against the gallery rope and tried to get a better glimpse of Woods. "He's not using driver."

Woods, who found the right side of the fairway with his first competitive shot in 254 days, is Baukol's favorite golfer. She likes the way he handles himself as well as the way he plays the game.

"Being the No. 1 golfer in the world, when he's asked a question, he's so honest and humble when he could be arrogant," Baukol said. "He was brought up by a great dad, and I think he'll be the same with his family.

"So it's the humanist as well as his great talent."

And her second favorite? Baukol likes Sunday's Northern Trust Open winner Phil Mickelson for many of the same reasons as she likes to follow Woods.

"I think he's a gentleman," Baukol said. "I liked what he said about Tiger coming back -- how he welcomed him and how he's golf's stimulus package. (Tiger) is a threat to everyone, but they need him to help draw the big crowds and make the big money."

Tiger and Phil are popular with the female fans, but It's not only women following them this week.

Jim Garcia was standing alone about 10 feet away from Baukol and Pladsen, also armed with a radio to keep tabs on the action. He lives in Oracle, which is about 32 miles away, and is attending the Accenture Match Play Championship for the third time.

Garcia smiled when someone asked whether he thought Jones had a chance against the No. 1 player in the world.

"Everyone has a chance," Garcia said. "But Tiger is hungry. And he looked pretty darn good warming up on the range."