We know what you're thinking -- will our No. 1 Player to Watch in 2010 even play in 2010? In the aftermath of a one-car accident on Thanksgiving night and an admission of infidelity, Woods announced in December that he would take an indefinite leave of absence from the game. That means there is no set timetable for his return, so your guess on when we'll next see Tiger at a TOUR event is as good as ours. But whenever he does return, Tiger has proven that as a competitor, he is second to none. He returned last year after an eight-month layoff due to ACL reconstruction in his left knee to win six times and finish 11th or better in 15 of the 16 stroke play events he entered. That level of consistency helped lift him to his second FedExCup title. However, Woods didn't win a major last year, the first time that has happened since the 2004 season. His best chance came at the PGA Championship -- but it was also one of his most shocking defeats, as Y.E. Yang became the first player to overtake Woods in the final round of a major; Tiger previously was 14-0 when leading a major after 54 holes. So, depending on when Woods does decide to return to the PGA TOUR, golf's crown jewels undoubtedly will be foremost on his mind. He has won at three of the venues -- Augusta National, Pebble Beach and St. Andrews -- and Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 still looms large on the horizon.
Perhaps you have heard of him. He may be taking a leave of absence, but he isn't going away. I promise.
His Total Driving (21st in Distance, 86th in Accuracy) was 12th on TOUR, by far his best mark since his epochal 2000 season, when he ranked first.
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