Couples, Watson, Woods Create Memories at Augusta

The primary storyline for day one of the 2010 Masters was bound to be the return of the world's number one player, Tiger Woods. How would he fare after a 144-day layoff? Would his game show signs of rust? Could he play well enough to be in contention on Sunday?

However, Woods was in the next-to-last group to tee off on Thursday at Augusta, so there was plenty of time for other stories to develop. And boy, did they develop.

First, it was 60-year-old Tom Watson shooting a 5-under par 67, tying his best round ever at Augusta National and grabbing the lead. After nearly winning the British Open at Turnberry, Watson is once again in contention at a major on the young guys' tour.

But later in the day, Watson was done one better by fellow Champions Tour player Fred Couples, who shot a 6-under par 66, good enough for the lead after round one. In the process, Couples became the oldest player to lead the Masters after the first round.

And finally, at 1:42 ET, Woods hit his tee shot on the first hole, and his round was underway. Woods put together a 4-under par 68, his best-ever first round score in the Masters. He also recorded a pair of eagles, at No. 8 and No. 15, the first time he'd ever had multiple eagles in a Masters round.

The "patrons", as the gallery is called at Augusta, could not have been more supportive of Woods. He got a wonderful ovation on the first tee, and the crowds were cheering for him on nearly every hole.

The leaderboard is littered with big names. Couples leads the way, and is followed by a group of six golfers at 5-under par. In that group are Watson, Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood, Y.E. Yang and K.J. Choi. Among those at 4-under par are Woods, Anthony Kim, Ian Poulter, Nick Watney and Ricky Barnes.

It was a good day for players over 50. In addition to the stellar rounds by Couples and Watson, Sandy Lyle shot 3-under par 69, while Bernhard Langer shot 71.

Monday Brings Multiple Huge Stories

Monday, April 5 could be one of the biggest days of sports news ever. Simply put. There are a plethora of gigantic stories taking place on this first Monday of the month.

First, the Major League Baseball season really gets underway today, after Sunday's opening game. For many people, the beginning of baseball marks the start of Spring. Every team, even my beloved Cincinnati Reds, has hope for the new season on Opening Day.

The NCAA Mens' Basketball National Championship Game is also tonight, pitting the Cinderella Butler Bulldogs against the powerhouse Duke Blue Devils. Can the Bulldogs pull off a "Hoosiers"-type upset in their own backyard?

What could be the most interesting story of the day is Tiger Woods meeting a full throng of media for the first time since his sex scandal began shortly after Thanksgiving. Can the unflappable Tiger keep his cool in the face of some questions that he surely doesn't want to answer?

As if that weren't enough, late on Sunday night, the Philadelphia Eagles traded All-Pro quarterback Donovan McNabb within the division, sending him to Washington for a pair of draft picks.

Today has to be one of the biggest days for sports in a long time. It should be interesting.

Tiger's Return at Masters is a Stroke of Genius

There are reports from several media outlets today that Tiger Woods will return to the PGA Tour at one of his most successful stops, Augusta National, where he has won four green jackets.

This move makes quite a bit of sense. First, Woods has won at Augusta four times, although he hasn't won there since 2005 (perhaps due to the "Tiger-proofing" of the course).

Second, Woods has said throughout his career that his goal is to surpass Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major championships. Sitting out a major, particularly one where he has had quite a bit of success, would make little sense.

More importantly, with the tough ticket at Augusta, even for the media, Woods will face only the credentialed media that the Augusta National allows into the venue for the storied event. This will prevent the invasion of tabloid media, who would want to talk about Tiger's sex life rather than his golf.

Woods is now working with former White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, who has become a sports "crisis management" expert since his days in Washington. The move to return at the Masters has Fleischer's name written all over it.

Woods has apologized for his alleged affairs, and now hopes to return to the world where he once was the king. It will be interesting to see how Woods is received upon his return. A man who was once beloved by most fans will most certainly face scrutiny upon his return to the tour. How he handles that will be another interesting facet of his return to competitve golf.

So prepare yourselves Steve Stricker, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, etc. Tiger is coming back, and he's likely to be the Tiger of old.