Alternate Shot: Does Tiger Woods' return deserve the coverage it gets?

Is the hullabaloo surrounding yet another Tiger Woods return to competitive golf just a bit too much? Two of our writers disagree…

Yes, says Mark Townsend

Of course it does. I’m already going a bit cold turkey as the players begin to ‘shut it down’ for the festive period. It feels like Phil Mickelson put his spikes away a couple of months ago.

But not these 18 gladiators/mercenaries, 17 of whom this week nobody could care less about – Jordan, Rickie, Dustin or Justin, it matters not.

No-one’s bothered how any of you get on, at least for the first two days. It’s all about Tiger and I’m as bad as anyone.

I’m not even a Tiger fan but, having repeatedly watched social media snippets of him chipping in a muscle top, putting on an exhibition with Kevin Chapell or driving balls in a fourball with the President, I need more now.

I’d like to see how his chipping is, I’d like to watch how he walks, I’d like to see how he’s rolling it on the greens, I’d like to see the twirl, the stinger, basically I’d like to watch his every move. And I’d like to remind myself of his caddie Joe LaCava.

In short I’ve missed him. And I don’t even like him that much.

Yet I’d love to see him get through the whole week in some sort of decent shape, I’d love to see him with a genuine smile on his chops and I’d love to see him out there throughout 2018 and for the next few years.

No, says James Savage

I just feel like we’ve wound the clock back 12 months and are going through the same merry dance all over again.

To me, it feels like he’s rushed his comeback to play in this event – which is pretty meaningless in the grand scheme of things.

He went from ‘being cleared to hit pitch shots’ by his doctor to whacking driver in a couple of weeks it seemed.

I do hope that he can get through four rounds without breaking down.

If he finishes the tournament that will be a positive, if he finishes anywhere other than dead last then that’s a decent achievement considering how tournament-rusty he must be.

I’m just far from convinced that he’s pain free. He’s told us that before while barely being able to walk without grimacing.

Out-driving Dustin Johnson? Please spare me the nonsense.

Will I be watching his every move? Of course I will. Do I want him to be ‘back’? Of course I do.

But I refuse to get excited about something when there are so many question marks over its legitimacy.