NOW he and Elin are proud parents of a son, Charlie, a brother for their daughter Sam, speculation will mount over the coming days over exactly where and when Tiger Woods will chose to make a comeback from injury.
While the world's No1 recovered from cruciate knee ligament surgery – the operation sidelined him for eight months after winning the US Open at Torrey Pines last June – the game of golf missed him dearly.
In a statement confirming the safe arrival
of a second Tiger cub on his website yesterday, Woods said: "Elin and I are thrilled to announce the birth of our son, Charlie Axel Woods, who was born on Sunday, 8 February, 2009. Both Charlie and Elin are doing great and we want to thank everyone for their sincere best wishes and kind thoughts. Sam is very excited to be a big sister and we feel truly blessed to have such a wonderful family.
"I also want to thank our doctors, nurses and the hospital staff for their personal and professional care. We look forward to introducing Charlie to you at the appropriate time, and again thanks from all of us for your kindness and support."
After Woods stressed that Charlie's birth "takes precedence over anything I do golf-wise, but I must admit, I am also excited about returning to competition", many of the professional game's movers and shakers have been crossing their fingers the world's best-known sportsman is preparing to return sooner rather than later.
It goes without saying the planet of professional golf is a very different place to the one Woods vacated last summer after defeating Rocco Mediate in a play-off to collect his 14th major title. Golf has been far from immune to the economic downturn. Given the problems facing car manufacturers as well as the financial sector – two areas which traditionally sponsor tournaments and golfers – it's understandable why the US PGA Tour is feeling the pinch. They don't expect prize money to grow any time soon. Even Woods himself lost a lucrative deal with General Motors thought to be worth around $9million each year. At a time when most sectors of the golf industry in Europe and America are struggling – sales of equipment are down and fewer amateurs are playing the game – Woods' imminent return to action is being hailed on the other side of the Atlantic with the kind of fervour which surrounds a messiah. According to Ty Votaw, executive vice-president of the PGA Tour, Woods' comeback "will be one of the most anticipated returns in the history of sport."
Of course, whether it's reasonable to expect Tiger to solve all of golf's economic woes off the course is a moot point. What the game's best player can deliver on the course is an unblinking desire to compete to the best of his ability which is sure to grow the TV audience for golf in the build-up to the Masters.
Since the pursuit of majors and the goal of surpassing Jack Nicklaus' record haul of 18 titles remains the paramount challenge of Woods' career, it can be taken as read that the most important influence on Tiger's return (other than family matters) will concern how a schedule aids his preparation for Augusta. Many believe Woods will choose the CA championship at Doral in Miami next month to renew acquaintance with the game. It's a world championship event with substantial prize money on a course he likes where he's won three of the four most recent tournaments staged there. More immediately, there's the World Match Play in Arizona at the end of this month. The tournament is supported by Accenture, who also sponsor Woods to the tune of $7million each year.
A physically fit man, it can be assumed Woods was in good shape to handle the rehabilitation programme designed to stabilise his left knee. Although mere mortals might fret over whether they could repeat past glories after such a serious injury, it's typical of Tiger he'll envisage a new ligament helping him to reach fresh heights.
"Many people have asked me if my swing has changed since the surgery and the answer is no," Woods confessed in a newsletter. "I'm doing all the things I've been trying to do for a long time but I can actually hit into my left leg without my bones moving. It's a nice feeling. It is so much better than it ever has been because my bones aren't grinding against each other.
"I did some work with Hank Haney (his swing coach] for a few days and it's all good. I'm full-bore with my practice sessions and have no restrictions; it's just a matter of getting my golf endurance up. I don't have my golf stamina back yet. Once I come back, I'm not sure how much I will play.
"The perfect scenario is I come back without a hitch and play a full schedule. At this point, especially with the baby, I'm taking it tournament-to-tournament. With our new addition, it's going to be a hectic spring."
Woods is aware of his responsibilities to the game. In a sport where all who succeed need a selfish streak, however, the golfer will put his own requirements first. "A lot of people have come up to me and said they really miss me playing, and it's great to have that kind of support," he added. "People have been incredibly nice during my lay-off and I honestly appreciate it. I'm working hard to get myself back into tournament shape and will return as soon as I'm ready."
