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There has been much talk about Tiger Woods picking the Masters for his comeback appearance because of the tightly controlled environment at Augusta National, thus providing a comfort zone for the world's most famous golfer to resume his career.
His return is being billed as the biggest television ratings bonanza in golf history.
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But it's possible that Augusta National's power is so strong that Woods' comfort zone would include no live TV coverage of his first round.
ESPN has the first two rounds of Masters telecasts, April 8 and 9, and is limited to 3 1/2 hours of live coverage each day - 3 to 6:30 p.m. If Woods tees off early in the first round, he could be done before ESPN's telecast starts, thus relegating the monster media event to at best live on-line coverage of him on holes 11, 15 and 16 (where all players are scheduled to be shown) and brief "look-ins."
Masters chairman Billy Payne was not available for comment yesterday. But a source in Augusta told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch there "absolutely" is the possibility Woods would play outside live TV coverage. An ESPN source said "it is true" that Woods could play before TV coverage commences.
Tee times traditionally are not announced until the Tuesday before play starts on a Thursday.
CBS has the final two rounds of the Masters, and if Woods misses the cut or is not in contention and thus plays early during the weekend, it also could be shut out of a significant amount of live coverage of his return - its telecasts begin at 2:30 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
In other golf news:
* Garrett Willis made the most of a sponsor exemption, getting five birdies on the back nine for a 6-under 65 and the first-round lead in the Transitions Championship in Palm Harbor, Fla. Defending champion Retief Goosen was two strokes back at 67 along with Jeff Maggert, Jim Furyk, Carl Pettersson, Jonathan Byrd and Rickie Fowler.
* England's Nick Dougherty shot a 7-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead in the European Tour's Trophee Hassan II in Rabat, Morocco. Dougherty had an eagle and five birdies in a back-nine 30.
* The NCAA fined Nevada's athletic department $1,500, placed both its golf teams on probation for 3 years and took away a scholarship but cleared the school's other sports of any rule violations and concluded there was no proof an ex-coach gambled on college games.
The NCAA investigation that began more than 2 years ago determined that Rich Merritt, former coach of both the men's and women's teams at various times, bought athletes beer, paid for meals and lodging, and helped cover travel expenses for one to try to qualify for the U.S. Open.
College Football
* Michigan has a marquee opponent for the first night game at the Big House: Notre Dame. The game is set for Sept. 10, 2011. New Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said he expects an unprecedented atmosphere at Michigan Stadium.
"For us, it's an experiment," he said Thursday. "If all goes well, we'd like to have one game a year at night at Michigan Stadium."
* Tennessee coach Derek Dooley said running back Bryce Brown has left the Volunteers' program. Dooley said Brown told him he was dealing with personal and family problems. Brown was not present for the first spring practice.
Horse Racing
* Charles John "Chick" Lang, the longtime head of Pimlico Race Course who helped make the Preakness a must-watch for sports fans around the country, died at age 83. Elizabeth Berquist said her grandfather, known as "Mr. Preakness," died of natural causes in a medical facility on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
