Tiger Woods Roundup: Return to up Masters ratings 16 percent?

So Bloomberg reports today on a Seton Hall Sports Poll which contends that Tiger Woods’ return to the Masters will increase the event’s TV ratings by 16 percent. Hmm; that seem a little low to you? Also, 45 percent of people said that Wooods’ return would be good for golf, while 9 percent said that it would have a negative effect. And 44 percent — this baffles me — said his return would have no effect.
That’s right, business as usual, everyone. Pay no attention to the man being followed by helicopters.
But here’s the really pertinent number:

The value of advertising spots during the Masters will increase by 43 percent, according to Brad Adgate, director of research at New York-based ad company Horizon Media Inc. With Woods playing, a 30-second commercial is worth $500,000; without him, it’s valued at about $350,000, he said.

The presence of the world’s top-ranked player at Augusta National Golf Club will make no difference to the viewing plans of 77 percent of those surveyed. Only 11 percent of women will be rooting for Woods, compared with 18 percent of men. Another 75 percent said they had no preference.

“Women are not as embracing about his return or about his winning, which is not surprising, given the nature of his scandal,” Rick Gentile, director of the poll, said in a news release.

Color me doubtful. Those 75 percent who say that they have no preference? By the final day — if Tiger is in contention — they’ll be screaming at their TVs rabidly rooting either for or against him. And you will be among them.
Now, more of the latest Tiger Woods news.

* Fred Couples told the Golf Channel that he would be playing a practice round with Woods on the Monday before the Masters begins. Tiger’s first official partner since Rachael Uchitel? [Trailing Tiger]

* Porn star Joslyn James is getting ready to post pictures on her new site, SextingJoslynJames.com, supposedly “related to her relationship with Tiger Woods.” Here’s hoping they’re NSFW. [SportsbyBrooks]

* Woods will hold a press conference the Monday before the Masters. I believe you get tickets to that through Fandango. [Golf.com]

* Tiger shot a new commercial for Nike. This was his real comeback.

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Woods’s Return May Boost Masters Audience by 16%, Poll Says [Bloomberg]