'Tiger only plays events he believes he can win'

As Tiger Woods prepares for a comeback at next week's Augusta Masters, his caddie Steve Williams is hoping that spectators at the course would behave themselves and not taunt the embattled golfer about the sex scandal that triggered his fall from grace.

"Augusta are very specific with who they let in there, so they are genuine golf fans," Williams told The Times.

"I don't really expect any of those people having any problems. I think they will be very happy to see Tiger playing at Augusta where he's been successful," he added.

Williams hoped that the audience at Augusta, the city in Georgia where the Masters is held every spring, will be focused on the game and not preoccupied with Woods' extramarital affairs during the April 5 to 11 event.

"The people that are going to watch at Augusta are called patrons there, not spectators. They are all golf fans and it is a very difficult tournament to get into. It is the only golf tournament in the world there is waiting list to get in to," he said.

Woods has not played for the past five months as shocking details of his extramarital affairs have received worldwide attention.

The scandal erupted after Woods' wife Elin found out about his extramarital affair with Rachel Uchitel, a New York party planner, which led to an argument and an accident on November 27 when Woods crashed his SUV outside his Florida mansion sustaining minor injuries.

Speaking in front of a roomful of friends and colleagues for 14 minutes in February, Woods apologised for his behavior, asked the media to back off from his private life, and revealed that he would use Buddhism to get his life back on track.

Williams, who is Woods' caddie for the past 11 years, also said Woods was confident of a winning return to the course.

"Tiger doesn't play in golf tournaments unless he believes he can win," Williams said.

"Tiger's key strength as we all know is his mental strength and he is going to need it all through this period.