Aussies invite Tiger back

TIGER WOODS’ squeaky clean image may have taken a battering since his most recent tournament appearance at the Australian Masters but that has not stopped local officials from inviting him back.

Woods was paid €2.1 million just for playing the Australian Masters in Melbourne in November but local government officials said his appearance provided them with a financial windfall.

Victoria state tourism minister Tim Holding said the American was welcome anytime, despite the revelations about his personal life, after his appearance injected €21.5 million into the local economy, double the forecast.

“We have made it clear that Tiger is welcome to come play golf any time in Victoria,” Holding said. “The question of what Tiger Woods does in the future is a matter for him, we respect that and he is always welcome to play here.”

Woods, who hasn’t been seen by the general public since he crashed his Escalade outside his Florida home November 27th, graces the February cover of Vanity Fair wearing a tight black toque but no shirt.

The photo of a buff and stern-faced Woods, who is holding a dumbbell in each hand, was taken by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz in 2006, long before Tiger’s world came crashing down amid allegations he had cheated on his wife, Elin.

The photo, one in a series trumpeted on the magazine’s cover as “raw, never-before-seen photos”, accompanies a story titled “Tiger in the Rough” by Buzz Bissinger.

The magazine hits news stands in New York and Los Angeles today with a mainstream rollout set for next week.

Meanwhile, victory over Asia at this week’s Royal Trophy would be vital in reviving European matchplay ahead of the Ryder Cup, according to the team captain for both events, Colin Montgomerie.

Having endured crippling defeats to Asia and the US in the last team contests, Monty believes wrestling back the Royal Trophy would provide a big lift to the European players and a chance to impress him ahead of Octobers Ryder Cup.

“It’s very important to start the Ryder Cup year with a win and it’s important for European golf to get off to a flying start,” Montgomerie said.

“It’s a tournament we must win. Having lost the last edition of the Royal Trophy, it’s very important for us to get back to winning ways,” he said.

“We’ve been lucky over the last 20 years when you think of our Ryder Cup success and we lost that last time, so we need a great start in 2010 and we’re looking forward to victory.”