HIS RETURN, it seems, is imminent. Tiger Woods will be in Tucson in Arizona for next week’s Accenture World Matchplay one way or another, either as a player or fulfilling corporate duties for the tournament’s title sponsor. However, the odds have shortened on the world number one actually playing in the matchplay, where he is the defending champion.

Woods - who hasn’t played since undergoing reconstructive surgery on his knee in the days following his US Open win last June - has until next Friday to confirm if he will play.

If Woods decides to play he could face Europe’s newest star Rory McIlroy in the third round following yesterday’s provisional draw.

If there are no withdrawals Woods would open against Australian Brendan Jones and Dubai Desert Classic champion McIlroy against South African Louis Oosthuizen.

British Open and US PGA champion Padraig Harrington’s first opponent would be American Pat Perez.

While Dustin Johnson’s second tour victory in the weather-shortened Pebble Beach Pro-Am yesterday and Denmark’s Anders Hansen’s win on Sunday in the Vodacom Open on the Sunshine Tour in South Africa enabled them move up the world rankings and to secure late spots in the limited 64-man field for the Accenture, the actual line-up won’t be confirmed until Woods makes his decision.

The speculation has increased in recent days that Woods could return to tournament action ahead of schedule. Mark O’Meara, who met Woods last week, was quoted on wire reports from Florida confirming his friend’s well being. “I would say he’s better than ever . . . his legs bothered him for about three years, and it had been pretty bad. I think the break was probably the best thing that ever happened to him,” said O‘Meara, adding: “Eight months away from the game, it gave him a chance to connect with his daughter, see the birth of his son. I think he’s going to come back better than ever. That’s just my opinion, and I can be wrong. But most of the time with Tiger, I’ve been right.”

Woods, who has held the position of world number one for a total of 535 weeks, has seen the gap close between now number two Sergio Garcia in his eight-month absence from tournament play.

Incidentally, the player most concerned about Woods’s plans is Australian Richard Green who is in 65th position in the latest world rankings.

If Woods does play, then Green will miss out on a place in the matchplay field which is limited to the top 64 available players in the rankings.

Harrington remains third in the world rankings, despite missing the cut at Pebble Beach. The Dubliner competes in the third of a four-tournament stint in the United States where he competes in this week’s Los Angeles Open at Riviera, where Graeme McDowell also resumes tournament play in what will be the first tournament of a long stint stateside that takes him up to the Players Championship in May.

McIlroy’s failure to gain a sponsor’s invite to LA (the request was turned down prior to him winning the Dubai Desert Classic) means the Ulster teenager will have to wait until the Accenture next week for his first professional tournament on the other side of the Atlantic.

However, McIlroy plans to make good use of his time in America this week, pencilling in a visit to the Titleist Peformance Institute for a number of days and scheduling a round of golf on Saturday next with Scotty Cameron, the world’s foremost putter designer.

McIlroy’s spectacular climb into the world’s top 20 has been recognised with him being named yesterday as the first winner of The Race to Dubai European Tour Golfer of the Month award. The 19-year-old was the unanimous choice of the panel after grabbing a one-stroke victory in Dubai.

Although Ireland’s three top ranked players Harrington, McIlroy and McDowell have opted to play in the United States for much of the first part of the season, there’s still a strong Irish contingent competing in this week’s Johnnie Walker tournament in Australia where Damien McGrane, Peter Lawrie, Gary Murphy and Gareth Maybin are included in a field headed by world number 11 Anthony Kim. Maybin has moved to a career high 84th in the latest world rankings, following his sixth place finish in the Malaysian Open on Sunday.

Maybin’s fast start to his first full season on tour, which has seen him earn over €204,000 in rising to 19th on the Race to Dubai standings, has meant that the Team Ireland Golf Trust - who yesterday announced grant funding of €231,000 to 18 aspiring professional players - decided not to provide him with any financial assistance.

Five players - four of them women with cards on the Ladies European Tour - have been awarded the top funding for €20,000 in the latest tranche of awards which have been going for 10 years: Martina Gillen, Claire Coughlan, Rebecca Coakley and Tara Delaney. Former Walker Cup player Jonathan Caldwell, who is in his first season on tour, also received the top funding.

The 18 players selected for funding cover aspiring professionals on both the main men’s and women’s European Tours, as well as players on developmental tours like the EuroPro Tour and the Hooters Tour in America.

Ballybunion GC was yesterday officially confirmed as hosts to the 2009 Irish Seniors Open from June 5th-7th.