With Tiger around, PGA season really begins

Woods, vying for 7th straight Tour win in Buick, skipped first three tourneys

The 2007 PGA season enters its fourth week at the Buick Invitational, but in some respects, it feels like opening day because of the enormous interest Tiger Woods brings to golf.

ON THE FRINGE

Updated: 6:18 p.m. ET Jan. 23, 2007

SAN DIEGO - Two people turned into six, which soon turned into a dozen, all of them standing behind the first tee Tuesday on the North Course at Torrey Pines as darkness gave way to dawn.

And they weren’t there to watch Bubba Watson.

Even big-hitting Bubba was waiting on Tiger Woods to show up for the first time at a PGA Tour event in nearly four months. He eventually gave up, blasted his pink-shafted driver out of sight and played alone until Woods caught up to him on the back nine.