**THE MASTERS****Venue: **Augusta National **Date: **8-11 April **Coverage: **Watch live on BBC TV, High Definition, Red Button and BBC Sport website (UK only); listen on BBC Radio 5 live and online (UK only); text commentary online and on mobile phones
**Tiger Woods received a warm reception on the first tee at the US Masters on his much-publicised return to golf.**Woods is playing his first tournament in five months after a self-imposed absence following the disclosure of a string of extra-marital affairs.
The 34-year-old, who is still ranked as the favourite for the event, sent his first drive straight down the fairway.
BBC Sport’s Rob Hodgetts said Woods received some booing on his way to the first tee at the Augusta National.
But the negative reaction faded as he prepared to drive down the first fairway and his opening drive was greeted with mostly cheers.
The American has come in for enormous criticism since revelations about his infidelity last year.
The scandal came to light after Woods crashed his car into a fire hydrant and a tree near his Florida home on 27 November.
The four-times Masters winner released a statement claiming the matter would remain private but kiss-and-tell stories from a number of women soon prompted him to admit: “I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart.”
Several high-profile sponsors announced they were ending their links with the star as the golfing world came to terms with the revelations about the sport’s most high-profile name.
Woods then took the decision to take a prolonged break from the game to attempt to save his marriage to wife Elin - a former Swedish model.
The 34-year-old faced the media at a press conference on Monday for the first time since his affairs became public, admitting that he was “blown away” by the positive reception he received from fans, and pledged to rebuild his image.
However, Woods came in for stinging criticism from Augusta chairman Billy Payne on Wednesday who publically reprimanded the player.
“He disappointed all of us,” Payne said. "Our hero did not live up to his expectations of the role model we saw for our children.
“We at Augusta hope and pray that our great champion will begin his new life here on Thursday in a positive, hopeful and constructive manner.”
A bizarre new commercial from Nike - one of Woods’ remaining sponsors - was released just before the event got under way.
It shows Woods staring into the camera with a voice reported to be of his dead father talking to him, appearing to come from beyond the grave.
Fellow American and two-time former Masters champion Phil Mickelson believes Woods will be a contender despite his lay-off, citing the 2008 US Open which Woods won after a two-month break and with a serious knee injury that required a further nine months off for surgery.
“I don’t think anybody out here will question his ability to perform at the highest level. From a players’ point of view, we expect to see the same player that we have always seen,” said Mickelson.
But Britain’s Nick Faldo, a three-time Masters champion, says Woods could struggle to make the cut.
“Tiger loves his comfort zones and for the first time in his life he is walking onto a golf course and it’s a totally different environment,” Faldo told BBC Sport. "He has no idea how he will be received, how people will react and how he will feel. That’s just the emotional side.
"On the technical side, to come and play this tournament is a brutal test right now. This golf course is really difficult.
"You can imagine, after five months off he hasn’t hit a competitive shot, hasn’t hit a competitive putt, hasn’t read a green for five months. It’s not like walking around a putting green.
“On paper he should miss the cut. Thursday is probably one of the biggest days of his career.”
The year’s first major runs until Sunday, with Argentine Angel Cabrera defending the title he won in a play-off from Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell 12 months ago.This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.