AUGUSTA – The rock star of golf has arrived. At approximately 3 p.m., local children chased his golf cart through the parking lot, and the obscure sound of velcro opening to unleash hoards of personal cameras engulfed an otherwise peaceful early Monday afternoon of Masters week at the Augusta National Golf Club.

            With one step onto the practice putting green, Eldrick 'Tiger' Woods created a red carpet event out of the game's equivalent to your morning face wash. Arms behind arms raised to catch a snapshot of perhaps the most polarizing sports figure of a generation.

            As spectators openly questioned their fascination with a seemingly ordinary man wearing a gray sweater over a lime green shirt, white hat and black slacks, their eyes never moved for over an hour.

            "Is he really that much of a god?" asked Barbara Smith of Athens, Ga., standing adjacent to the putting green next to the first tee just in case Woods decided to tee off for a practice round. "Yes. Yes he is," she concluded.

            Sharing the green with two-time Masters champion Tom Watson and defending champion Trevor Immelman, Woods was the draw of the 10-deep crowd standing along the ropes. The four-time Masters champion, who last won at Augusta in 2005, made his way around the green by placing two tees just outside the length of his putter, then swinging one-handed in between the tees, striking the ball with utmost precision. The public paparazzi never stopped.

            Upon finishing his practice putting session, Woods escaped the crowd through a closed shortcut to the practice pitching green. The crowd, several minutes behind taking the public pathway, frantically rushed to watch more practice golf. Woods, in the meantime, brought out a row of golf balls and his pitching wedge, and from 15 yards off the green, sent his first shot onto the green and into the bottom of the cup. The 'Tiger Watch' has officially begun.

Divots: This will be three-time Masters champion Gary Player's 52nd and final Masters tournament as a player. He says he intends to continue coming to Augusta during Masters week for the champions dinner and to watch the tournament, but says, "when I say I'm done, I'm done. I'm not going to come out of retirement and play again." The last member of the 'Big Three' (Palmer, Nicklaus) to retire from Augusta as a competitor, Player says he will continue competing on the Champions Tour. ... Press conferences for Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will be held on Tuesday starting at 1 p.m. If you would like to have your question asked to one of the players, email your question to Vince Johnson at vjohnson@statesboroherald.com.