Five Reasons Why Tiger is Playing The Barclays

It struck me as funny business that Tiger Woods would suddenly decide to play this weekend's The Barclays at the deadline to enter.  The guy hated Westchester CC - the former site of the then (RIP) Buick Classic - and Liberty National is unproven as a PGA Tour site.  So, why would he play?  I have five guesses.

Tiger is showing allegiance to the Tour and support for its struggles with sponsors.  A la his appearance at the Ypsilanti Open, Woods realizes the critical state of sponsor commitments for next year and wants to prove he is a team player.  After all, Tim Finchem asked him nicely at the start of the year.

Tiger is pissed off (if he can cuss, I can say pissed off) that he blew it at Hazeltine.  Though the FedEx Cup isn't really respected, it gives him an outlet to make an example of the PGA Tour.  Just in case anyone is getting any ideas about an insurrection.

Like about half of Americans, Tiger is underwater on his mortgage.  As Old Man Par points out, Tiger's having a 10K square foot house built on Jupiter Island and will need to sell his Isleworth mansion.  Too bad that 15 of his neighbors are having trouble selling theirs.  Tiger may be playing to earn enough money to pay off his mortgage.  Or he could just rent out the place, like Weekend at Bernie's.

Tiger is giving Stevie Williams a pity date.  After admitting to blowing it at the British Open, Tiger's Left Knee tells Armchair Golf Blog in a new exclusive that Stevie refuses to take off his caddy bib since the PGA letdown.

Tiger wants the right scene to break up with Hank Haney.  Some guys are just classy like that.  When they go to break up with someone, they take 'em to a nice, romantic spot and then let them know they're getting kicked to the curb.  What better place to have Hank Haney leave his heart than New York?  Since they're playing the Presidents Cup in San Francisco, Tiger wouldn't want it to happen there.