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Woods returning to tour for 1st time in 3 months

By WTOP Staff

DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer

BETHESDA, Md. (AP) — Bill Haas is the defending champion and an afterthought at the Quicken Loans National. He would have expected nothing less.

Tiger Woods is back at Congressional.

And this time, the tournament host will be doing more than just handing out the trophy.

Woods returns to competition Thursday for the first time in three months because of back pain that showed up occasionally, then more frequently, and ultimately led him have surgery just a week before the Masters.

It’s the second-longest hiatus of his career next to the eight months he missed from knee surgery in 2008 after he won the U.S. Open.

“I’m not the one that moves the needle here on this tour,” Haas said with a smile. “So I think we’re all loving having him back here playing. We want him to play healthy and we want him to contend in majors, because he’s the lifeline of our tour and the reason everyone gets excited to watch.”

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem attended the opening ceremony and was asked on his way to the parking lot why it was important to have Woods back.

“Do I need to answer that question?” Finchem replied.

There were more fans for a Wednesday, more cameras, more interest, more speculation.

“He’s the most impactful player that’s in the sport and has been for a long time,” Finchem said. “It gets people refocused on his career and his drive. Short-term benefits are that it sells more tickets, but that’s not really important. It’s just having him in the sport. He’s always been a positive influence and he’ll always be as long as he’s playing.”

Here’s what to look for in the return of the 14-time major champion:

THE RUST: When he announced last week he was ready to start competing, Woods acknowledged there would be rust. He hasn’t competed in 109 days, dating to March 9 at Doral when he had the highest score (78) for a final round in his PGA Tour career.

That might be a product of age and injuries — the back surgery on March 31, along with four knee surgeries.

Woods used to come out firing when he took long breaks not related to injuries. At the end of 2007, he went 10 weeks without competition and returned at the Target World Challenge, setting a tournament with a seven-shot victory.

After his ’08 knee surgery, Woods lost in the second round of the Match Play Championship, and then didn’t finish out of the top 10 in his eight stroke-play tournaments (he won three times) over the next five months.

His plan for Thursday?

“A little bit rusty, but really manage my way around this golf course,” he said. “This golf course is playing tough. The guys aren’t going to go really low here.”

THE COMPETITION: The Quicken Loans National has a stronger field than recent years with four of the top 10 in the world.

Woods will see two of them in the opening two rounds.

He plays at 8:12 a.m. on the 10th tee with Jordan Spieth and Jason Day.

Spieth finished sixth last year when he was still not a PGA Tour member. Now he is No. 9 in the world. Day won the Match Play Championship in February and can relate to Woods. He missed the next month with a thumb injury and has played only four times since his second career victory.

THE PRO-AM: Woods played 18 holes in public for the first time since Doral in the Wednesday pro-am, and it wasn’t inspiring.

He hit his opening tee shot in the water on the par-4 10th. He hit his next tee shot in the water on the 11th hole. He hit only two fairways on the back nine.

Then again, it was only a pro-am.

Woods said he made a grip adjustment on the back nine and was fine the rest of the way. And remember, he hit the ball beautifully during a practice round on the Wednesday before the 2006 U.S. Open began. Then, he missed the cut for the first time in a major.

THE TALK: Just about every player at Congressional said he was thrilled to have Woods back in the game.

“We need him out here,” Billy Horschel said during his pro-am.

“It’s good to have him back, man,” Ernie Els said as he started his pro-am round.

But when the tournament begins, only the fans (and TV executives) are likely to care.

“When you tee it up, it’s no different,” Haas said. “Once we’re on the course, unless you’re in a group with him, you don’t see him, you don’t know that’s he’s hitting it. Before the week starts, just like the other times he’s come back from a minor injury or something, we’re all excited to see him here playing.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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