All it took to ensure that the PGA Tour's dwindling attendance figures blow up this week was the simple, 11-word Tiger-tweet: "I'm ready to play an ACTUAL PGA Tour event next week."

    We knew Tiger would be at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera this week - he's the host. But it was up in the air if he was going to play his first Tour event since The Open at St. Andrew's last July. Now we know he's in for the tournament that's a short 40-mile drive from his California home and that        will result  in a return of the spectators - both on the fairways and in their living rooms. 

    Not that the younger set that has been dominating the Tour for a year or so can't play. They're a superior group. The problem is twofold: there are no special characters, like Lee Trevino or John Daly, and if you turned 20 of the best away from the cameras you'd be hard-pressed to tell who was who among the group of 6-foot-two, 180 pounders with the same shaped bodies and beards. 

    Scottie Scheffler, the latest king of the Tour, won the WM Phoenix Open yesterday at 19 under par 265. He earned $3,600,000 of the $20 million pot, defending his title from last year, when the first prize was a mere $1,476,000. This time he beat Nick Taylor by two strokes, Jon Rahm by five and Justin Thomas by six. Gator Billy Horschel finished at 4 under par, and Tyson Alexnder never advanced on the alternate list.

    Horschel will play Riviera's 7,322-yard layout this week with its par of 71, and Tyson is second alternate so he still has a good chance to get in. With earnings of more than $1 million so far this season, Tyson will probably move up to the exempt list after the Genesis when last year's top 25 Korn Ferry Tour graduates are subject to a re-shuffle. 

    But this week belongs to Tiger. He'll receive the most TV time, as a player, a host and a TV guest analyst. The TV crew will be praying he makes the cut. 

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