Time is ticking for golfer Tiger Woods. His wife, Elin Nordegren, has given him six months to save their troubled marriage. After picking her husband up from sex rehab in Mississippi last week, a close friend of Elin's revealed that she is "convinced there is hope for the marriage".

The friend added:

"The doctors told her she shouldn't underestimate Tiger's ability to learn new coping skills and grow as a person. And they say he has made remarkable progress."

The friend added:

"It is so hard for Eli. The reality is there is still a lot of love left for Tiger. That's why she is willing to give him another chance. She would hate herself if she just gave up on him. But one thing is for sure, Elin won't be duped twice."

Woods, 34, had more than a dozen affairs with various women during his marriage to Elin. These all came out after his Thanksgiving Day crash and a story that ran in the National Enquirer.

According to the Herald Sun of Melbourne, Tiger Woods is set to make a surprising comeback to the world of professional golf in just two weeks at the Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona.

Only two weeks ago Woods checked himself into a Mississippi rehabilitation clinic for sex addiction. Things are already looking up for him as it has been reported that his wife is dumping her divorce lawyer, and now it appears he is ready to return to competitive golfing.

Interestingly, Woods also made a comeback last year at the Dove Mountain course after recovering from knee surgery. Having won the Accenture Match Play Championships three times, with his last one in 2008, it's a good place for a comeback.

Accenture was one of the first sponsors to drop Woods when the scandal erupted in November, revealing that he had cheated on his wife with a string of women.

Now you don't have to be a world-famous professional golfer to play around with Tiger Woods' mistresses. A Canadian company is now selling Tail of the Tiger golf balls, with each ball featuring a portrait of a woman linked to Woods.

Unfortunately, it's not an all-inclusive set and includes just 12 of the rumored 19 women. But I guess that mean's there's still room for the company to create an add-on set. Creative Classics is selling the 12-ball set for $44.95. For $5 more you can buy a fancier set for display.

John Daly missed the cut today by eight strokes at the Farmers Insurance Open and sounded like a man that was going to store his golf clubs away and retire from the game. Daly told the Golf Channel after the poor finish:

"What's next?" he was asked.

"I'm done," Daly replied.

"What do you mean you're done?"

"I'm done."

"Done with what?"

"Golf."

Daly went on to say that he can no longer compete on the PGA Tour.

"Just can't play like I used to," he said.

"I can't keep taking spots from guys out here playing this bad. It's not worth it."

The interviewer asked if that would let his fans down and the golfer that looked defeated ended the interview by saying "tired of embarrassing myself in front of them".

In recent weeks, in the aftermath of his cheating scandal, Tiger Woods announced that he would be taking an indefinite break from the game of professional golf. Most recently it was speculated that he would not return until 2012. Now, Las Vegas oddsmakers are betting that the golfing great will return to the sport this year, and that he will win.

One of the outfits accepting bets on Woods' return to golf is Station Casinos, the operators of Red Rock and Green Valley Ranch casinos. They believe that there is better than an 83 percent chance that Woods will win a PGA tournament sometime during 2010. Their confidence is so high that they are setting the line at 1 to 5 odds.

There are currently 41 PGA events scheduled for 2010, and Woods typically plays in about half of those tournaments.

On the heels of Tiger Woods decision to take an "indefinite" break from professional golf, PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem issued a statement supporting Woods. It marks the first public statement that the tour has made since Woods made mention of his "personal failings" and "transgressions" in a December 2 statement.

Finchem said:

"His priorities are where they need to be, and we will continue to respect and honor his family's request for privacy. We look forward to Tiger's return to the PGA Tour when he determines the time is right for him."

Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, also made comment on Tiger's decision, saying:

"The entirety of someone's life is more important than just a professional career. What matters most is a young family that is trying to cope with difficult life issues in a secluded and caring way. Whenever Tiger may return to the game should be on the family's terms alone."

One of Woods' biggest endorsers, Nike, also weighed in on the situation:

"Tiger has been part of Nike for more than a decade," Nike said in a statement Friday. "He is the best golfer in the world and one of the greatest athletes of his era. We look forward to his return to golf. He and his family have Nike's full support."

Tiger Woods issued another statement on his website today and it is a shocker. The best golfer in the world asks for forgiveness for his infidelity and says he is taking an "indefinite break".

Here is the statement in full:

I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children. I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness. It may not be possible to repair the damage I've done, but I want to do my best to try.

I would like to ask everyone, including my fans, the good people at my foundation, business partners, the PGA Tour, and my fellow competitors, for their understanding. What's most important now is that my family has the time, privacy, and safe haven we will need for personal healing.

After much soul searching, I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional golf. I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person.

Again, I ask for privacy for my family and I am especially grateful for all those who have offered compassion and concern during this difficult period.

Other than sharing the cover of the recent issue of Golf Magazine, Tiger Woods and Barack Obama have something else in common - their approval ratings are on the downslide. A new survey reveals that Woods enjoys just a 38 percent approval rating, while the president inches him out with a 46 percent approval rating.

Two years ago, Woods had an amazing 83 percent approval rating, thanks to what we now know was his expertly crafted image. His recent cheating scandal, in which there are now eleven women - including two porn stars - claiming to have had sexual relationships, has uncovered a secret double life and blown the cover on the squeaky-clean image he sold to the world. It's no wonder that favorable opinions of the world's best golfer are dropping off faster than a car driven off the side of a cliff. He's now at a paltry 36 percent approval rating.

The timing couldn't have been worse. Golf Magazine's latest issue features Tiger Woods on cover as Barack Obama's caddy and the headline: "10 Tips Obama Can Take From Tiger." We're betting that Golf Digest wishes they could unpublish the issue.

In the article, the author makes the arguement that Obama might learn from Tiger's mastery of "the quick recovery". The author says that the golfer is "a good role model because he has always been able to pull himself together after setbacks." Woods also receives praise for his skill and agility with the media. An example is a quote from Tiger himself: "My dad taught me that when I'm asked a question, I have control of the answer." As for image control, it's argued that Obama could benefit most from a Woods-like agility with image control: "Tiger never does anything that would make him ridiculous."

I'm sure if you've been following the Tiger Woods car accident and cheating scandal for the past week, a few of those statements made you chuckle.