When the clock strikes 2 p.m. today inside the Augusta National interview room, it will mark perhaps the most fascinating moment at a major golf tournament that doesn’t involve a golf shot being struck.
That is when, for the first time since his world crumbled in a sex scandal and self-imposed exile, Tiger Woods will sit before reporters, presumably look people in the eyes — and answer questions.
Or at least some questions.
The press conference comes 45 days after Woods’ bizarre non-press conference in Ponte Vedra, Fla., where he rambled in an ill-advised, uncomfortable-to-watch 131⁄2-minute attempt at damage control before friends, family and one television camera.
ALL EYES ON ELIN AS WOODS RETURNS
Woods hired as an adviser Ari Fleischer, the former press secretary for President George W. Bush, but they’ve since parted ways.
It’s unclear how much — if any — of Fleischer’s advice Woods has followed, because many of his actions have been highly questionable. But this much is certain: Woods will be walking a tightrope without a safety net today.
There’s a litany of questions many want answered in what likely will be about a 30-minute session with reporters.
Which questions Woods answers, how he answers them as well as which ones he doesn’t and how he reacts to those he doesn’t like are among the many things that will be as heavily analyzed as any driver, 5-iron or putt he’s ever hit.
Woods usually conducts his pre-Masters press conference on Tuesday. There clearly was an agenda to making it Monday this year.
Tonight is the NCAA Tournament title game, so perhaps there was hope that would overshadow whatever Woods has to say.
Don’t count on that taking attention away from Woods, though. The Masters, beginning with today’s press conference, will be one of the most watched events in television history.
“I think the first tournament Tiger Woods plays again, wherever it is, will be the biggest media event other than the Obama inauguration in the past 10 or 15 years,” CBS Sports president Sean McManus said.
Said golfer Stewart Cink: “I think it’s going to be one of the biggest events in golf history, because the biggest player in golf history is going to come back from this absence, and everybody is going to be scrutinizing his game and what he says and where he goes and where he has dinner … everything.”
Arnold Palmer, arguably the most beloved figure in golf history, largely because of the way he’s treated fans and media alike, offered this bit of press-conference advice to Woods: “I suppose the best thing he could do would be to open up and just let you guys shoot [questions] at him.”
Woods open up? That’ll be fascinating to see.
Since the moment he said, “Hello world” to begin a Nike ad campaign that would pay him hundreds of millions of dollars, Woods has been one of most controlling athletes ever.
Aside from that scripted event in February, he also did those two five-minute interviews with ESPN and the Golf Channel two weeks ago.
If those were a ploy to set up Woods to say he’s already gone over this, that and the other thing, he’ll further sully his image, if that’s possible.
As Palmer advised, Woods can only begin to cleanse his image by being open and truthful.
The curtain rises on this fascinating theater at 2 p.m.
mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com