As Tiger Woods returned to golf, Nike released a controversial new commercial featuring Woods and the voice of his deceased father. It shows a remorseful Woods standing in a blown-out background, possibly a golf course, dressed as if he were standing on the tee box, ready to start a round.

Woods’ eyes stare straight ahead, his eyes near tears, as his father’s voice is played.

“Tiger, I am more prone to be inquisitive to promote discussion,” he says. “I want to find out what your thinking was. I want to find out what your feelings are, and did you learn anything?”

As the commercial ends, the flashes of cameras illuminate Woods, and the screen fades to black with the iconic white swoosh.

It seems like the people at Nike are trying to do a few things with this commercial. First off, they are playing the sympathy card, which is the obvious reason for using his father’s voice. Nike does something more though: It gives the viewer a look into Woods’ mind.

It’s obvious that Woods’ ongoing sex scandal weighs heavy on his mind, even on the golf course. Nike also emphasizes the relationship Woods shared with his father, a mix of respect and fear. Woods’ father was known for pushing him as a child.

Unless Woods is going for an Academy Award, it seems as if there is true remorse in his eyes. This is exactly what Nike wants to convey to the public, and it seems to have worked to an extent. Woods’ welcome at the Masters was far from insignificant.

It seems the golf world had missed Woods. Back from his four-month hiatus, he received the same magnitude of cheers as in previous years.

“It felt normal. . . the reception was incredible all day,” Woods said in a recent interview.And it was, in fact, normal for Woods. He posted a 68 in round one, finishing at four below par. He also finished at two under in his second and third round, coming into the final day at eight under in the second pairing with KJ Choi.

On the last day of the Masters, however, Woods began to fade. He played aggressively as usual but made mistakes that are rare for his playing. Bogeying three of the first five holes, Woods appeared to be dropping out of the chase. However, he fought back in his usual way, shooting an eagle and two birdies in the last four holes of the front nine.

During the second nine, Woods followed excellent play with unnecessary mistakes. He maintained a more modest poise this tournament, his emotions kept in check more than usual. He finished the back nine two below par with a 34, finishing the tournament at eleven under.

It wasn’t good enough, as Woods tied for fourth with his playing partner, Choi. He was beaten out by Anthony Kim, who posted an impressive 65 on the final day and took third. Englishman Lee Westwood, who was co-leader at one point, fell behind and finished second at 13 under. The leader, finishing at 16 under and winning his third Masters, was Phil Mickelson.

Mickelson hadn’t preformed very well since the beginning of the year. However, this weekend showed the winning combination of his aggressive play and powerful drives.Although Mickelson won the green jacket, Woods said he was happy with his play and the support of the professional golf community. Things may be back in full swing for Tiger and his game.