Steve Stricker intends to play the Masters next week, his first competition since back surgery four months ago.

Stricker recently returned from Naples, Florida, where he tested his swing and his strength. He had surgery two days before Christmas on a bulging disk in his lower back that was causing recurring hip problems.

“I was playing, walking, just to see what I had,” Stricker told The Associated Press by phone Monday. “It’s the first time I played since December, and it was good. It felt good. Just a little stiffness here and there. I walked the last three days just to play like I would be playing.”

The 48-year-old Stricker last played Dec. 7 at the Hero World Challenge, where he finished 14th in an 18-man field at Isleworth. He has been playing a reduced schedule since 2013 and last year failed to reach the Tour Championship for the first time in the FedEx Cup era.

The original plan was to play the Shell Houston Open this week to warm up for Augusta National. His doctor and physical therapist told him, however, that returning from surgery might take its toll during the second straight week.

“I think the biggest concern was putting in back-to-back weeks, with the second week being a little more fatigued,” Stricker said. “I still feel it’s a bit early to be pushing it a lot, so I want to take it cautiously.”

Stricker qualified for the Masters by being ranked in the top 50 at the end of last year. He finished the year at No. 41, and has since fallen to No. 75. That’s his lowest ranking since he was out of the top 100 a week before the 2006 PGA Championship.

He played his last three days at Calusa Pines, where he said the greens were firm and fast, and a good way to prepare for the Masters.

“I didn’t fix a ball mark in three days – not because I missed the greens,” he said with a laugh. “I just couldn’t find any ball marks.”

Stricker plans to visit Augusta National this week for practice rounds. He said he would be in Indianapolis for the Final Four to watch Wisconsin play Kentucky on Saturday and then return to Augusta on Sunday.

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – LPGA Tour Commissioner Mike Whan has agreed to a six-year contract extension through 2020.

Mike Trager, the chairman of the tour’s board of directors, announced the deal Tuesday in a letter to players and staff.

The 50-year-old Whan took over the tour in January 2010, replacing Carolyn Bivens. She resigned in July 2009 after a group of players wrote a letter to the board of directors calling for her to quit.

Whan has helped the tour grow from 23 events and $40 million in total purses in 2010 to 33 events and more than $60 million in purses.

The tour’s first major championship for the year, the ANA Inspiration, starts Thursday at Mission Hills.

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Tiger Woods played a practice round Tuesday at Augusta National, a strong indication that the four-time champion could make his return at the Masters.

Mark Steinberg, his agent at Excel Sports Management, confirmed in an email to The Associated Press that Woods played 18 holes.

Still to be determined is whether he returns for the Masters next week.

Woods has not played since he withdrew at Torrey Pines on Feb. 5 after 11 holes because of tightness in his back during a chilly, fog-delayed opening round. A week later, he said he would return to competition when he had the game for it.

“My play, and scores, are not acceptable for tournament golf,” Woods said in a statement Feb. 11. “Like I’ve said, I enter a tournament to compete at the highest level, and when I think I’m ready, I’ll be back.”

He has missed the Honda Classic and Arnold Palmer Invitational – he was not eligible for Doral this year – since the statement. There have been second- and third-hand reports that Woods has been practicing near his home in south Florida.

Woods could make an announcement about his Masters plans this week, though it is not necessary. Unlike a regular PGA Tour event, players with a Masters invitation only have to register before they tee off in the opening round on April 9. It would be unlike Woods to do that. Instead, he likely would inform the club of his plans before Sunday.

Woods played in the 2010 Masters without having competed in nearly five months. He tied for fourth that year, though he was No. 1 in the world and his previous tournament was a victory in the Australian Masters.

He now has dropped to No. 104, his lowest ranking since September 1996 a week before his first pro victory. He has not recorded a top-10 finish since the end of 2013. And his limited golf this year has been the worst of his career. Woods shot 82 in the Phoenix Open when he missed the cut. He hit standard chips that didn’t reach the green or sailed 30 yards long during the 47 holes he has played this year.

The Augusta Chronicle first reported that Woods was in town after a plane matching the tail number of his Gulfstream G5 was parked at the terminal for private aircraft at Augusta Regional Airport.

Tiger Woods’ Plane (Larry Marano/ Getty Images)

Some will say that there are fewer more noble pursuits in life than teaching. After having learned something, some will argue that it is your responsibility to pass along that knowledge to not only help others, but to also ensure that the knowledge you’ve been given spreads and grows.

Not so long ago, I was the one in the crowd with the Rules of Golf in-hand; I was the one being asked what to do; I was the one on the receiving end of a rules demonstration. This past weekend at Point Grey Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, I had the honour of once again stepping to the front with Rules Chair Dale Jackson and Rules and Amateur Status Committee members Susan White and Dan Sabourin to teach in Golf Canada’s Rules of Golf Seminar – and it is not a responsibility that we take lightly.

As much as there is to learn in order to properly facilitate this game we all love so much, teaching those rules is an entirely different matter. It’s the same problem any teacher will face a hundred times over – what’s the best way to help your students learn? What more can I do to make sure this sticks? And that’s the challenge in teaching – that you can lecture and role-play and diagram for hours on end until you’ve said all you can say; but ultimately, it’s the performance of your students that reflects how well you’ve done as an instructor. From that perspective, I know I can do better.

I want every one of my students to ace their exams. I want them to excel and one day stand at the front with me, passing on what they have learned. My hope is that with every session I lead – with every lesson I give – I get a little better at teaching. That I get just that much better at demonstrating the Rules of Golf and that one more student remembers the correct ruling in one more situation.

There are four seminars left this season and I will be at the helm of three (Tournament Administration and Rules Seminar in Toronto, April 16-19; the Level 4 Rules of Golf Seminar in Regina alongside Mary Beth McKenna, Jack McDonald and Brian Lee from April 23-26; before concluding in Halifax, April 30-May 3; seasoned veteran instructors Jacques Nols and Diane Barabé will take the lead in Montreal, April 23-26). There is still time to sign up for these seminars. Additional information can be found here.

I hope you all look forward to learning as much as I look forward to teaching.

Adams Golf has announced its new Blue line of products – a uniquely designed set of clubs featuring a driver, fairway, hybrid and combination iron set. Each piece in the Adams Blue set was created to help golfers get the ball in the air more easily and more consistently.

Blue delivers an aesthetically-pleasing and confidence-inspiring lineup of clubs, with each product featuring Adams’ new, proprietary Easy Launch System.

Adams’ Easy Launch System is comprised of three key performance features that work together to give golfers more air. These features combine with an internal draw bias and a pleasing, inviting shape at address in hopes of making the game more fun and less intimidating.

The Velocity Slot Technology on the soles of the clubs delivers more flex from the clubface and produces more consistent ball speed at impact.

All metalwoods and irons in the Blue lineup feature a low centre of gravity positioned as far back as possible to allow for higher launch, more spin and ultimately more air time on all shots. Blue’s CG placement is designed to help many swing speeds and swing styles achieve optimal launch conditions.

The new Adams SlimTechTM shafts have been integrated into Blue, utilizing narrower shaft tip diameters to promote lower kick points and high launch conditions from any lie on the course.

“Quite simply, Adams Blue is engineered to help golfers hit higher, straighter shots more consistently,” said Brian Bazzel, Senior Director, Product Creation. “Through a sophisticated, simple design, Blue matches an aesthetically-pleasing look with proven performance technologies to make the game more fun for more golfers.”

The entire Blue line is available at retail beginning April 3.

The Blue Driver will be available in three different lofts (9.5°, 10.5° & 12°) with a 55g Aldila SlimTech shaft at an MSRP of $349.

Blue Fairway is offered in three lofts (15°, 19° & 22°) with a 55g Aldila SlimTech shaft at an MSRP of $229 CDN, while Blue Hybrid is available in four lofts (19°, 22°, 25° & 28°) with a 55g Aldila SlimTech shaft at an MSRP of $199.

Blue Irons are sold as a combination set including a 3 and 4 hybrid along with the 5-iron through pitching wedge at an MRSP of $799 CDN for steel (True Temper Dynalite SlimTech 85g) and $899 CDN for graphite (SlimTech by Aldila 55).

Additional information is available at AdamsGolf.ca.

VIRGINIA WATER, England – For the first time since 1996, Tiger Woods is not among the top 100 golfers in the world ranking.

Woods, who hasn’t played since he withdrew from the Farmers Insurance Open on Feb. 6, falls to No. 104 this week. The last time he was out of the top 100 was on Sept. 29, 1996, when he was at No. 225. The following week, Woods won the Las Vegas Invitational as a 20-year-old for the first of his 79 PGA Tour victories.

It is not clear when Woods will return. He said in February that his scores were not acceptable and he would not play until his game was in tournament shape.

Woods is not required to announce if he is playing the Masters until the tournament starts April 9.

BROUSSARD, La. – Kelly Kraft won the Louisiana Open on Sunday for his first Web.com Tour title, closing with a 6-under 65 in windy conditions for a one-stroke victory at Le Triomphe.

Kraft, the 26-year-old former SMU player who won the 2012 U.S. Amateur, had a 14-under 270 total. He earned $99,000 to jump to sixth on the money list with $113,414.

“It’s been a while. It feels good to win again,” Kraft said. “The back nine is harder and everyone seems to back up. After nine holes, I thought if I can post a number it may work out. Toward the end I was just trying to make birdies.”

Six strokes behind Rick Cochran III at the start of the round, Kraft birdied Nos. 15-17 and finished with a par on the par-4 18th after missing a 6-foot birdie putt.

“I hit a good putt,” he said. “It just went a little more left than I thought it would. I thought I needed to make that to get into a playoff, but I got lucky and am happy to win it outright.”

South Korea’s D.H. Lee and Australia’s Rhein Gibson tied for second. Lee birdied for the final two holes for a 63. Gibson bogeyed Nos. 13 and 14 and closed with four straight pars for a 71. He missed a 15-foot birdie putt on 18.

“I knew what I had to do coming in,” Gibson said. “I had some chances and didn’t convert. I fell in love with the line and I just forgot to hit it.”

Cochran closed with a 73 to tie for fourth at 12 under.

Kraft was making his 50th start on the tour.

“I’ve played with too much expectation since I turned pro,” Kraft said. “I’ve started out the last couple of years with high expectations because I had a good amateur career and I thought I was better than I was. I’ve been working with a new coach and he’s helped me remember what it to just play golf again and have fun, rather than getting so caught up in the mechanics.”

Canada’s Roger Sloan tied for 11th at 10-under 274.

CARLSBAD, Calif. – Cristie Kerr closed with a 7-under 65 on Sunday and won the Kia Classic for her first LPGA Tour title in nearly two years.

Kerr made four straight birdies on the back nine at Aviara to pull away from Mirim Lee and 17-year-old Lydia Ko. It was her 17th career win, and her first since May 2013 at the Kingsmill Championship.

Her victory ended a streak of South Korean-born players winning the last seven LPGA events.

Ko didn’t make another birdie after the 14th hole and closed with a 67 to finish third. It was her 28th consecutive round under par on the LPGA Tour, one short of Annika Sorenstam’s record set in 2004.

Kerr finished at 20-under 268 to break the tournament record by six shots.

Canada’s Alena Sharp tied for 50th at 3-under 285.

SAUCIER, Miss. – David Frost survived a one-stroke penalty on the par-3 17th and won the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic on Sunday when Tom Lehman missed a 4-foot birdie putt on the last hole.

The 55-year-old South African finished with a 4-under 68 at Fallen Oak for a one-stroke victory over 2011 winner Lehman and second-round leader Kevin Sutherland.

Frost was penalized after the coin marking his ball on the green moved when he accidentally dropped the ball on it. That left him with a bogey and cut his lead to a stroke.

“I marked the ball and as I picked it up, the ball just kind of slipped out of my hand, hit the coin and moved it,” Frost said. “I knew exactly where it was and I just moved it back and didn’t think there was a penalty at all because I knew exactly where it was.

“There is some kind of rule that says in the act of marking the ball if you drop your coin. They told me I dropped the ball, which is an act of negligence and had to incur a one-stroke penalty. I was like, `You’ve got to be kidding me. Last year disqualified and this year a one-shot penalty.’

“It was frustrating. You play by the rules and luckily for me in the end it didn’t make any different and I’m happy Lehman didn’t beat me in a playoff.”

Frost, disqualified last year for moving a stone in a bunker, made a testy-5-footer for par on the final hole to get to 10-under 206, then waited as Lehman missed virtually the same putt for birdie.

“I guess, just misread it,” Lehman said about the putt that slipped by the right edge of the cup. “I thought I hit a good putt. It certainly it didn’t do what I thought it was going to do. I thought it was going to break left and it didn’t.”

After playing the front nine in 1 under with a bogey and two birdies, Frost birdied Nos. 11-13 to take the lead and made another birdie on No. 15.

“Every victory you do accomplish holds a special place,” Frost said. “This is a very special victory for me.”

Lehman closed with a 70, and Sutherland had a 72.

Joe Durant was fourth at 8 under after a 69. Hall of Famer Colin Montgomerie and Woody Austin each shot 70s to finish at 7 under.

Canadian Stephen Ames tied for 27th at 2-over 218, while fellow Canucks Rod Spittle and Jim Rutledge followed closely behind. Spittle tied for 39th at 5-over 221,  while Rutledge tied for 47th at 6-over 222.

SAN ANTONIO – Jimmy Walker won his hometown Texas Open on Sunday to become the first two-time winner this season on the PGA Tour, beating fellow Texan Jordan Spieth by four strokes.

Walker closed with a 2-under 70 to finish at 11-under 277 at TPC San Antonio, a 35-minute drive from his home. The 36-year-old former Baylor player won the Sony Open in Hawaii by nine shots in January and has a tour-best five victories in the past two seasons.

Spieth also finished with a 70, making four late birdies in a row. The 21-year-old Dallas player was coming off a playoff victory two weeks ago at Innisbrook.

Walker and Spieth will move to career highs in the world ranking, with Spieth going from sixth to fourth and Walker from 13th to 10th.

FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel was third at 4 under after a 71.

Daniel Summerhays, second last year behind Steven Bowditch, tied for fourth with Chesson Hadley at 3 under. Summerhays closed with a 69, and Hadley had a 71.

Doral winner Dustin Johnson shot his second straight 68 to match Ryan Palmer at 2 under. Palmer also had a 68.

Phil Mickelson, looking for some momentum heading to the Masters, closed with a 76 to drop into a tie for 30th at 4 over.

Ten players finished under par, with the Oaks Course playing the toughest on the PGA Tour this season with a 74.581 stroke average – more than two shots over par. The previous high was PGA National’s Champion course at 1.832 over par for the Honda Classic.

Marc Warren and Harris English failed to crack the top 50 in the world ranking, which would have given them spots in the Masters. Warren, 52nd, needed to finish ahead of Brendan Todd to get in, but closed with a 70 to finish 35th. English, 53rd, needed at least a top 10. His final-round 72 only got him to 30th.