Augusta: Life is full of contradictions and contrasts. And since golf is a microcosm of society, those contradictions were magnified this past week inside the gates of the most famous private golf club in the world: Augusta National, during the most famous golf event in the world, The Masters.

And who could have written a better script for the final round? And talk about contrast! Phil Mickelson, the family man, the golfer who embraces his fans and the media, prevailed against the rest of the field and Tiger, the guy who couldn't wait to get away from his family to cheat on them.

Phil earned his third Green Jacket with a heart-warming victory as his wife Amy, who has been undergoing treatment for breast cancer, and their three children looked on. Their long tearful embrace afterwards said it all. Family means everything to Phil.

And as much as he was asked about Tiger all week, he cleverly stayed away from expressing his opinion. He did offer a brutally honest answer to a question about what he thought about Tiger apologizing to his fellow players for being bombarded with questions from the media the last several months. Phil responded that Tiger does not owe him an apology based on the fact that Phil has capitalized more than anyone from Tiger's impact on the economics of the sport.

Phil's shot-making provided some of the most exciting moments in Masters history with back-to-back eagles on holes 13 and 14 on Saturday, a near eagle on 15 and the miraculous shot on Sunday on the 13^{th hole from the pine straw, in between the trees, over Raes Creek to within four feet of the cup.}

How many people had picked Phil to win? He had not played real well coming into The Masters and the golf world knew that he was distracted with his wife and mother's illness. Plus, all the attention was on the other guy.

Society, as we know, is enthralled by celebrity and scandal. Put the two together and we relish the details that the Tiger story has offered all these months. As much as people disapproved of Tiger's double life, many people salivate over stories of yet another mistress, consuming the juiciest details of admissions from his lovers.

It did not take long into Masters week before more scandalous news came out. While Tiger was practicing putts on the ninth green during one of his three practice rounds, another story about another woman, this time the daughter of one of his neighbors at Isleworth, the community he and his family live in Orlando, was spreading amongst the golf writers who had heard about it or seen it in the National Enquirer. And how about the security guards carrying a photo of Joslyn James and reportedly approaching a woman in the gallery that looked like her? And the plane flying over the club during the first round towing the banner that read: 'Tiger: Did you mean Bootyism?' added more drama. Augusta National can control a lot of things but not the air space.

And whether the patrons (the ticket holders at The Masters) like or dislike Tiger, the majority of the galleries cheered his every shot. So much so that Tiger commented how the reception touched his heart. Whether you are disgusted with his behavior or not, many of the spectators wanted to say that they saw Tiger at the 2010 Masters. Maybe t-shirts should be printed up saying as much.

Even at the Golf Writers Association of America’s Annual Awards dinner held on the Wednesday evening of Masters week, half of the room gave Tiger a standing ovation when he was presented the ;2009 Male Player of the Year Award'!?! I'm still trying to figure that one out.

The Green Coats, as they call them (the members of Augusta National) seemed very excited and proud that Tiger chose their tournament to return to the game. Billy Payne, the Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, welcomed Tiger back but also stated that "he disappointed all of us and more importantly our kids and grandkids. Our hero did not live up to the expectations as a role model that we sought for our children...We at Augusta hope and pray that our great champion will begin his new life here tomorrow in a positive, hopeful and constructive manner, but this time, with a significant difference from the past. This year, it will not be just for him, but for all of us who believe in second chances."

Even the fact that Tiger was holding a press conference on the first day of Masters week oozed with contradiction. Golf writers finally had an opportunity to ask him questions yet we who were in the room knew that the questions that needed to be answered really would not be.

And didn't he say he would respect the game more and contain his emotions? The television microphones picked up Tiger uttering, 'Tiger you suck' and 'God xlsk dj.' Can Tiger still have the intensity he needs to win and to be Tiger if he has to contain his emotions ? Can the golf world have it both ways? We love seeing him hit shots worthy of the fist pumping but can he zip it up when he hits ugly ones?

And if Tiger were to have won this weekend, he would have been placed on a bigger pedestal than he was before the scandal tore him down and unraveled his professional world and personal life. It would have been considered one of the biggest comebacks in the history of sports. Our society loves winners and all would have probably been forgiven.

Now that Phil has won and goodness has prevailed, can we close the book on the ugliness the sport endured these past five months? Can we return to golf as we know it – a tranquil sport known for honesty and integrity? I hope there's no contradiction in that!

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Ann welcomes your comments. You can visit her web site at www.annliguori.com.