While I certainly don't wish Tiger ill, I'm not sure it's a good idea for him to come back, but maybe for different reasons than some think. I hope he heals so he can enjoy life, but when he's not playing well or he withdraws, it's not good for golf in a general way.
When he dropped off tour 16 months ago, attendance went down, as did tv ratings. While he was gone, the media turned their attention to other players and built up attendance and ratings all over again.
Now, with Tiger's return, the media is so focused no him again. Hopefully, if this is an injury and he has to leave the tour again, it won't affect attendance as much as in the past.
While he's not playing there this year, the tournament in Phoenix is an exception in that everything Waste Management and the Thunderbirds organization do reminds the public that golf exists primarily for charity. I don't think tournaments make that as perfectly clear as they should. I think too m any people think tournaments are for entertainment and for players to make a living. I know a lot of my nongolfing friends think that.
When attendance is down because one player isn't playing, money for charity goes down. In the case of Tiger, media attention that is so focused on him creates an even larger effect than if Dustin, Ricky, Jordan or Jason aren't playing that week.
Consider the situation here in Miami. The Doral tournament has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for charity over it's long history. Because of Trump's comments during the campaign and debates, the tournament is being taken away from his course and a lot of local charities will suffer for it.
I think the PGA needs to manhandle the media to a certain extent. When they see something like Tiger's withdrawal and if it turns out to be more than a week long issue, they need to promote the tour and other players in a way that protects attendance for the sake of the charities they play for.