Tiger Woods returns to action for the first time since the Masters this week, the world number one heading a stellar field at the US PGA Tour's flagship Players Championship. Woods finished tied for fourth at Augusta National last month, but his 2013 season has so far included three titles and a return to the world number one ranking. Although his only victory at TPC Sawgrass came back in 2001, Woods said he was looking forward to the challenge posed by the course.

By Roberta Rampton and Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama took his second-term "schmooze offensive" to the golf course on Monday, bonding in a bipartisan foursome as Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss hit a hole-in-one. Obama, an avid golfer with a respectable 17 handicap, rarely takes politics to the greens, preferring instead to golf with friends and staffers far out of the sight of the reporters who travel with him.

Leading final-round scores on Sunday at the LPGA Kingsmill Championship (x-won playoff at 2nd hole, USA unless noted, par-71): 272 - x-Cristie Kerr 66-71-66-69, Suzann Pettersen (NOR) 68-69-68-67 274 - Ariya Jutanugarn (THA) 64-71-73-66, Lee Il-Hee (KOR) 69-69-69-67 275 - Angela Stanford 68-68-70-69, Stacy Lewis 68-68-69-70 276 - Park In-Bee (KOR) 68-72-69-67 279 - Ryu So-Yeon (KOR) 67-71-73-68 280 - Gerina Piller 72-71-71-66, Anna Nordqvist (SWE) 70-72-70-68, Sandra Gal (GER) 68-69-73-70

Australian Brett Rumford romped to his second title in as many weeks at the Volvo China Open on Sunday in a tournament where China's teen golf stars staked a claim on future trophies. Rumford swept to victory with a four-under-par 68 in the final round, winning by four shots to take the 20 million yuan (U.S. $3.2 million) prize at at Tianjin Binhai Lake Golf Club. It followed his win at the Ballantine's Championship in Korea last week capping a remarkable fortnight that has seen him soar up the world rankings from 253 to the mid 80s.