Mike Weir hopes he runs into Tiger Woods in the champions locker-room at Augusta National.

The Canadian lefty expects Woods to end his indefinite break from the PGA Tour "sooner than later" and believes it could happen as soon as the Masters in April.

"I suspect he'll be back - just my guess - I think he'll be back for the Masters," Weir said Friday on a conference call. "I'm hoping he's back for the majors. They're at such great venues this year, courses he's obviously done very well on."

Woods hasn't been seen in public since smashing his SUV into a tree outside his Florida home in November, an incident that was soon followed by allegations of extra-marital affairs and a confession of "infidelity" from the golfer. Weir reached out to Woods shortly after has car accident, but the two haven't spoken.

Three of this year's major championships will be held in places where Woods has been successful: the Masters at Augusta National (four victories), the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach (won by 15 shots in 2000) and the British Open at St. Andrews (two wins).

Weir believes those venues will provide incentive for Woods - who is four majors shy of matching Jack Nicklaus's record of 18 - to return.

In fact, it's something he's looking forward to.

"Myself being a competitor, I want to see him there," said Weir. "When I'm playing the majors and trying to win them, you want the best guy there to play against. Selfishly, I want him there for that.

"It's just good when he's around."

Weir and Woods go way back. They were paired in the final group together on Sunday at the 1999 PGA Championship - Woods won his second major while Weir struggled to an 80 - and staged a memorable singles match at the 2007 Presidents Cup in Montreal.

On that day, Weir managed to pull out a stirring 1-up victory over Woods in front of a partisan gallery. That experience provided Weir with a first-hand example of how Woods can help other golfers elevate their game.

And he figures that's a great thing for the golf.

"Would a guy like Y.E. Yang pull off all those shots (in the 2009 PGA Championship) if he was playing against somebody else in the field in the last round? You don't know, but maybe it brought the best out of him on that day," said Weir. "I know he brought the best out of me when I played him in Montreal."

Weir will open his 2010 season at next week's Bob Hope Classic after an intense off-season of workouts where he said he was on "a mission."

He'll play four of five weeks before taking a break in February to attend the Vancouver Olympics with wife Bricia and their two daughters. Weir claims it will only be a fun visit, dismissing a suggestion he might be participating in one of the final legs of the torch relay.

"I haven't been contacted really to do anything," he said. "I was just planning on being a fan and just going up there and watching with my family, taking it all in. ...

"I just want to go up there and enjoy it. I haven't been approached by anybody on an Olympic committee to do anything."

Weir seems energized heading into his 13th year as a PGA Tour member. He'll turn 40 in May, but believes his best golf is still ahead of him.

Even if Woods doesn't play at all this season, Weir doesn't really expect to see another player win a whole bunch of tournaments in his absence.

"I don't get that argument that somebody's going to sneak up and all of sudden take the bull by the horns," said Weir. "It could happen. Hopefully, I can do it."