Spike orders 'Back Nine' golf pilot

10:08 PM PDT 10/13/2010 by Nellie Andreeva, AP

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John Schneider to star as washed-up U.S. Open champion

Spike TV has greenlighted a golf-themed pilot -- just in time for Tiger Woods' return to the spotlight.

The single-camera "Back Nine" stars "The Dukes of Hazzard" alum John Schneider as Ronnie Barnes, a hard-drinking, larger-than-life, washed-up former U.S. Open champion. He travels the country competing in small-time tournaments with Tiger, his sex-addicted longtime caddy, in order to qualify again for the PGA Tour.

Miguel Nunez is in negotiations to play Tiger in the project written by Jason Filardi ("17 Again") and Mark Perez ("Accepted").

Spike put the "Back Nine" script on the fast track almost a year ago. The sex-addict Tiger-named character was part of that early script and preceded by more than a year Woods' November car crash that opened the floodgates to allegations about his extramarital affairs. Woods is expected to publicly address those allegations for the first time Friday.

Filardi and Perez also are set to direct the pilot for "Back Nine" and executive produce with John Lynch.

Schneider, who recently recurred on "The Secret Life of the American Teenager," "90210" and "Nip/Tuck," is repped by APA. Nunez ("Black Dynamite") is with TalentWorks and Kritzer/Levine/Wilkinson/Griffin.

"Back Nine" is looking to join Spike's two new sports-themed scripted comedy series: "Blue Mountain State" and the upcoming "Players."