BY TOM LaMARRE
Sports Xchange
If you think the firestorm surrounding Tiger Woods has died
down in the tabloids and on Internet blogs, just wait.
Woods, who is taking an indefinite leave from the PGA Tour
and has not been seen in public since admitting to being unfaithful
to his wife, Elin, with numerous women, has been known to draw a
crowd.
So we can only imagine the circus that will ensue when the
most recognizable athlete on the planet decides to return to the
golf course. Tournament officials everywhere have to be hoping that
Woods picks their event for his comeback.
Tom Wilson, tournament director of the San Diego
Invitational, said that attendance at Torrey Pines was down by 30
percent last February when Woods, recovering from knee surgery,
missed the tournament for the first time since 1997.
Wilson has not given up hope that the San Diego-area event
will be where Woods decides to come back and face the music, and
the director knows what he will have to do if that indeed happens.
"We might need to add a few chairs in the media center,"
Wilson quipped.
How about a new media center that is twice the size? It
brings to mind Roy Scheider's line in "Jaws" when he gets his first
glimpse of the great white shark: "You're going to need a bigger
boat."
Tiger has played at Torrey Pines, the renowned public course
on the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean, since he was a kid and has
won there seven times as a pro -- including his remarkable
one-legged playoff victory over Rocco Mediate in the 2008 U.S.
Open.
That's where he figured to make his 2010 debut before his
double life became an open book, and now there has been speculation
that Woods might take off as much as six months or even the entire
season. But that's all guesswork.
Woods will not be on hand Jan. 7 at Kapalua when the PGA
Tour season kicks off with the SBS Championship, but he has not
played in the winners-only event since 2005 and was not expected
this year even before his marital problems were laid before the
public.
He isn't the only big name who will be missing. Phil
Mickelson hasn't played at Kapalua since 2001 and again will stay
home. Other top-20 players such as Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Padraig
Harrington, Sergio Garcia and Jim Furyk did not win last season, so
they won't be there, either.
In fact, defending champion Geoff Ogilvy is the only former
winner on the Plantation Course in the field for this year's
tournament.
As for Woods, he could choose to start his season sometime
in March, which he did last season after a nine-month layoff,
perhaps close to home on the Florida Swing.
All he did after his late start a year ago was win six times
on the PGA Tour and claim the FedEx Cup for the second time in
three years.
"We are all disappointed in what has occurred with Tiger,"
said John Bremond, president of the Tucson Conquistadores, which
organizes the match-play event.
"I think it's important to note that we are still going to
have the top 64 golfers in the world here. ... If he does not play,
it may have some effect on our attendance, our ticket sales (which
spiked last year when Woods committed)."
Said Eric Baldwin, Deutsche Bank Championship tournament
director: "Tiger certainly has an effect. He brings along a buzz
when he plays in your event, and that manifests itself in many
ways."
Television executive and advertisers also are aware of the
Tiger Effect because they went through it when golf's meal ticket
was on the sidelines for the last half of the 2008 season.
Ratings for tournaments in which Woods played the previous
year were way down, by 50 percent in some cases.
"We know that when Tiger doesn't play in an event (that he
usually enters), the ratings for that event will fall somewhere
between 40 and 50 percent on the Golf Channel," said Page Thompson,
the president of the network.
"For the Golf Channel, I think the effects are a lot less
than you might read in some of the reports. ... He definitely has
an effect on the events that he plays, but if he doesn't play in an
event ever, then that rating will be pretty much unchanged."
Added Neal Pilson, former president of CBS Sports and owner
of a consulting business: "Companies that advertise around golf are
attracted by the demographics of the sport's core fans. Most of
those fans watch golf whether Woods is involved or not. The casual
fans who tune in only when Woods is in contention aren't the
viewers these advertisers are targeting. ... While you may have a
50 percent increase in viewership (when Woods plays), a lot of that
50 percent is just bonus."
Other than Jesper Parnevik, who introduced Tiger to Elin,
fellow touring pros have been mostly supportive of Woods, at least
when they are on the record.
Many of them consider him a friend and all of them realize
that the fact that they continue to play for lucrative purses and
rich endorsement contracts during difficult economic times has much
to do with the presence of Woods.
Here is a sampling of what they had to say:
Geoff Ogilvy: "Indefinite is a scary word. That's not good
for us. But I'm sure he'll get it worked out."
Steve Stricker: "I think it's the right thing to do. Golf
will always be there. He wants to make sure his marriage is right
and everything is good on the home front. We'll sure miss him on
tour until he gets things taken care of."
Jack Nicklaus: "Our public is pretty forgiving at times.
Time usually heals all wounds. I think the hardest thing is
obviously his family. That's a private matter for him and his
family. ... He'll figure it out."
Graeme McDowell: "It's a scary vision. It's a very scary
vision. We're under no illusions. We're much more prosperous
golfers for having Tiger Woods playing in our era."
Anthony Kim: "Whatever the problems may be and all the
speculation is, you wish the best for him and his family. Tiger has
been great for the game of golf. He's been great for other people's
futures. He's supported so many charities and supports all his
friends. I'm not saying he did or didn't do anything, but everyone
makes mistakes, and he's human like everyone else. I'm sure he'll
come back a better man out of all this."
Jim Furyk: "He and his wife are friends of mine, and as
friends, you know, you want to support them and wish them the best.
Tough times. So they need the support of their friends right now,
and I know that people are thinking about them."
Corey Pavin, the U.S. Ryder Cup captain: "Tiger's obviously
a very strong-minded individual, and I don't think he will play any
differently when he comes back. He's come back from injuries and
setbacks and done fine. ... Everybody makes mistakes. I'm not going
to sit here in judgment. I just hope things work out for him and
Elin. It's obviously an emotional time for him, but I think he's
going to be fine."
Padraig Harrington: "We're all interested in a bit of gossip
and what's happening, and usually it's a long way away from the
truth. But it's part of human nature, I suppose. It's a phenomenal
story. The spotlight is massive. It's pretty legitimate for people
to be discussing it and talking about it. ... If Tiger Woods was
down on the end of the (money list), this wouldn't be a story. If
Tiger Woods was not the No. 1 sports star in the world, there
wouldn't be a story."
It's a story that will not die anytime soon, and in a
perverse way, that might be good for golf when Woods does return
because virtually every media outlet in the world will want to be
there to cover it. Even non-golf fans will be watching to see what
new twists and turns this soap opera takes.
