Golf Capsules: Commentary - Tiger still holds golf hostage
MARANA, Ariz. — The latest gossip has Tiger Woods resuming his therapy some 2,000 miles away from where he made his public apology last Friday, which — if true — would be a comical coincidence in one respect.
He made more news in Arizona when he wasn't even there.
If nothing else, last week showed how much control Woods wields in the world of golf.
The opening round of the Match Play Championship typically is one of the most exciting days in golf, and it was every bit of that. Not because Steve Stricker became only the second No. 1 seed to go home or because 18-year-old Ryo Ishikawa won his last three holes to stay. The buzz centered on Woods' camp announcing that he was going to make his first public appearance in three months.
PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem might have set a record by meeting with the media three times in five days. The first session Wednesday was to say very little. The third one Sunday was to take blame for not saying enough. In between was a news conference at the Sawgrass Marriott before more media than ever has covered The Players Championship.
Ernie Els was upset, and this was after he won his match.
Upon hearing that Woods was to speak in the middle of the first World Golf Championship of the year, Els tried to choose his words carefully until he said to Golfweek magazine, "It's selfish." And that was putting it mildly.
Other players who felt just as strongly managed to bite their tongues, or at least ask that tape recorders be turned off.
Ian Poulter inquired about the scene at the TPC Sawgrass during his final match, and when it was suggested that the only new development was Woods being seen and heard, Poulter stretched out his arms as if to say, "There is nothing else to add."
Not that someone didn't try.
After winning the Match Play Championship — the biggest win of his career and his first victory on American soil — the Englishman dressed all in pink nearly turned red when he heard a question from the back of the room.
"Does the Tiger Woods drama take away or diminish this championship to you in any way, just the media attention?"
Poulter's eyes widened and he stared for a second.
"Next question," he replied.
Some players get tired of taking Tiger questions when he's winning all the time. They don't like them any more when he's simply reading a statement into a camera.
The Golf Writers Association of America usually doesn't get this worked up unless the shuttle bus at the U.S. Open is running late. Woods created a flurry of passionate opinions that led the group to reject an offer of three seats in the room where Woods spoke, lobby for more reporters, receive a compromise of six seats, then vote 19-3 (with four abstentions) not to participate.
Could this all have been avoided? Woods said he was on a break from therapy (without saying what kind of therapy) and was to return the next day. Even if he had waited until the tournament was over, and had spoken on Monday, it still would have meant notifying everyone on Saturday — and that would have stolen attention away from Poulter's 7-and-6 semifinal victory over Sergio Garcia.
In the end, the resentment was over Woods still calling the shots. Most agree that he should have lost that right through so many selfish decisions that culminated with a sordid sex scandal, which brought disgrace to his family and damage to a sport that made him who he is, or was. It may be years before the extent of that damage is known.
His management team could have diffused some of the resentment by making more clear what this event was all about. The first word was an e-mail to say Woods was going to speak to a small group of associates and friends, and while it was not an open media event, "it is understood that there are many media who are interested in what he has to say."
Then came word that pool reporters — three wire services, three picked by the GWAA — would not be allowed to ask questions. It appeared to be another outrageous attempt to control the media.
For now, however, Woods does have the right to speak on his terms. He is not playing golf.
That day is coming, even if no one knows when. Woods only said that he would not rule out him playing this year. Once he returns to the PGA Tour, the only control he has over the media is what he chooses to answer. He can say he won't discuss his personal life. That won't stop the questions, and dodging them won't do him any good.
Former Masters chairman Hootie Johnson chose to speak to only five reporters during the nine months that Martha Burk became part of the golf vernacular with her campaign for Augusta National to have a female member.
Johnson was flanked by 60 members in green jackets when he spoke for the first time on the Wednesday before the 2003 Masters. He concluded his opening remarks by saying, "I will have nothing further to add about our membership or related issues." Then came more than 30 questions related to the controversy, and Johnson answered them all (just not to the media's liking).
The Masters has tight restrictions on the media that gets a credential, just not the questions they ask.
The ultimate question — whenever he decides to play — is how Woods chooses to answer them.
Doug Ferguson covers golf for The Associated Press.
Even without Tiger, golf can thrive on TV
NEW YORK— Television viewership will fall without Tiger Woods, but the networks that air the sport and the PGA Tour itself can handle the setback.
That’s the word from several media analysts and the president of CBS Sports, which now is facing the possibility of covering the Masters Tournament just weeks from now with golf’s biggest star conspicuously absent.
"We’re all looking forward to him coming back, but until then we’re doing perfectly fine," said Sean McManus, president of CBS News and Sports.
When Woods made his globally televised apology last Friday for serial infidelity, he said that "I do plan to return to golf one day, I just don’t know when that day will be."
The statement leaves Woods with no deadline — so what will happen to the audience if he stays away from the course?
The first of four major tournaments on the PGA Tour, the Masters, which has long aired on CBS for the concluding rounds, ends April 11 this year. The U.S. Open follows in June on NBC. The British Open will be seen on ABC in July, and the PGA on CBS in August. Broadcast network coverage will be supplemented by coverage on cable networks.
Tournaments in which Woods isn’t playing generally suffer a drop in viewership and a loss of advertising revenue, notes Larry Novenstern, executive vice president of Optimedia.
For the 15 or so tournaments where Woods might have been expected to play this year, Novenstern estimated the resulting advertising loss to networks would total between $10 million and $20 million. In comparison to other economic hardships challenging broadcasters right now, he says, "This is just a speed bump."
CBS’ McManus agrees.
"Golf does better economically when Tiger is a major force on the PGA tour," he says, "but golf is still a valuable product for us."
There’s no question Woods delivers a ratings kick for any tournament he plays in, ranging from 20 percent to as much as 50 percent.
"But a certain percent of Tiger’s audience is not the traditional golf audience and, in effect, is not what many advertisers are looking for," says Neal Pilson, president of Pilson Communications, a media consulting firm, and a former president of CBS Sports. "If Tiger’s in an event, you expect a 50 percent increase in ratings. You don’t necessarily negotiate a 50 percent increase in the advertising rate."
Many of the advertisers are so-called "endemics" — brands like Callaway, Titleist and Nike that target products and messages specifically toward golf devotees.
"There’s a strong, economically secure core audience for golf, and there is no indication that they have left," Pilson says. "The more casual audience that follows Tiger probably won’t be back until he comes back again."
The Nielsen Co. has estimated that an average of 4.6 million viewers tuned in to tournaments played by Tiger in 2007-08. When Woods had knee surgery after winning the 2008 U.S. Open and missed the rest of the season, ratings sunk as much as 50 percent.
But consider this. Network ratings for the first three tournaments in 2009, all of which Woods also missed because of his knee ailment, when compared to this year’s first three tournaments — also without Woods — show an audience growth of 29 percent.
"We think that’s pretty promising for golf," says Stephen Master, vice president of Nielsen Sports. "Golf had pretty strong support before Tiger. Maybe people are getting used to the fact that, for a while, at least, Tiger won’t be around."
-- Frazier Moore
P&G keeping Woods on shelf
CINCINNATI — The CEO of the Procter & Gamble Co. says he doesn’t know whether golfer Tiger Woods will ever appear in another Gillette commercial, and everyone else wonders when he’ll next appear in a televised golf tournament.
Bob McDonald, who is also chairman of the Cincinnati-based consumer products company, says P&G wishes Woods the best on his efforts to work on family issues, after Woods’ public apology for infidelity last Friday.
"He doesn’t need to be distracted by us using his advertising, and we don’t need the distraction of us using the advertising, either," McDonald told The Associated Press.
The comments came as others with ties to Woods await word on his plans to return to the PGA Tour. Meanwhile, WFTV.com in Orlando, Fla., says Woods and his wife have offered a personal apology for media attention to parents of children at the preschool that their 2-year-old daughter attends.
Woods said last week he plans to return to golf, but doesn’t know when, leaving the possibility of upcoming major PGA events such as the Masters running on television without him as a drawing card. Tournaments in which Woods isn’t playing generally suffer a drop in viewership and a loss of advertising revenue, says Larry Novenstern, executive vice president of Optimedia.
CBS Sports President Sean McManus says golf does better economically with Woods, but that it remains valuable for network TV.
"We’re all looking forward to him coming back, but until then, we’re doing perfectly fine," McManus said.
For Procter & Gamble, Woods still appears online among the "Gillette Champions," but new commercials for a Gillette shaver and related products feature baseball’s Derek Jeter and tennis’ Roger Federer but not Woods. The three were in Gillette’s major advertising campaign last year.
Asked if Woods will be in future advertising, McDonald replied: "I don’t know ... we’ve got lots of great spokespeople."
P&G unit Gillette signed Woods to a contract in 2007; Gillette officials decline to say its length and value. AT&T Inc. and Accenture dropped Woods completely in the weeks after the first revelations about his personal life. Gillette was among sponsors that de-emphasized him in their marketing.
Meanwhile, McDonald said P&G is pleased with returns so far on its biggest Olympic involvement yet, as a sponsor of the U.S. team in Vancouver and also of individual athletes. He mentioned speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno, who set a U.S. team record by winning his seventh Winter Olympics medal, appearing in Vicks cold medicine commercials.
With television ratings up amid a strong U.S. team performance, P&G is running a "Thank you, Mom" advertising campaign that has included help with travel expenses for athletes’ mothers.
"I’ve loved it," McDonald said, adding that P&G has gotten more positive attention and feedback than expected.
-- Dan Sewell
Report: Woods apologizes to school parents
ORLANDO, Fla. — Tiger Woods has offered another apology, this time to parents of children at the preschool that his 2-year-old daughter attends, an Orlando television station reported Tuesday.
WFTV reported on its Web site that it has obtained a letter that Woods and his wife, Elin, wrote to parents of children attending Premier Academy to apologize for increased media scrutiny around the school.
"We hope that the paparazzi will find something better to do with their time in the near future," the letter said.
Media coverage around Woods and his family has been intense since the Nov. 27 accident outside his home led to revelations that the world’s No. 1 golfer had been cheating on his wife. Woods did not make his first public appearance until Friday at the TPC Sawgrass clubhouse in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla..
Woods’ wife did not attend his nationally televised appearance, and photographers were seen outside the Premier Academy that day. WFTV says an off-duty sheriff’s deputy has been hired to sit outside the school.
The station did not say when the letter was sent.
During his 13½-minute statement, Woods lashed out at paparazzi for chasing after his family, including his daughter, Sam.
"However, my behavior doesn’t make it right for the media to follow my two-and-a-half-year-old daughter to school and report the school’s location," Woods said. "They staked out my wife and they pursued my mom. Whatever my wrongdoings, for the sake of my family, please leave my wife and kids alone."
Woods thanks parents for their support and did not indicate he would remove his daughter from the school.
"In the meantime, it is our goal to keep life as normal as possible for our children," the letter said. "We are sure that as parents you can appreciate that. For Sam, that normalcy means attending the school that she enjoys so much."
Notebook: Europe wants its players to know the rules
MARANA, Ariz. — Dustin Johnson had to call for a ruling on consecutive shots around the fifth green in the final round at Pebble Beach. One was for relief from the grandstands, the other because his chip came to rest in a sprinkler head.
"I get a little confused," Johnson said. "It’s always good to get an official, so there’s no question about it."
But what if the official is nowhere around and the group has to wait until one arrives?
The European Tour has a new policy this year aimed at making sure players know common rules, and encouraging them not to call for a ruling on the most routine drops.
Europe’s top two officials, John Paramor and Andy McFee, have finished making a DVD that educates players on simple rulings. If they deem that a player has asked for a ruling he should know on his own, the player has three tournaments to attend a seminar (and watch the DVD) before he can enter another event.
"It’s for when you get a guy asking for what we consider a frivolous ruling," said McFee, the senior referee in Europe.
And what is frivolous?
McFee described some examples as what kind of penalty drop is allowed for unplayable lies and hazards (yellow and red), along with free relief from a sprinkler head or a cart path.
"They need to know how to take relief from a cart path," McFee said. "Most golfers around the world know this, and our players should not be exempt from that."
McFee said at Abu Dhabi last month, a player he declined to identify called for an official, who was several holes away. When the official arrived, the player said, "Is it two club lengths if I declare an unplayable?"
"We now have the right to make him go to the rules seminar," McFee said.
In Johnson’s case with the sprinkler, McFee saw no problem. He said some players can go blank on the rules, and even the highest-rated USGA officials are not immune from that (Trey Holland at Oakmont in 1994).
As for relief from the bleachers? McFee said anything involving a temporary immovable object can be tricky, and they would not consider a ruling that involves a TIO to be frivolous.
He said the policy is aimed at all players, with emphasis on the younger players who are reluctant to take drops on their own.
"I don’t think it’s something we’ll use very often," McFee said. "But it’s there."
NEW ATTITUDE: Camilo Villegas missed a 3-foot putt that would have ended his semifinal match against Paul Casey. They returned in the morning, and Villegas essentially handed Casey the match by hooking his tee shot into the desert.
"If I continue to do what I’m doing, the rest of the year is going to be a good year for me," Villegas said.
He wasn’t talking about the putt. Or the tee shot.
Walking toward the clubhouse just minutes after a devastating loss, Villegas was talking about his attitude. No one is chatty after losing in match play, especially so late in the tournament. The 28-year-old Colombian, however, is determined to show more perspective .
"With this game, you can go all the way back to my rookie year," Villegas said. "I got out here and you have nothing to lose. Man, I’m on the PGA Tour. You’re so excited. New tournaments, new golf courses. Five years later, I got to No. 7 in the world, you get a lot more attention, you have a lot more people around you ... your mind can get away from the game. Little things can frustrate you."
Villegas won the final two FedEx Cup playoff events in 2008, but went without a victory last year.
He is determined to change that, starting with his outlook.
"I’m playing golf for a living," he said. "A million people would give whatever to be here. I’m feeling more appreciative of what I’m doing. This week, I’m having fun. I have nothing to lose."
He returned that afternoon for a consolation match and beat Sergio Garcia, 5 and 4.
OLYMPIC SEARCH: Golf is looking for someone to run its Olympic operations.
The International Golf Federation put out notice Tuesday that it will hire an executive director, to be based in Switzerland, who will run day-to-day operations to get ready for golf’s return to the Olympics in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.
R&A chief executive Peter Dawson and PGA Tour communications chief Ty Votaw will be in charge of the search. They led golf’s bid to get back into the Olympics.
The executive director will report to the IGF’s executive committee, comprised of leaders from the European Tour, PGA Tour, Masters, PGA of America, USGA, R&A and the LPGA Tour.
MASTERS DEADLINE: Players typically have until 5 p.m. Friday the week before a tournament to commit to playing. In the U.S. Open and British Open, they must submit an entry form.
The Masters is by invitation and has no such rules. So if Tiger Woods decides to play the first major of the year, he only needs to show up before his tee time on Thursday.
Players receive an invitation in December that asks them to R.S.V.P., and they usually do.
Masters spokesman Steve Ethun said when Woods announced his indefinite break from golf on Dec. 11, Woods’ spokesman Glenn Greenspan (who previously had Ethun’s job) said he would keep Augusta National apprised.
"We have yet to hear any word," Ethun said last week.
The Masters has a good idea who is playing when they make tee times on Tuesday for the first two rounds. Even so, Ethun said it was possible for a player to just show up and head to the tee because there is no alternate list.
"They do have to register before their tee time," he said.
TIGER SPECULATION: Knee surgery that kept him out of the final two majors of 2008 ended Tiger Woods’ chances of ever breaking Jack Nicklaus’ record of playing 146 consecutive majors.
His marriage problems could get in the way of another record. Woods has won at least one PGA Tour event 14 consecutive seasons, three seasons short of the record shared by Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.
Along with not knowing when Woods will return, no one is sure how he will perform.
DIVOTS: Ian Poulter’s 4-and-2 victory over Paul Casey marked the eighth consecutive year that the Match Play Championship final did not go the distance. Kevin Sutherland in 2002 was the last winner to go 36 holes in the championship match. ... Mark Calcavecchia this week will try to become only the third player to win a PGA Tour event in four decades. He has won the Phoenix Open in 1989, 1992 and 2001. The others to win on tour in four decades are Raymond Floyd and Sam Snead.
STAT OF THE WEEK: For the last three years, Phil Mickelson has won his first PGA Tour event of the season in his fourth start. The Phoenix Open is his fourth start this year.
FINAL WORD: "There’s no time for blinking out here." — Camilo Villegas.
-- Doug Ferguson
Golf Glance
PGA TOUR
Phoenix Open
Site: Scottsdale, Ariz.
Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.
Course: TPC Scottsdale (7,216 yards, par 71).
Purse: $6 million. Winner's share: $1.08 million.
Television: Golf Channel (Thursday, 3-7 p.m., 7:30 p.m.- 11:30 p.m.; Friday, Noon-4 a.m., 3-7 p.m., 7:30 p.m.- 11:30 p.m.; Saturday, Noon-4 a.m., 3-6 p.m., 7:30-10:30 p.m.; Sunday, 11-2 a.m., 3-6 p.m., 7:30-10:30 p.m.; Monday, 11-2 a.m.).
Last year: Kenny Perry won the first of his two 2009 titles, beating Charley Hoffman with a 22-foot birdie putt on the third hole of a playoff.
Last week: Ian Poulter won the Match Play Championship at Dove Mountain for his first World Golf Championship title, beating Paul Casey 4 and 2 in the all-England final. ... Cameron Beckman won the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico for his third PGA Tour victory. Joe Durant and Brian Stuard tied for second, two strokes back.
Notes: Phil Mickelson is making his fourth start of the season. The former Arizona State star won in 1996 and 2005. In 2005, he shot a 60 in the second round en route to a five-stroke victory. ... The 49-year-old Perry is coming off a first-round loss to Brian Gay at Dove Mountain. Perry tied for sixth in the season-opening SBS Championship in his only start of the season. ... J.B. Holmes won in 2006 and 2008. ... Fred Couples is coming off a victory two weeks ago in the Champions Tour's ACE Group Classic. ... Poulter is in the field. ... Mark Calcavecchia won in 1989, 1992 and 2001, shooting 65-60-64-67 in 2001 for a 28-under 256 total — at the time a PGA Tour record. ... Waste Management is in its first year as the title sponsor. ... The Honda Classic is next week in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., followed by the WGC-CA Championship at Doral — opposite the Puerto Rico Open.
On the Net: http://www.pgatour.com
LPGA TOUR
HSBC Women's Champions
Site: Singapore.
Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.
Course: Tanah Merah Country Club, Garden Course (6,547 yards, par 72).
Purse: $1.3 million. Winner's share: $195,000.
Television: Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 11:30-2:30 p.m.; Saturday, Noon-2:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2:30-4:30 a.m., Noon-2:30 p.m.; Monday, 2:30-4:30 a.m.).
Last year: South Korean star Jiyai Shin won the first of her three 2009 titles, closing with consecutive 66s for a two-stroke victory over Katherine Hull.
Last week: Japan's Ai Miyazato won the season-opening LPGA Thailand, holing a 30-foot birdie chip on the final hole for a 9-under 63 and a one-stroke victory over Suzann Pettersen. Miyazato, six strokes behind Pettersen after the third round, matched the tournament record of 21 under set by Pettersen in October 2007.
Notes: In 2008, Lorena Ochoa beat Annika Sorenstam by 11 strokes, finishing at 20-under 268. ... Michelle Wie tied for 22nd last week, 16 strokes behind Miyazato. ... Last year, the purse was $2 million and the first-place share $300,000. ... The tour is off the next three weeks. Play will resume with the Kia Classic on March 25-28 in Carlsbad, Calif.
On the Net: http://www.lpga.com
NATIONWIDE TOUR
Panama Championship
Site: Panama City.
Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.
Course: Golf Club of Panama (7,102 yards, par 70).
Purse: $550,000. Winner's share: $99,000.
Television: None.
Last year: Vance Veazey won his fourth career Nationwide Tour victory, beating Garrett Willis with a two-putt par on the second hole of a playoff. Veazey finished 23rd on the money list to earn a 2010 PGA Tour card.
Last event: Jim Herman won the Moonah Classic on Feb. 7 in Australia for his first Nationwide Tour title, birdieing the first hole of a playoff with fellow American Chris Kirk. The tournament also was sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia.
Notes: The top 25 players on the money list at the end of the season will earn 2011 PGA Tour cards. ... The inaugural Pacific Rubiales Bogota Open is next week in Colombia. The tour will open its U.S. schedule with the Louisiana Open on March 25-28.
On the Net: http://www.pgatour.com
CHAMPIONS TOUR
Next event: Toshiba Classic, March 5-7, Newport Beach Country Club, Newport Beach, Calif.
Last week: Bernhard Langer won the Allianz Championship in Boca Raton, Fla., for his ninth Champions Tour victory. He holed a 45-foot bunker shot from a plugged lie for eagle to beat John Cook on the first hole of a playoff.
On the Net: http://www.pgatour.com
PGA EUROPEAN TOUR
Next event: Maybank Malaysian Open, March 5-7, Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Last week: Ian Poulter won the Match Play Championship in Marana, Ariz., for his first World Golf Championship title, beating Paul Casey 4 and 2 in the all-England final. Poulter moved to a career-best No. 5 in the world.
On the Net: http://www.europeantour.com
OTHER TOURNAMENTS
Men
SUNSHINE TOUR: Vodacom Championship, Thursday-Sunday, Pretoria Country Club, Pretoria, South Africa. On the Net: http://www.sunshinetour.com
Women
LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR: New Zealand Women's Open, Thursday-Sunday, Pegasus Golf Club, Christchurch, New Zealand. On the Net: http://www.ladieseuropeantour.com and www.nzopengolf.co.nz
