Other Articles in this Category
Most Viewed Stories
Most Commented Stories
Most Recommended Stories
Save & Share this Article
Golf Capsules: Tiger Woods checks out for the year
Comments 0 | Recommend 0THOUSAND OAKS, California — Facing public scrutiny over a car crash that sent him to the hospital and raised questions, speculation and innuendo about how it happened, Tiger Woods withdrew from the Chevron World Challenge on Monday, citing injuries.
The Tiger Woods Foundation board met as it does every year at Sherwood Country Club. Merchandise was on sale just outside the clubhouse, with large photos of Woods hanging from brick walls.
Everything was in place at his year-end tournament — except for him.
His news conference for Tuesday afternoon was canceled in an announcement posted on his Web site as questions kept growing about Woods driving his SUV over a fire hydrant and into a tree at 2:25 a.m. local time Friday, questions that would have hounded him had he showed up at Sherwood.
Even as players in the 18-man field began to arrive — Graeme McDowell, a Ryder Cup player from Northern Ireland replaced Woods — it was clear Sherwood would be more quiet than ever, just like its host.
Asked to sum up the mood for the week, Padraig Harrington said, "I don't think anyone knows."
Harrington was on the golf course Monday morning when Woods announced he would not play. Having flown over from Ireland, he has not been keeping up with each development and wasn't sure how much it would affect the tournament except for the obvious.
"The more we play and compete with Tiger, the better," Harrington said, who did just that at two majors this year, and the final round of the Bridgestone Invitational when Woods rallied to beat him.
"But it's not going to take away from the winner enjoying his win," he said. "I think come Sunday afternoon on the back nine, the focus will be on the tournament. Up until that point, Tiger will be talked about, and he will be missed."
John Daly encouraged Woods to end the speculation.
"The thing that Tiger needs to look at is, whatever happened, just tell the truth," Daly said from the Australian Open.
Woods said on his Web site that injuries — he did not give details — prevented him from playing.
"I am extremely disappointed that I will not be at my tournament this week," Woods said. "I am certain it will be an outstanding event and I'm very sorry that I can't be there."
He didn't play last year while recovering from knee surgery, although he was at the course the entire week and handed the trophy to Vijay Singh, also missing this year after his own knee surgery.
Tournament officials said fans who bought advance tickets with the hope of seeing Woods could get refunds beginning next week. Those who keep their tickets will get a 20 percent discount when they buy them next year.
Woods sustained cuts and bruises from the crash outside his home in an exclusive, gated community near Orlando, Fla. He was treated at a hospital and released. He has not been seen in public since then.
By skipping the tournament, Woods will escape the TV cameras and a horde of media seeking more details about the smashup. The tournament was to be the last of the year for Woods anyway, and he did not say when or where he would make his return next year.
When healthy, he has made his season debut at Torrey Pines every year since 2006. The San Diego Invitational this year is scheduled the week of Jan. 25. That could mean Woods avoids the media for 10 weeks.
Woods released a statement Sunday saying the accident was his fault and asked that it remain "a private matter." But with the Florida Highway Patrol still investigating and the media in full pursuit, he might not get his way.
The reference to "false, unfounded and malicious rumors" in Sunday's statement may have involved a story published last week in the National Enquirer alleging that Woods had been seeing a New York nightclub hostess, and that they recently were together in Melbourne, where Woods competed in the Australian Masters.
The woman, Rachel Uchitel, denied having an affair with Woods when contacted by The Associated Press.
Woods even faced questions from fans who left comments on his Web site. Most voiced support for him, but some said he should address the questions about his own actions and those of his wife, Elin Nordegren, before and after the accident.
Woods hasn't answered questions from Florida troopers, either, turning them down three days in a row when they came to his house, the last time Sunday afternoon, after Woods' attorney told the patrol he would not be speaking.
Four cars were parked in Woods' driveway Monday, but no lights appeared to be on inside. A new fire hydrant had already replaced the one that Woods plowed into. A dirt hole and an orange barricade remained in the old hydrant's place.
Linda Adams, Woods' neighbor, confirmed to the Orlando Sentinel that someone in her home other than her husband, Jerome, called authorities.
The neighbor, who called 911 after Woods ran over the hydrant and hit a tree, said he was unconscious and laying outside his SUV. Woods' wife told Windermere police she used a golf club to smash the back windows to help him out.
The Associated Press called the Adams home Monday and asked to speak to the Adams' son Jarius, who's believed to have made the call. The woman who answered the telephone told a reporter to call back later in the day. When the AP called back Monday evening, attorney Bill Sharpe answered and said he was representing the family. He said there was no comment at this time, but said a statement might be made Tuesday.
Commentary: Woods' quest for privacy meets its great challenge
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — All anyone needs to know about Tiger Woods off the golf course is what he named his yacht. Privacy.
Woods gave up a big piece of that when he left Stanford after two years, turned pro with a "Hello, World" ad campaign and a $40 million endorsement deal, then quickly became one of the most recognizable athletes on earth.
He will invite some people into that world, but only so far.
Earlier this month in Shanghai, while playing a pro-am round at Sheshan International in a World Golf Championship, Woods allowed that he was staying in a cluster of mansions located on an island in the middle of the golf course. Some of the estates were valued at $14.5 million, and Woods could not believe the extravagance of these homes.
Approaching the island, he was asked which one he was staying in for the week.
"Oh, one of those over there," he said dismissively.
It was a clear example of the world's No. 1 player giving a morsel of insight, but not much more.
Once asked why he enjoyed scuba diving so much, Woods replied: "The fish don't know who I am."
He is friends with many, close to only a few. Among his best friends are Bryon Bell, whom he has known since junior high school, and Jerry Chang, a teammate at Stanford.
When he made history in 2001 as the only golfer to hold all four professional majors at the same time, Golf Digest put him on the magazine cover posing with the four trophies, along with his U.S. Amateur trophy.
Did he keep them on the mantel? A special trophy case? His bedroom?
That remains a mystery.
Even for a magazine with whom he has had a longtime relationship, the trophies were moved out of his house for the photo shoot. That $2.4 million home near the driving range at Isleworth is off limits to anyone not part of his circle.
It's amazing that Woods has managed to keep such a thick wall around his personal life in the 14 years he's commanded the spotlight. The last time his name might have been on any police report was when he was mugged going back to his dorm at Stanford in 1994.
In response to a query on his Facebook account in October, Woods said he and his wife, Elin, had managed to stay out of gossip magazines and tabloids. "I think we've avoided a lot of media attention because we're kind of boring," was the reply.
That changed Friday with a press release from the Florida Highway Patrol that Eldrick Tiger Woods, 33, of Windermere, struck a fire hydrant and a tree shortly after pulling out of his driveway. The patrol described the injuries as "serious," making the news important enough to be the lead item on news channels and for networks to interrupt coverage of college football games.
Then came word of a small photo of Woods on the cover of the National Enquirer, alleging an affair with a New York night club hostess. The woman denied the story and flew to Los Angeles on Sunday to meet with high-profile attorney Gloria Allred.
Woods has had a general distrust of the media since a 1997 interview with GQ magazine in which he was quoted as telling racy jokes in the back seat of a car. He rarely spends much time in an interview, his answers always guarded. If he's not the defending champion, he often will not go to the media center, making reporters come outside to see him.
The only criticism Woods has faced was not taking a stronger stand on social issues, such as the all-male membership at Augusta National, not playing more tournaments, or for cursing and throwing a club during competition.
But in all those cases, it was short-lived.
Questions about his car crash, however, will linger as long as Woods keeps it a mystery. He has dealt with a sporting media most of his life. Now he steps into the realm of celebrity media, which is far more relentless.
Speculation on what really happened that night outside — or inside — his home grows each day. Woods went 13 hours before confirming he was in a "minor accident," then two more days before giving his side of the story Sunday.
He said it was his fault, an embarrassing accident, that he's not perfect, and that any innuendoes were false and malicious. That hardly will be enough to keep the media satisfied.
Woods turned down a request by state troopers to talk three days in a row. Because it is only a traffic accident, he is not required by law to give a statement.
"Although Tiger realizes that there is a great deal of public curiosity, it has been conveyed to FHP that he simply has nothing more to add and wishes to protect the privacy of his family," Mark Steinberg, his agent at IMG, said in an e-mail.
But that small camp of TV trucks parked outside the gates at Isleworth might not be leaving any time soon. Woods still is scheduled to compete in his Chevron World Challenge this week in Thousand Oaks, Calif. As of Sunday night, no one had withdrawn.
Would it not be wise to face the media, no matter how embarrassing, and move on? It seemed to have worked for David Letterman, who even made a few jokes at his expense.
That's simply not his style. Woods can be self-deprecating, but only in the best of times. If he chooses not to show this week in California, he could easily go into hiding for the next two months. Hardly anyone saw him in public for four months after his knee surgery last year.
That won't make the story go away. For all the records he is chasing inside the ropes, this might prove to be his greatest challenge.
Doug Ferguson has been the AP Golf Writer since 1998 and has covered Tiger Woods since he played in the 1996 Masters as an amateur
Image gurus to Woods: Go public like Letterman
When it comes to dealing with a personal crisis, Tiger Woods could learn a lot from David Letterman, media experts say.
Instead of a vague statement that left many questions unanswered, the late-night comic went very public with his admission of bad behavior, and even cracked a few jokes at his own expense. After a few days, everyone moved on.
"Men and women have been forgiven by their public for misbehavior or misstepping, and even philandering," said Gene Grabowski, who guides high-profile figures through public relations crises as a senior vice president with Washington-based Levick Strategic Communications.
"But what they have never been forgiven for is the cover-up," he said.
Of course, Woods doesn't have his own talk show, and a public mea culpa isn't his style, anyway. The world's most famous athlete and No. 1 golfer goes to great lengths to guard his image, on and off the course. He steers clear of anything with even a hint of controversy, anything that would raise an eyebrow.
But his statement Sunday about the "embarrassing" situation surrounding his car crash, coupled with his refusal to meet with police, is only heightening suspicion that something is not quite what it seems.
"It's his privilege not to address the other innuendoes and reports that have surfaced over the last three or four days," said Steve Rosner, co-founder of 16W Marketing. "But by not addressing them, I believe he has set up a situation where the story will continue to be the story."
Grabowski, whose clients have included Roger Clemens, agreed.
"Tiger risks making this a bigger issue than it has to be," he said. "And bringing greater embarrassment to his family."
Woods withdrew from his own golf tournament this week, the Chevron World Challenge in Thousand Oaks, California, citing injuries from the car crash. While that may spare him from facing reporters for now, he is almost certain to be questioned about it at the end of January, when he is likely to make his 2010 debut at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California.
Letterman's indiscretions had all the makings of a long-running tabloid cover story. While not telling all, the married father admitted he'd had sex with women who worked on his show, with one of the trysts leading to an alleged blackmail plot.
By revealing that himself, Letterman followed the No. 1 rule in crisis communication: Take control of the story.
"My recommendation is always to get out in front and curtail speculation by distributing fact," said George Merlis, founder of Experience Media Consulting Group. "Because the speculation gets dangerous and, once it's out there, speculation has a nasty habit of becoming accepted as fact.
"By not talking or addressing issues, you're inviting everyone on all sides to express vague opinions, and they end up dominating the conversation."
New York Yankees Alex Rodriguez and Andy Pettitte figured that out. Rather than stonewalling or sidestepping allegations they used performance-enhancing drugs, like Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire did, both admitted it and apologized. While Bonds and McGwire remain pariahs, Rodriguez was treated like a hero as the Yankees won their 27th World Series title. Pettitte hung out with Letterman.
When Kobe Bryant was accused of sexual assault, he tearfully admitted he was guilty of adultery — and nothing else. Charges were later dropped and while his reputation took a brief hit, fans have obviously gotten over it. His jersey is the top seller in the United States, Europe and China.
Woods' troubles began with a middle-of-the-night accident outside his Isleworth estate.
He crashed his Cadillac SUV at 2:25 a.m. Friday, and his wife told police she used a golf club to smash the back window to help him out. But Woods has yet to say where he was going at that hour, or explain how he lost control of the SUV when the speed didn't even cause the air bags to deploy.
"It doesn't add up," Grabowski said. "He needs to do a better job of describing the cause of the accident. That's the crux of the question."
In a statement posted Sunday on his Web site, Woods said only that the accident was his fault.
"It's obviously embarrassing to my family and me," he said. "I'm human and I'm not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn't happen again."
He acknowledged the "many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me," but didn't address them except to say they are "irresponsible." He then asked for privacy.
The accident came two days after the National Enquirer published a story alleging that Woods had been seeing a New York night club hostess. The woman, Rachel Uchitel, denied having an affair with Woods when contacted by The Associated Press.
"I'm not sure it's his moral responsibility to the general public to say every bit of what's going on," Rosner said. "But I personally don't think it's going to go away now because he did not address the rumors and innuendoes of the reports about his personal life."
And the truth always comes out, said Mike Paul, founder and president of MGP & Associates PR. Evading an issue, Paul said, will only encourage people to dig further, to find evidence of what they assume or suspect to be true.
Besides, it's a little too late to plead for privacy, Paul said.
In becoming a professional athlete — particularly one who earns tens of millions each year from endorsements — Woods assumed a responsibility to fans, Paul said. He owes them answers, even when they're embarrassing, deeply personal or concern matters ordinary people would never be asked to discuss.
"Your fans are asking the question, you have to answer it," Paul said. "They will not stop asking it until they get an answer."
-- Nancy Armour
Woods' crash hampers wealthy neighbors' privacy
WINDERMERE, Fla. — The professional athletes, bold-faced celebrities and corporate moguls who live in Tiger Woods' neighborhood favor it less for its clay tennis courts and Arnold Palmer-designed golf course than for its 8-foot security wall and platoon of private guards.
Among the many Isleworth amenities — sprawling outdoor sculptures, picturesque lakes, an 89,000-square-foot clubhouse — the one its well-to-do residents value most is its privacy. That's been harder to maintain since Friday, when the world's top golfer and most famous athlete smashed his Cadillac SUV into a fire hydrant and a tree as he pulled out of his driveway in the middle of the night.
Woods' crash outside his multimillion-dollar home near Orlando has drawn a media mob to the exclusive 300-family community, or more specifically, to its gated checkpoints. Visitors can only get past the Spanish-tiled gatehouse at the main entrance if a resident gives their name to a guard. The white-shirted guards in quasi-police uniforms then check visitors' IDs to verify names on the list.
More than a dozen television trucks were camped outside the entrance Monday as almost 100 reporters, photographers and TV crew members filmed residents' comings and goings. TV helicopters hovered overhead.
And the media are likely to stay until they get answers to where Woods was headed at 2:25 a.m. and what caused the crash. Woods, who briefly lost consciousness and was treated for cuts and bruises at a hospital, has issued two short statements through his Web site and has declined to talk with the Florida Highway Patrol.
In his statements, the famously insular golfer called the accident embarrassing and asked the public to respect — what else? — his privacy.
It's the second time in three months his community has made national news. In September, a prominent developer having money problems was accused of fatally shooting his wife in their home, which was once owned by Palmer.
Bob Ward is charged with second-degree murder in the death of his 55-year-old wife, Diane. He has pleaded not guilty and is free on a $100,000 bond.
In a state that boasts locales like Miami Beach and Key West, there are ritzier, more exotic spots than Isleworth, which sits on old orange groves amid the central Florida swamps.
Yet since the neighborhood's development in the 1980s, it has attracted sports stars and celebrities by the dozen. Former and current residents include Shaquille O'Neal, Penny Hardaway and Dee Brown from the NBA; baseball star Ken Griffey Jr.; Andre Reed of the NFL; former Wimbledon doubles champion Todd Woodbridge; and actor Wesley Snipes.
So many PGA golfers live in Isleworth that the neighborhood fields a team each year to play in a tournament against a rival luxury neighborhood in metro Orlando. Isleworth's Tavistock Cup team this year included Mark O'Meara, Stuart Appleby, Darren Clarke, John Cook, J.B. Holmes, Charles Howell III and Woods, among other pros. Florida doesn't have a state income tax and there are nearby numerous world-class courses where they can practice.
Pro athletes are specifically attracted to Isleworth, where new homes range from $1.5 million to $8 million, "because of the security and the class of the whole place and its accessibility to the airport," said Joyce McClane, a retiree who was one of Isleworth's earliest residents. She bought a lot in the neighborhood with her husband in 1987.
For Kyung Hee Yoon, the appeal is security. She and her radiologist husband bought a $2.5 million home five years ago after moving to central Florida from New York. Having celebrity neighbors such as the PGA's Appleby was almost an afterthought, she said.
"It is actually not really a big deal," she said. "I sometimes see (famous) people but it doesn't bother me. They're just treated like neighbors."
With its golf course, tennis courts and camp for kids, Isleworth's country club is the nexus of the neighborhood's social life. Sometimes the celebrity athletes get special treatment and can play golf when the course is closed.
"It's just a perfect life," McClane said. "We're very fortunate."
-- Mike Schneider
Daly calls on Woods to end speculation
SYDNEY — John Daly has urged Tiger Woods to be open and end speculation over his late night car crash.
Daly had told reporters In Australia he didn't want to know the details of Woods' accident outside his Florida home, but in a fresh statement Tuesday said he should tell his story.
"The thing that Tiger needs to look at is, whatever happened, just tell the truth," said Daly, who will play the Australian Open at the New South Wales Golf Club from Thursday.
Dual major winner Daly, who has had his share of off-the-course troubles, also called on Woods to attend this week's Chevron World Golf Challenge, the tournament he hosts annually for a small, invited field.
Woods said Monday his injuries would prevent him playing in the tournament and he would not compete again until next year.
"Hopefully he'll go out there with his wife and his kids and support ... the sponsor of his tournament," Daly told reporters. "The most important thing right now is for them to be together."
Daly said he was confident Woods would weather the controversy.
"He'll get over this. The family will get over it. They'll move on. Golf needs him," he said.
"I hate for something like that to happen to anybody. I just want him and his wife and kids to be happy and for him to keep pursuing the goals that he had."
On Monday Daly said he hoped Woods made a swift recovery for the sake of the sport.
"Tiger's the biggest asset the tour's had in a long, long time," he said. "Whatever happened, as long as he's OK that's all that matters. Golf needs him badly ... no doubt."
Tiger Woods issues statement on crash
NEW YORK — Tiger Woods, who crashed his car into a neighbor's tree early Friday morning, released the following statement Sunday afternoon on his Web site.
"As you all know, I had a single-car accident earlier this week, and sustained some injuries. I have some cuts, bruising and right now I'm pretty sore.
This situation is my fault, and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me. I'm human and I'm not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn't happen again.
This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way. Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible.
The only person responsible for the accident is me. My wife, Elin, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble. She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false.
This incident has been stressful and very difficult for Elin, our family and me. I appreciate all the concern and well wishes that we have received. But, I would also ask for some understanding that my family and I deserve some privacy no matter how intrusive some people can be.
Tiger Woods headlines from around world
Some headlines from around the world on Tiger Woods and his car accident outside his Florida home:
England
—"Wife Went for Tiger Over Birdie" — News of the World.
—"Crouching Tiger, hidden hydrant" — The Sunday Times.
—"Was he fleeing the ire of the Tigress?" — The Sunday Express.
—"Tell Us The Truth Tiger" — Daily Mirror.
Germany
—"Tiger Woods — Was accident a bloody marital war?" — Bild.
—"Accident: What does Tiger Woods conceal?" — tz (Munich tabloid).
—"Mysterious accident of Tiger Woods" — FAZ
Italy
—"Tiger's Idea. A diamond to make peace with Elin" — Il Messaggero.
—"Tiger Like Kobe Bryant: a diamond for the wife" — Corriere della Sera.
France
—"Woods Scared America" — L'Equipe.
Spain
—"Tiger rejects the 'malicious rumors'" — Sports daily Marca.
—"Tiger takes responsibility for the accident" — El Pais.
—"The tigress' claws" — El Mundo.
Australia
—"Tiger Woods sheds no light on 'embarrassing' crash" — The Australian national newspaper.
—"Tiger: "Crash my fault." — The Age, Melbourne.
See archived 'Sports' stories »
We want our site to be a place where people discuss and debate ideas that foster stronger communities. We built this for you. Please take care of it. Tolerate broad thinking, but take action against obscene or hateful material. Make it a credible and safe place worth preserving and sharing.
