The Alleged Inside Story on the Tiger Woods Scandal

This is from a post on golfwrx.com - make up your own mind if you believe it or not...

As you all know Tiger's agent is Mark Steinberg. I have a Member who lives 10 houses down from Tiger in Isleworth. My Member plays golf with and is a good friend of an IMG insider who got the following information directly from Steinberg and related it to me. I was told that the following is up to date as of yesterday.

On Thanksgiving Day, after he and Elin and the family had Turkey Dinner, Tiger spent the rest of the afternoon on the couch watching football and texting Rachel. After he received and sent text message back and forth to Rachel, he would clear his message box to destroy the evidence. At some point during the afternoon texting session, one of Tiger's Orlando buds called him to see if he wanted to get together at the Clubhouse to play poker with the guys. Tiger agreed and left the house around 7:30 to go play poker. He left behind his cell phone....and one message he had forgot to delete from Rachel.

When Tiger returned home around 11:30 -12 that night, Elin confronted him about the text message she had found on his phone. A heated discussion ensued. According to what I was told, there was more "incriminating evidence" than just the text message (i.e. photos). Tiger told Elin that she was reading too much in to it, and that she did not know the whole story. Tiger went upstairs to change into his gym shorts and t-shirt, came back downstairs were Elin confronted him, again. Tiger gave her the same story as before and sat down in a chair in the living room.

Elin sat across from him. She urged Tiger to just come clean. Tiger stuck to his story and denied everything. At one point Tiger turned away to look at the TV, and as he turned back, Elin, enraged, hit him on the right side of the face with the head of a 9 - iron. When she struck Tiger, she put a huge gash in the right side of his face next to his nose (causing his nose to bruise some), virtually knocked out two of his upper teeth, and broke the bone on the upper right side.

Tiger, scared as hell, ran down the hallway, out of the house to the garage (explaining why he had on no shoes) followed by Elin swinging the golf club. Tiger hopped into the Escalade and tried to leave. As we know Elin knocked out the windows in the Escalade in the process as well as doing considerable damage in the hallway.

When Tiger crashed, Elin panicked and was not sure what to tell the police (which is why there are two conflicting stories from her). When this happened, Elin immediately called Mark Steinberg to tell him what happened, and Mark told Elin to tell him what hospital they were going to, and he would meet them there.

If you remember FHP kept showing up at Isleworth to talk to Tiger, and was told by another FL attorney, hired by Tiger for PR reasons, that Tiger was not ready to talk. This is why.

As amazing as it may seem, Tiger was in Phoenix. Tiger was originally transported to the hospital in Orlando with Elin in the ambulance where they were met by Mr. Steinberg. Tiger was taken in for X-Rays, etc. to assess the damage. The doctors told Steinberg there was not much they coukd do to repair the teeth and the gash, but did know a cosmetic dentist and plastic surgeon in Phoenix who could make Tiger look as if nothing happened. Tiger told Steinberg to get the jet ready and he and Steinberg flew to Phoenix to see the surgeon. The resulting procedures were more intense than what everyone had expected which meant Tiger was in PHX longer than expected. Tiger and Steinberg did not arrive back in Orlando until either late last Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.

Since arriving back in Orlando, Tiger and Elin have been in intense marriage conseling sessions (up to 6 to 7 hours a day) every day! Both Tiger and Elin have told the counselors they love each other, and want to make the marriage work. The reports you are reading on TMZ and RadarOnline are about 30% accurate at best according to Mark.

Tiger has not returned to his house at Isleworth since the day of the accident except for the therapy sessions. IMG has enlisted the assistance of one of its most recognized sports figures, and Tiger has taken up residence in his neighborhood - Bay Hill. Because of the high regard in which Tiger holds him and based on his public persona when he was at the height of his game, the person IMG contacted was Arnold Palmer. He has agreed to intervene with Tiger. IMG is convinced that if anyone can get through to Tiger, Mr. Palmer may be the only person who can.

As to other rumors, my source claims that the moving trucks being shown on TMZ and RadarOnline are moving out pictures and furniture which was damaged during their Thanksgiving Day argument - not because of Elin moving out. Yes, Elin has retained a divorce attorney, but has not filed any papers. As of yesterday, she had no intention on doing so.

Tiger has not made any public appearances or statements due to the surgery and plastic surgery he had in PHX. It will be about another month if not more before he gets in front of a camera. Yes, Tiger is hitting golf balls late at night at Bay Hill out of their teaching center (which is equipped with lights). In regards to Tiger's boat being in Palm Beach this week, along with Rachel; that part is true. However, Tiger is not on the boat, is not in Palm Beach, and Rachel is not on the boat. Her parents live 6 blocks from where the boat is, but that is it.

That is as up to date as I have........

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Fellow Golfers Knew of Tigers Affairs

Tiger Woods' fellow golfers knew he was catting around - but kept their mouths shut.

Golf pro Helen Alfredsson became the first of Woods' peers to breach the green wall of silence Wednesday when she revealed it was common knowledge on the circuit that he was cheating on wife Elin Nordegren.

"I heard it last summer during the British open," Alfredsson told Sweden's TV4 station.

That Woods managed to keep his womanizing under wraps for so long clearly galled Alfredsson, who is Swedish, like Nordegren.

"In the quietest water swims the ugliest fish," she said.

Alfredsson, 44, called Woods "cold" and said there is "something odd about him."

"If he just paid for the escorts, I \[would\] understand it a bit more," she said. "Then no one needed to know. But now he did everything and a girlfriend and everything."

Alfredsson, who is married to former National Hockey League player Kent Nilsson, said she wondered why Woods bothered to get hitched.

"When he says to the girl that he cannot see her because he has family matters, when Elin will give birth, is he not a bit cold?" she asked.

Woods' secret sex life started to emerge Thanksgiving night after he totalled his SUV outside his Florida mansion under mysterious circumstances.

Us Weekly magazine, citing a source who spoke with other pro golfers, reported that Nordegren was told by a friend her husband was having an affair.

She then roused Woods from an Ambien-enhanced sleep by whacking him with a golf club.

"At that point, he ran out of the home barefoot and tried to drive away," the source told Us.
Woods, 33, later apologized for his "transgressions" and took an indefinite leave from the links as his nice-guy public image was destroyed by reports he strayed on his spouse with more than a dozen women.

Alfredsson said she doubts Woods will changed his stripes and suddenly become a devoted family man to his wife and two kids. She also said he could learn something from Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez, whose marriage fell apart amid reports of dalliances with strippers.

"[Rodriguez] said he somehow felt relieved when it came out because he knew he was a bad boy and he was placed on a pedestal to be so good and perfect," she told the station.

"I do not know if Tiger would go so far to say that he can be himself and do what he wants. If dares to do it and keeps it quiet, he can probably run and play."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/12/23/2009-12-23_tiger_woods_fellow_golfers_.html#ixzz0aYViHHP2

Tiger Woods Babe on the Beach

Rachel Uchitel, the Chelsea club girl who was the first woman to be linked to the golfer, was out and about yesterday, taking a leisurely stroll along the Palm Beach shore.

The revelation that Woods allegedly carried on a years-long relationship with Uchitel reportedly sparked the Thanksgiving-night smashup at his mansion near Orlando.

She became the first in a parade of alleged paramours to surface after the incident, in which Woods, reportedly fleeing his golf-club-swinging wife, crashed his SUV into a tree.


There was no word on whether Uchitel, who has family in Palm Beach, planned to see Woods, who lives about three hours north in Windermere.

Woods' yacht Privacy is docked nearby in North Palm Beach.

Uchitel's lawyer, Gloria Allred, said her client's trip was nothing more than a holiday visit with family.

Woods has made shockingly little effort to conceal his philandering ways -- and that recklessness has wife Elin Nordegren fuming.

Some of Woods' Orlando-based hotties were not shy about telling friends they played a round with Tiger, making the his infidelity the worst-kept secret in town.

"Elin feels that Tiger made a fool of her and that's not something she can forgive," a source close to the wife told RadarOnline.com.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/tiger_babe_LdVNR5CAB30wbuZJYW9aQL#ixzz0aSHanpOT

Boris Becker Sympathises With Woods

Tennis great Becker sympathizes with Woods
By Associated Press
Posted: December 21, 2009

BERLIN – Tennis great Boris Becker says he sympathizes with Tiger Woods, who is taking an indefinite break from golf after admitting to infidelity.

According to the Bild newspaper, the German said during a taping of the “Beckmann” TV show that will be aired later Monday that he was surprised by the “dimensions and frequency” of Woods’ alleged affairs.


As far as the controversy goes, the 42-year-old Becker says he “experienced the same thing, and can sympathize with him.”

Becker has two sons with his former wife, Barbara, and a daughter from a brief relationship with a London-based model. He married Lilly Kerssenberg this year, and they are now expecting a child.

Tigers Mum Disappointed

The Thai mother of golf star Tiger Woods is reportedly and understandably disappointed in her son for adultery, but will support him in his personal crisis, reports on Sunday said.

Kultida Woods, a native of Kanchanaburi who met Tiger's late father Earl when both worked at Jusmag military headquarters in Bangkok, "is hurt, angry and disappointed in Tiger," a friend told People magazine.

"She wants to know how he could do this to his family."

Kultida with Elin: `Hurt, angry and disappointed'

The magazine quoted the source as adding: "It was devastating to her. She likes Elin, and adores her grandchildren. She's worried about them. She doesn't want to see them hurt."

"She loves him and will support him through anything, but she needs some time to work through this."

While Tiger's wife Elin is spending the holidays in Sweden, Woods will be spending the time on his yacht named Privacy. A witness in Florida told a local newspaper he saw Woods hitting golf balls, alone, at a driving range late at night.

The friend of Mrs Kultida said of Tiger, that ,"He's devastated about everything he has lost. He'll go through some dark times. It's going to be a lonely Christmas for him."Kultilda would often come and spend her time with Tiger and Elin and in the process grew close to his daughter-in-law.

"She likes Elin, and adores her grandchildren. She's worried about them. She doesn't want to see them hurt," says the family friend. Kultilda would often visit Tiger and Elin, and in the process grew close to her daughter-in-law.

The now uncontrollable media frenzy has resulted in reports that Tiger's own father cheated on Mrs Kutilda "a lot"" when they were married, so this must be such a big blow to her.

Woods was high roller at Vegas blackjack table

By JEANE MacINTOSH
Last Updated: 10:16 AM, December 17, 2009
Posted: 3:28 AM, December 17, 2009
When he wasn't forking over cash to silence his harem of beautiful bimbos, Tiger Woods tossed tens of thousands of dollars on the blackjack table at a Sin City casino, according to one of his mistresses.

Woods and his high-profile athlete pals, including former NBA star Charles Barkley, spent hours gambling at Mansion at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, purported paramour Jamie Jungers said yesterday.

"I gambled with him and Charles Barkley one night for hours," said Jungers, who has claimed to have had an 18-month affair with Woods. "[Tiger] played $25,000 a hand or more, and Charles played roulette behind us," Jungers told Radar Online.

Jungers said Woods tried to keep his affair discreet around his buddies. "He would occasionally put his hand on my leg, but it was underneath the table," she said. "There was nobody around except the blackjack dealer, the roulette dealer and a cocktail waitress."

Meanwhile, the Manhattan woman who introduced Woods to mistress Theresa Rogers was identified yesterday by Deadspin.com as 39-year-old single mom Tina Trahan. Trahan's role was to pack Tiger's private plane with beautiful women who'd accompany his pals to events and outings.

Original Post

Additional reporting by Emily Smith

Tiger Woods voted top athlete of the decade

By DOUG FERGUSON
Associated Press
Posted: December 16, 2009

Tiger Woods was selected Wednesday as Athlete of the Decade by U.S. sports editors, a result that reflects 10 years of greatness on the golf course rather than three weeks of headlines about a shocking sex scandal.

Woods received 56 of the 142 votes cast by Associated Press member newspaper editors since last month. More than half of the ballots were returned after the Nov. 27 car accident outside his Florida home that set off sensational tales of infidelity.

Just like so many of his victories, it wasn’t much of a contest.

Lance Armstrong, a cancer survivor who won the Tour de France six times this decade, finished second with 33 votes. He was followed by Swiss tennis great Roger Federer, who won more Grand Slam singles titles than any other man, with 25 votes.

Record-setting Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps came in fourth with 13 votes, followed by New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (6) and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt (4). Five other athletes received one vote apiece.

Woods won 64 times around the world this decade, including 12 majors, and hoisted a trophy on every continent golf is played. He lost only one time with the lead going into the final round. His 56 PGA Tour victories were more than anyone except four of golf’s greatest players won in their careers.

Woods, who has not been seen since the accident and has issued only three statements on his Web site, was not made available to comment about the award.

Few other athletes have changed their sport quite like Woods. His influence has been so powerful that TV ratings soared whenever he played, even more when he has been in contention. Prize money has quadrupled since he joined the PGA Tour because of his broad appeal.

A new image emerged quickly in the days following his middle-of-the-night accident, when he ran his car over a fire hydrant and into a tree. He became the butt of late-night TV jokes, eventually confessed that he “let my family down” with “transgressions” and lost a major sponsorship from Accenture.

Even so, U.S. editors found his work on the golf course over the last 10 years without much of a blemish. Woods took an early lead in balloting, and continued to receive roughly the same percentage of votes throughout the process.

“Despite the tsunami of negative publicity that will likely tarnish his image, there’s no denying that Woods’ on-the-course accomplishments set a new standard of dominance within his sport while making golf more accessible to the masses,” wrote Stu Whitney, sports editor of the Sioux Falls (South Dakota) Argus Leader.

“The only proof needed are the television ratings when Tiger plays in a golf tournament, compared to those events when others have to carry the load.”

Woods tumbled from the pinnacle of his sport in just about three weeks. The 10 years that preceded that fall, however, represented perhaps the greatest decade in golf history.

He won the career Grand Slam three times over, including one U.S. Open by a record 15 shots at Pebble Beach and another U.S. Open on a bad leg in a playoff at Torrey Pines. He twice won the British Open at St. Andrews, the home of golf, by a combined 13 shots.

Woods won 56 times on the PGA Tour this decade, a rate of 30 percent that is unprecedented in golf. Nine of those victories were by at least eight shots. He was No. 1 in the world ranking for all but 32 weeks in the decade, that when he was revamping his swing.

He did his best work in the biggest events.

Along with his 12 majors this decade – he has 14 overall, four short of the record held by Jack Nicklaus – Woods was runner-up in six other majors. He won 14 times out of 27 appearances in the World Golf Championships.

Woods finished the decade with $81,547,410 in earnings from his PGA Tour events, an average of $482,529 per tournament.

Upper Deck Sticks With Tiger

CARLSBAD, Calif. -- Sports card and memorabilia maker Upper Deck Co. says it will continue its relationship with Tiger Woods.

The company, and its Upper Deck Authenticated collectibles division, said the two "look forward to his eventual return to the PGA Tour."

Upper Deck CEO Richard McWilliam says the athlete and his family have the company's full support.

Woods is on an indefinite leave from public life and golf while he works to fix his marriage after multiple allegations of infidelity.

Woods has been the company's exclusive golf spokesman and autograph signer since 2001.

The company sells everything from thousand-dollar autographed pictures of Woods to original artwork and autographed shoes.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

In Sweden, anger over Tiger, pride over Elin

By Associated Press
Posted: December 15, 2009

STOCKHOLM – During the good times, Tiger Woods could find a perfect getaway in Sweden – a quiet and secluded place to avoid the media spotlight.

There have been Christmas celebrations in a remote area of northern Sweden in a house owned by relatives of his Swedish wife, Elin Nordegren. There have been summer days spent undisturbed in the couple’s luxury apartment in central Stockholm. And his wife recently purchased a secluded house on an island in the archipelago, a short boat ride outside the capital.

But if Woods is looking for somewhere to ride out the media storm surrounding his infidelity, Sweden may no longer be the place to go.

“I think his reception would be rather chilly,” said Billy McCormac, an American who has lived in Sweden for 14 years and heads the prominent think tank Timbro. “I think things are just too raw right now.”

The Woods sex scandal has indeed struck a particularly raw nerve in Sweden, where Nordegren’s transition from being a nanny for golfer Jesper Parnevik to the wife of one of the world’s most famous athletes was long seen as a fairy-tale romance.

Over the last five years, sightings of the couple on the streets of Stockholm or in nearby Vaxholm in the archipelago – where Nordegren grew up – helped create a sense of connection to a man renowned for his reclusive persona.

But like the drop in temperatures that brought a blizzard of snow over the Scandinavian country on Tuesday, Woods’ admitted betrayal of his wife has turned public opinion considerably cooler.

“We have taken him to heart and almost viewed him like one of us,” said Niklas Olovzon, a sponsorship and brand expert who heads the communications agency S&B. “Of course that has made this a much bigger deal. … I don’t think we’ll forgive him as quickly.”

Instead, there is an outpouring of sympathy and support for Nordegren, who has claims to fame in Sweden beyond her marriage to Woods. Nordegren’s mother, Barbro Holmberg, is a well-known Social Democratic politician and former migration minister while her father Thomas Nordegren is a prominent radio journalist.

“She comes from two sort of Swedish houses of nobility, so there is a sense that this is personal,” McCormac said. “I’m not sure how much the Swedish public embraced Elin before this. But now, that sense of ownership and that sense of communion with her has gotten stronger.”

That’s been evident in the country’s newspapers during the last few weeks, where the numerous front-page headlines and articles have focused as much on Nordegren as on Woods.

There has been constant speculation about whether she’ll stay with her husband, advice about how to repair her marriage, and jokes about why she used a golf club to smash the back passenger windows of Woods’ SUV the night of his infamous car crash outside their home in Florida. Local police said his wife told them she did it to help get her husband out.

In a country that prides itself on gender equality and independent women, the image of a golf club-wielding Nordegren is a source of widespread satisfaction.

“For us, it was almost a positive thing that she smashed the car window,” Olovzon said. “We like strong women in a lot of ways.”

Britta Svensson, a columnist in the newspaper Expressen, summed it up like this:

“A week ago, Tiger and Elin were the cutest couple on the globe,” Svensson wrote shortly after the reports of numerous mistresses started seeping out. “Now our Swedish hearts are brimming with pride that our own Elin – not a regular nanny but the daughter of a Social Democratic minister and Swedish Radio journalist – didn’t take any … Elin is our heroine.”

The same can no longer be said of Woods, of course, regardless of golf’s immense popularity in the country.

Despite its short summers, Sweden has nearly half a million golfers in a population of little more than 9 million, including a number of top pros like Henrik Stenson.

But to win the fans back, Woods has to get back on the course and win more titles, said Tommy Jeppsson, the editor of the Swedish version of Golf Digest.

“Time has an incredible ability to heal things like this,” said Jeppsson, pointing out that a number of famous men have been able to resuscitate their careers after sex scandals. “When you think about (actor) Hugh Grant today, you only view his scandal as a bump in the road – he didn’t drive off a cliff. I think this will be a bump in the road for Tiger Woods as well.”

Seeing Woods play in a tournament like the Scandinavian Masters has long been a dream for Swedish golf fans. If Woods does decide to end his indefinite break from golf, Jeppsson said that’s not likely to change.

“He would be very welcome,” Jeppsson said. “I don’t think anyone would miss seeing Tiger Woods play golf just because they’re a bit peeved about what he’s alleged to have done.”

But, as McCormac pointed out, Woods may not want to test his welcome too soon.

“I think the media circus needs to die down first,” McCormac said. “Maybe in six months, or, say, around the summer time. (Swedes) are very used to walking down the street, and say, ‘Oh, there’s the prime minister,’ or ‘There’s that rock star.’ Given a bit of time, given a bit of space, I’d say even (Tiger and Elin) will be able to do that eventually.”


www.tigergivesmewood.com

Nike's Knight: Scandal is 'part of the game'

Nike's Knight: Scandal is 'part of the game'

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Woods welcome in Dubai

Tiger Woods has been invited to consider Dubai his 'second home' by the organisers of the Desert Classic - a tournament which now looks set to go ahead without the world number one in February.

Tiger Woods has been invited to consider Dubai his 'second home' by the organisers of the Desert Classic - a tournament which now looks set to go ahead without the world number one in February.

Woods has one more appearance left on his contract with the European Tour event and, after staying away this year because of his knee surgery, there was a chance he would be back in two months' time.

But that seems to have disappeared with his decision to take an indefinite break from golf to try to salvage his marriage after his admission of infidelity.

The Desert Classic is run by Golf in Dubai, whose chief executive officer is Mohammad Juma Bu Amim.

He sent this message to the scandal-hit American through the Middle East newspaper Gulf News: "We are with you in this difficult time and respect your request for family privacy.

"As and when you decide to return to the circuit, you can always count on us. We will be more than delighted to welcome you to Dubai.

"Consider Dubai your second home."

He then added: "We would love to see him playing in our event, but at the same time we do realise his number one priority at this time is his family.

"Having the world's greatest golfer in your field is something many tournament organisers dream of, so for us to be able to welcome him to Dubai for the fifth time in eight years was a major boost for golf in the Middle East, especially Dubai."

Meanwhile, Bu Amim has promised the level of competition at the Desert Classic on February 2-7 will be 'as high as ever'.

Woods won in 2006 after a play-off with Ernie Els and again last year when he shot a closing 65 and Els then went in the lake on the final hole.

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy took his first professional title there this year and aged 19 was one of the Tour's youngest-ever winners.

Accenture ends Tiger Woods sponsorship

By Associated Press
Posted: December 13, 2009

Global consulting firm Accenture Ltd. has ended its relationship with Tiger Woods, marking the first major sponsor to cut ties altogether with the golfer since his alleged infidelities surfaced and he announced an indefinite leave from the sport to work on his marriage.

In its first statement since the Woods’ scandal erupted, Accenture said Sunday the golfer is “no longer the right representative” after the “circumstances of the last two weeks.” The move ends a six-year relationship during which the firm credited its “Go on, be a Tiger” campaign with boosting its image significantly. Accenture has used Woods to personify its claimed attributes of integrity and high performance.

“After careful consideration and analysis, the company has determined that he is no longer the right representative for its advertising,” Accenture said, adding that “it wishes only the best for Tiger Woods and his family.”


The firm plans to immediately transition to a new advertising campaign, with a major effort scheduled to launch later in 2010. An Accenture spokeswoman declined to comment further.

Accenture’s advertising campaign was almost entirely built around Woods and his success by portraying his greatness on the golf course by making a key putt or chipping out of the rough. If Woods had acknowledged mistakes and said he would be back in a month, Accenture might be able to ride it out, said Rick Burton, a professor of sports management at Syracuse University, in an interview.

But Accenture can’t afford to wait for what could be a long time before Woods returns.

“They had tied everything in their campaign to Tiger Woods it appeared,” he said. “If he’s not golfing, those ads don’t make sense.”


Burton noted that Accenture’s billboards and airport advertising need to be replaced quickly. Without a backup plan, the company might will fall back on something simple and conservative that could highlight its logo.

“It is probably prudent to take a low-key, conservative approach until they determine what their next message is that they want to send,” he said. Going forward, Accenture will have to determine whether it wants to stick with sports or whether its been too burned by what happened and will go another route, Burton added.

“Accenture has made a decision to not continue with their sponsorship. We are disappointed but respect their decision,” said Mark Steinberg, Woods’ agent at IMG. The PGA Tour said it would have no comment.

Accenture has been title sponsor since 2001 of the Match Play Championship, a lucrative World Golf Championship event that draws the top 64 players from the world ranking. Accenture earlier this year renewed its sponsorship of the tournament through 2014. The contract is separate from its business endorsement with Woods.

While not terminating their relationship completely, another major Woods sponsor pulled away this weekend. On Saturday, Gillette, which uses the slogan “The best a man can get,” said it won’t air advertisements featuring Woods or include him in public appearances for an unspecified amount of time. Woods was hired by Gillette in 2007 and has been in ads for Gillette Fusion Power razors with titles like “Phenom” and “Champions” with other stars including tennis great Roger Federer and soccer player Thierry Henry.


However, other sponsors continue to stick with Woods for the time being.

Electronic Arts, whose EA Sports division has been selling Tiger Woods video golf games for a decade, said Sunday, “We respect that this is a very difficult, and private, situation for Tiger and his family. At this time, the strategy for our Tiger Woods PGA TOUR business remains unchanged.” The game’s next edition featuring Woods comes out in six months.

AT&T said Sunday it continues to evaluate its relationship with the golfer. Watch maker Tag Heuer did not return a call Sunday, but its Web site continues to display photos of Woods’ wearing the Link and Golf Watch models.

Nike Inc. said late Friday it supports Woods’ decision to take time off. Gatorade, a unit of PepsiCo Inc., said previously it supports Woods.

Tiger Woods Leaves Golf

Woods taking indefinite leave from golf
By DOUG FERGUSON
Associated Press
Posted: December 11, 2009

Tiger Woods will take an indefinite leave from golf to try to save his marriage, the biggest fallout yet from two shocking weeks filled with allegations of extramarital relations with several women.

“I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person,” Woods said on his Web site Friday.

Woods and his wife, Elin, have been married five years and have a 2-year-old daughter and a 10-month-old son.

The announcement came a fortnight after Woods crashed his car into a tree outside his Florida home, setting in motion a stunning sequence of revelations that have now derailed the career of the world’s No. 1 player, who for 13 years rarely made news off the golf course.

“I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children,” Woods said. “I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness. It may not be possible to repair the damage I’ve done, but I want to do my best to try.”

Woods has not been seen in public since the accident.

He gave no indication when he might return. Woods is pursuing the record 18 major championship titles won by Jack Nicklaus. Woods, who did not win a major this year, has 14.

The Masters, where Woods has won four times, is April 8-11. The U.S. Open is at Pebble Beach, where Woods won by a record 15 strokes in 2000, and the British Open returns to St. Andrews, where he has won twice by a combined 13 shots.

It will be the second straight year that a PGA Tour season begins without its star. A year ago, Woods was recovering from reconstructive knee surgery that kept him out a total of eight months.

“We knew before he was coming back,” said Steve Stricker, one of Woods’ favorite players on Tour. “Now, we’re not sure when he’s coming back. But this sounds good. I hope everything works out for him.”

The PGA Tour supported the decision.

“His priorities are where they need to be, and we will continue to respect and honor his family’s request for privacy,” PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said in a statement, the tour’s first public comment on the issue. “We look forward to Tiger’s return to the PGA Tour when he determines the time is right for him.”

Woods’ agent Mark Steinberg told The Associated Press that it was the right decision for Woods and his family.

“The entirety of someone’s life is more important than just a professional career,” Steinberg said in an e-mail to the AP. “What matters most is a young family that is trying to cope with difficult life issues in a secluded and caring way. Whenever Tiger may return to the game should be on the family’s terms alone.”

Woods was out of action from July 2008 until the end of February this year, and television ratings dropped 50 percent. The tour is trying to renew a half-dozen title sponsors, and it is to begin negotiations on the next television contract later next year.

Woods’ corporate sponsors have stood by him for now.

“Tiger has been part of Nike for more than a decade,” Nike said in a statement Friday. “He is the best golfer in the world and one of the greatest athletes of his era. We look forward to his return to golf. He and his family have Nike’s full support.”

Steinberg said it would be “premature and inappropriate” to talk about Woods’ specific business relationships.

“Suffice it to say, we have had thoughtful conversations and his sponsors have been open to a solution-oriented dialogue,” Steinberg said. “Of course, each sponsor has unique considerations and ultimately the decisions they make we would fully understand and accept.”

Earlier this year, Woods became the world’s first athlete to surpass $1 billion in career earnings, according to Forbes magazine. His sponsors include Nike, Gillette, AT&T, Gatorade, Accenture and Tag Heuer.

Woods last played a tournament Nov. 15 when he won the Australian Masters for his 82nd victory around the world.

Stricker, who went undefeated as Woods’ partner at the Presidents Cup, said his leave was the right decision.

“It’s great that he’s going to put his family first and work things out,” Stricker said. “Golf will always be there. He wants to make sure his marriage is right and everything is good on the homefront. We’ll sure miss him on tour until he gets things taken care of.”

Woods also indicated he would step away from the work of the Tiger Woods Foundation, which has served some 10 million children.

“There are millions of young people who have truly changed their lives through the foundation’s programs, and millions more still counting on us for help,” Woods said in a separate statement through his foundation. “I am committed to them and to the foundation’s excellent work, and I know my staff will continue these efforts during my absence.”

Tiger Woods Holly Sampson

See pornstar Holly Sampson talk about Tiger Woods on this special Tiger Woods Mistress Page

UK court issues injunction in Woods case

LONDON – A British judge barred journalists in the country from publishing some material about Tiger Woods.

An injunction issued on Thursday even blocks media, including The Associated Press, from revealing the details of the order itself. As a result, media who obey the order cannot tell the public what they have been barred from revealing.

News organizations based outside of the UK ignored the order, however. The celebrity Web site TMZ published a copy of the injunction.

The order was imposed on Thursday by High Court Justice David Eady after it was sought by Schillings, the firm representing Woods in Britain.

London-based media lawyer Nigel Tait said such an injunction would have been unlikely in the United States, where reporting on the private lives of public figures is given less protection.

Britain has no formal privacy law but it is a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees the right to respect for privacy and family life. Celebrities have increasingly used this clause to fight media exposes.

They also have sought redress in British laws governing libel, which have traditionally been seen as friendlier to claimants than those in the United States.

Many foreigners have sued the media over articles they would likely have lost in their own countries. Libel laws in the United States, for example, require someone to prove that an article was both false and published maliciously. British law places the burden of proof on the publisher.

Woods has been dogged by questions about his personal life in the fortnight since a car accident outside his home in the middle of the night led to the release of sordid allegations about multiple affairs.

The world’s No. 1 golfer issued a public apology after disclosing his “personal failings” and acknowledged he had “not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves.”

Though he has appealed for privacy, allegations of illicit liaisons by Woods have been regularly appearing in global media.

This has been especially true in Britain, where the tabloid press seized upon the story, offering a daily account of the number of women who have claimed affairs with Woods, often along with the purported details.

“The lawyers are trying to put a lid on these allegations, to contain them before they get to a level that’s perhaps just salacious,” media lawyer Ambi Sitham said. “Levels of privacy still exist.”

Tabloids put Tiger Woods' mistress count at 6, or 7 -- or 8

New York and British tabloids are keeping up the count of women linked to Tiger Woods, including two more swimsuit models and an Orlando waitress.

Some have settled on six, and others put the count as high as eight.

The Daily News says model Cori Rist, 31, was spotted with Woods as recently as four weeks ago and began calling friends this weekend to say her relationship with Woods had begun to surface.

The News quotes her as saying Woods flew her to secret meetings around the country when he was competing.

The News and TMZ.com say Woods frequented VIP rooms at the Blue Martini and Club 23, where he had been known to drop $1,500 a night. TMZ.com reports that Woods visited Club 23 so often that managers called a private section of the lounge "The Tiger Room."

The Daily News says Oprah Winfrey has reportedly been in touch with Woods to offer advice -- and an outlet to tell his side of the story.

The Chicago Sun-Times quotes unidentified sources at the MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay in Vegas as saying Woods' usual procedure was to have his bodyguards approach good-looking women. "Once the girls went to his table, he'd just take it from there," an MGM staffer is quoted as saying.

As for an eighth sighting, The New York Post quotes the lawyer for yet another unidentified former Florida cocktail waitress linked to Woods as saying his client has a corporate job and doesn't want to be identified -- yet.

The Sun in London offers its own unique coverage on the Woods saga

Tiger Woods Jaimee Grubbs Photos

No Payday For Tigers Alleged Mistress

From: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/03/tiger-woods-bribe-1-milli_n_378683.html

UPDATE, 12:37 PM: TMZ reports that Uchitel and Tiger Woods spoke on the phone last night "for approximately a half hour" and that no payout was offered. But the report adds that "we have no knowledge one way or the other" if an offer has been made since then.


EARLIER:
Rachel Uchitel was scheduled to hold a press conference today, reportedly to admit to her alleged affair with Tiger Woods. Uchitel's attorney, Gloria Allred, canceled the news conference this morning due to "unforeseen circumstances." Now, RadarOnline.com is reporting that Woods' camp has offered Uchitel $1 million to keep quiet. According to the post, Allred would not comment on the rumor.

This report follows rumors that Woods is paying his wife a "hefty seven-figure amount" to stay with him.

Click here for photos of Uchitel. Pictures of another alleged mistress, Jaimee Grubbs, are here and here, and a video of a third woman rumored to be involved with Woods, Kalika Moquin, can be seen here.

Tiger Woods Still a Legend

Parnevik Says Don't Just Do It

Jesper Parnevik, the Swedish golfer who along with his wife, Mia, introduced Elin Nordegren to Tiger Woods, is none too pleased with the world's No. 1 golfer.

Parnevik, 44, who is playing at the PGA Tour's Qualifying Tournament in West Palm Beach, Fla., told the Golf Channel on Wednesday that "I really feel sorry for Elin," in light of reports that Woods has been unfaithful.

Woods issued an apology on his website Wednesday for "transgressions," in the wake of a report that he had a 31-month affair with a Los Angeles woman.

Nordegren, 29, began working for the Parneviks as a nanny in 2000. She was first introduced to Woods at the 2001 British Open and they were married in 2004.

"I would be especially sad about it since I'm kind of -- I really feel sorry for Elin -- since me and my wife were at fault for hooking her up with him," Parnevik said. "We probably thought he was a better guy than he is. I would probably need to apologize to her and hope she uses a driver next time instead of the 3-iron."

In a statement issued Wednesday, Woods strongly denied any physical altercation between him and his wife. "The stories in particular that physical violence played any role in the car accident were utterly false and malicious."

According to Windermere (Fla.) police chief Daniel Saylor, Woods' wife of five years used a golf club to break the back window of Woods' SUV to get him out of the car after she heard the accident in the early hours of Saturday.

Parnevik, a five-time PGA Tour winner, said he has had no contact with Woods since the accident on Friday.

"It's a private thing of course," he said. "But when you are the guy he is, the world's best athlete, you should think more before you do stuff. . . And maybe not just do it, like Nike says."

Tiger: I am far short of perfect. - Golf Video | Golf Channel

Tiger: I am far short of perfect. - Golf Video | Golf Channel

Woods Admits Transgression

ESPN.com news services

Tiger Woods, charged with careless driving and fined $164 by Florida authorities on Tuesday and squarely in the crosshairs of the celebrity and tabloid media, issued a statement Wednesday apologizing for actions he did not specify.

"I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart," Woods said on his Web site. "I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone.

Woods I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone.
” -- Statement by Tiger Woods

"Although I am a well-known person and have made my career as a professional athlete, I have been dismayed to realize the full extent of what tabloid scrutiny really means. For the last week, my family and I have been hounded to expose intimate details of our personal lives. The stories in particular that physical violence played any role in the car accident were utterly false and malicious. Elin has always done more to support our family and shown more grace than anyone could possibly expect.

"But no matter how intense curiosity about public figures can be, there is an important and deep principle at stake which is the right to some simple, human measure of privacy. I realize there are some who don't share my view on that. But for me, the virtue of privacy is one that must be protected in matters that are intimate and within one's own family. Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family shouldn't have to mean public confessions.

"Whatever regrets I have about letting my family down have been shared with and felt by us alone. I have given this a lot of reflection and thought and I believe that there is a point at which I must stick to that principle even though it's difficult.

"I will strive to be a better person and the husband and father that my family deserves. For all of those who have supported me over the years, I offer my profound apology."

The Web site posting came hours after US Weekly magazine put Woods on its cover, released Wednesday, alleging he had a two-plus-year affair with a Los Angeles cocktail waitress. It also comes a week after the National Enquirer reported that Woods had an affair with a New York VIP host -- a charge the woman strongly denies -- and less than a week after he was involved in a car accident.

The US Weekly report claims that Jaimee Grubbs has more than 300 text messages from Woods, and the US Weekly Web site posted a voice mail Grubbs says is Woods calling her last week and asking to change the ID on her phone so that his wife wouldn't recognize it.

Grubbs says she met Woods at a Las Vegas nightclub the week after the 2007 Masters -- two months before Woods' wife, Elin Nordegren, gave birth to their first child.

Wednesday morning, the magazine published what it said was a voice mail provided by Grubbs that she said was left by Woods on Nov. 24, three days before his early morning car crash. In the voice mail, a man, who calls himself "Tiger," asks Grubbs to take her name off her phone.

"My wife went through my phone," the man's voice said. "And, uh, may be calling you."

The call ends with the man saying: "You gotta do this for me. Huge. Quickly."

ESPN could not confirm Woods was the caller.

Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, did not immediately return an e-mail requesting comment.

When asked whether US Weekly paid Grubbs for her story, spokeswoman Cheryl Crowley said, "As a policy, we do not comment on obtaining stories or photo transactions." MSNBC reported that "rumors" are Grubbs could have been paid $100,000 for her story.

Grubbs was recently part of the VH1 cable channel reality series "Tool Academy."

Several of Woods' sponsors said Wednesday that they still are in business with Woods. Nike, Gatorade, EA Sports, TLC Vision, NetJets and Gillette all said that their relationship with Woods remains as it was before the announcement. AT&T Inc declined to comment and officials with Accenture, Tag Heuer and Upper Deck could not be reached by Reuters.

Woods was involved in a one-car traffic accident on Friday. He hit a fire hydrant and a tree in his Cadillac SUV. The Florida Highway Patrol investigated the case, but closed the investigation on Tuesday, saying Woods would be cited and fined.

But that hasn't stopped tabloid rumors. Woods hasn't met with the media since the incident, and has only issued statements on his Web site.

Sunday, Woods released a statement saying, in part: "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."

Woods has remained at home in the exclusive gated community of Isleworth, while some of the world's top golfers were in Southern California preparing for the start of a tournament he hosts. Woods, citing injuries from the crash, issued a statement Monday saying he would not attend or play in the Chevron World Challenge.

Tuesday, the Florida Highway Patrol said it "is not pursuing criminal charges in this matter nor is there any testimony or other evidence to support any additional charges of any kind other than the charge of careless driving," according to department spokeswoman Sgt. Kim Montes. "Despite the celebrity status of Mr. Woods, the Florida Highway Patrol has completed its investigation in the same professional manner it strives to complete each traffic investigation."

After consulting with the local prosecutor's office, investigators also decided there was insufficient evidence to issue a subpoena that would have given them access to records from his hospital visit after the crash, Montes said.

Reached in Sweden by The Associated Press on Wednesday, Woods' father-in-law, Thomas Nordegren, said: "I don't want to comment on this whatsoever."

Woods is also on the cover of the January issue of Golf Digest, a magazine he's had a long-standing relationship with. In a photo illustration, he's pictured with President Barack Obama. The issue offers "10 things Obama could learn from Tiger -- and vice versa" according to a Golf Digest news release.

A magazine spokeswoman said Tuesday that the issue was printed before the car crash involving Woods.

Information from The Associated Press and Reuters is included in this report.

Woods Admits Trasngression

ESPN.com news services

Tiger Woods, charged with careless driving and fined $164 by Florida authorities on Tuesday and squarely in the crosshairs of the celebrity and tabloid media, issued a statement Wednesday apologizing for actions he did not specify.

"I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart," Woods said on his Web site. "I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone.

Woods I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone.
” -- Statement by Tiger Woods

"Although I am a well-known person and have made my career as a professional athlete, I have been dismayed to realize the full extent of what tabloid scrutiny really means. For the last week, my family and I have been hounded to expose intimate details of our personal lives. The stories in particular that physical violence played any role in the car accident were utterly false and malicious. Elin has always done more to support our family and shown more grace than anyone could possibly expect.

"But no matter how intense curiosity about public figures can be, there is an important and deep principle at stake which is the right to some simple, human measure of privacy. I realize there are some who don't share my view on that. But for me, the virtue of privacy is one that must be protected in matters that are intimate and within one's own family. Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family shouldn't have to mean public confessions.

"Whatever regrets I have about letting my family down have been shared with and felt by us alone. I have given this a lot of reflection and thought and I believe that there is a point at which I must stick to that principle even though it's difficult.

"I will strive to be a better person and the husband and father that my family deserves. For all of those who have supported me over the years, I offer my profound apology."

The Web site posting came hours after US Weekly magazine put Woods on its cover, released Wednesday, alleging he had a two-plus-year affair with a Los Angeles cocktail waitress. It also comes a week after the National Enquirer reported that Woods had an affair with a New York VIP host -- a charge the woman strongly denies -- and less than a week after he was involved in a car accident.

The US Weekly report claims that Jaimee Grubbs has more than 300 text messages from Woods, and the US Weekly Web site posted a voice mail Grubbs says is Woods calling her last week and asking to change the ID on her phone so that his wife wouldn't recognize it.

Grubbs says she met Woods at a Las Vegas nightclub the week after the 2007 Masters -- two months before Woods' wife, Elin Nordegren, gave birth to their first child.

Wednesday morning, the magazine published what it said was a voice mail provided by Grubbs that she said was left by Woods on Nov. 24, three days before his early morning car crash. In the voice mail, a man, who calls himself "Tiger," asks Grubbs to take her name off her phone.

"My wife went through my phone," the man's voice said. "And, uh, may be calling you."

The call ends with the man saying: "You gotta do this for me. Huge. Quickly."

ESPN could not confirm Woods was the caller.

Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, did not immediately return an e-mail requesting comment.

When asked whether US Weekly paid Grubbs for her story, spokeswoman Cheryl Crowley said, "As a policy, we do not comment on obtaining stories or photo transactions." MSNBC reported that "rumors" are Grubbs could have been paid $100,000 for her story.

Grubbs was recently part of the VH1 cable channel reality series "Tool Academy."

Several of Woods' sponsors said Wednesday that they still are in business with Woods. Nike, Gatorade, EA Sports, TLC Vision, NetJets and Gillette all said that their relationship with Woods remains as it was before the announcement. AT&T Inc declined to comment and officials with Accenture, Tag Heuer and Upper Deck could not be reached by Reuters.

Woods was involved in a one-car traffic accident on Friday. He hit a fire hydrant and a tree in his Cadillac SUV. The Florida Highway Patrol investigated the case, but closed the investigation on Tuesday, saying Woods would be cited and fined.

But that hasn't stopped tabloid rumors. Woods hasn't met with the media since the incident, and has only issued statements on his Web site.

Sunday, Woods released a statement saying, in part: "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."

Woods has remained at home in the exclusive gated community of Isleworth, while some of the world's top golfers were in Southern California preparing for the start of a tournament he hosts. Woods, citing injuries from the crash, issued a statement Monday saying he would not attend or play in the Chevron World Challenge.

Tuesday, the Florida Highway Patrol said it "is not pursuing criminal charges in this matter nor is there any testimony or other evidence to support any additional charges of any kind other than the charge of careless driving," according to department spokeswoman Sgt. Kim Montes. "Despite the celebrity status of Mr. Woods, the Florida Highway Patrol has completed its investigation in the same professional manner it strives to complete each traffic investigation."

After consulting with the local prosecutor's office, investigators also decided there was insufficient evidence to issue a subpoena that would have given them access to records from his hospital visit after the crash, Montes said.

Reached in Sweden by The Associated Press on Wednesday, Woods' father-in-law, Thomas Nordegren, said: "I don't want to comment on this whatsoever."

Woods is also on the cover of the January issue of Golf Digest, a magazine he's had a long-standing relationship with. In a photo illustration, he's pictured with President Barack Obama. The issue offers "10 things Obama could learn from Tiger -- and vice versa" according to a Golf Digest news release.

A magazine spokeswoman said Tuesday that the issue was printed before the car crash involving Woods.

Information from The Associated Press and Reuters is included in this report.

Tiger all the talk at Chevron World Challenge

By DOUG FERGUSON
Associated Press
Posted: December 1, 2009

Chevron World ChallengeTHOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – His interview over, Padraig Harrington was leaving the media center at the Chevron World Challenge when he passed Lee Westwood and offered some tips.

“Would you like to know what questions are being asked?” Harrington said.

Westwood smiled and said, “I imagine there’s only one.”

Tiger Woods’ presence is larger than ever, even if he isn’t coming to his own tournament. As most players were getting ready to practice Tuesday, TV sets were tuned to a press conference in Florida, where state troopers declared the investigation into his Nov. 27 early morning crash was over and that Woods would be cited for careless driving and fined $164.

Then came an Us Weekly story with a woman claiming to have text messages and voice mails from an affair with Woods that began more than two years ago. That magazine cover story comes less than a week after the National Enquirer published a story alleging that Woods had been seeing New York nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel, who has denied it.

“There’s lot of questions that we’re never going to get the answers to, and the fact that he is the No. 1 sports star in the world means that there is going to be a higher profile to those things,” Harrington said. “It is what it is because of how good he is, and he’ll have to deal with it. I don’t know exactly what the truth of it all is, and the thing is, I don’t think anybody is ever going to know exactly what’s gone on. And that’s probably a good thing.

“But it won’t stop people from guessing and questioning things like that,” he said. “That’s human nature. We’re intrigued by other people’s lives.”

Most players, even those who are close to Woods, have not heard from him and don’t know what to think, much less say.

“I haven’t talked to him,” said Mark O’Meara, who took him under his wing when Woods turned pro at age 20 in 1996.

Steve Stricker went undefeated with Woods as his partner at the Presidents Cup, and their wives walked together in some of those matches. He usually gets a quick answer when he sends a text message from Woods. This time, not a peep.

“Since I haven’t heard back, I imagine he’s in – I don’t know the right word – a lot of pain,” Stricker said. “And I don’t even know what that means. I don’t know what it’s all about. I just feel bad for the guy. He’s getting hammered in the media.”

The tournament now has taken a supporting role to the drama being played out inside the gates of Isleworth, where Woods crashed his SUV into a fire hydrant and tree, and in celebrity magazines.

NBC Sports will be televising the tournament this week, and executive producer Tommy Roy said he could not say how the network will cover Woods’ absence.

“We’ll have to see what further happens in the story,” Roy said. “Between now and when we come on the air Saturday, that’s a lot of time. We have a golf tournament to cover. It’s too early to determine what we’ll do.”

Greg McLaughlin, president of the Tiger Woods Foundation and tournament director, said sponsor Chevron would have liked Woods to be part of the tournament, “but they respect his decision, they support his decision.”

Asked if he had spoken to Woods, McLaughlin paused and said, “It’s not appropriate for me to talk about Tiger.”

The players don’t want to talk, either, although they anticipated such questions when they came to California.

“It’s difficult for me to comment, because I only know what you know – probably less than what you know,” Westwood said. “I was shocked when I heard it was a serious accident, then relieved to here he had been released from the hospital. Other than that, the rest is speculation and people putting their own assumption to things. I have no time for all that, and I don’t want to be part of it.”

Even in such an individual sport, there is a camaraderie that exists – Americans and Europeans, the No. 1 player and No. 120 player – because ultimately, the competition is between the player and the course.

British Open champion Stewart Cink pointed out that it still can be a lonely game, far different from football and baseball teams.

“It’s hard when you don’t have that built-in framework of the team, when you can sort of absorb yourself into a jersey,” Cink said. “Out here, you’re an island. When you play great, you’re an island. When you play poorly, you’re an island. And when you have some attention off the course that you’d rather not have, then you’re an island.”

Woods is not likely to play again until the San Diego Invitational at Torrey Pines, which starts Jan. 28. Some players still have the Shark Shootout next week in Florida, others will open their season the first week of January in Hawaii.

Chances are, Woods will remain a topic of conversation.

“When you’re the biggest sports star in the world, that goes with the territory,” Harrington said. “You create these stories, and in six weeks’ time, it might be somebody else’s story. We’ll have to wait and see what evolves. But the one thing that’s for sure, we’ll all be watching. As I said, that’s human nature.”