Publish and be damned: Tiger's tips for Obama are model of bad timing

Published on Monday 7 December 2009 22:10

IT WAS never meant to be funny, more a celebration of two prominent African-Americans at the top of their game. Yet Golf Digest's January edition, featuring "10 tips Obama can take from Tiger" has now taken on a certain irony.

In an unfortunately timed cover article, the magazine – which caters to 1.65 million US golf enthusiasts a month – mulls how the world's most pre-eminent golfer could teach President Barack Obama a thing or two about overcoming adversity and mastering "the quick recovery".

Put together two weeks before the 27 November car crash that brought Woods' marital cheating into the open, the edition's cover features a mocked-up picture of the president crouching down to size up a putt, with Woods standing behind as his caddie.

Inside is an article that, with hindsight, might be said to fall somewhat short of the green in its assessment of the champion golfer's personal attributes.

"Woods is a good role model... because he has always been able to pull himself together after setbacks," it notes, adding: "Woods never does anything that would make himself look ridiculous."

Now readers, many of them taking a dim view of Woods' behaviour off the fairways, are flooding the magazine with a few alternative suggestions for "tips" that he might have to offer – such as "Don't get caught."

Bob Carney, creative director of Golf Digest, said readers' letters had been "thoughtful, perceptive, often forgiving, and in some cases moving" but admitted: "And certainly some are, well, corrective."

Holly Sampson, a porn star, yesterday became the seventh woman named as having had an affair with Woods, who has been married to Elin Nordegren, a Swedish model, since 2004.

Neighbours of the couple reported to the celebrity news website TMZ.com that Woods, his wife and a "suited man" were all seen arriving in separate cars at Woods' mansion in Orlando, Florida, on Sunday afternoon. Their guest left after two and a half hours, though Woods' vehicle and his wife's Buick remained parked outside yesterday.

The couple, who have a daughter aged two and a ten-month-old son, are believed to be talking with lawyers over the future of their marriage, after Ms Nordegren discovered that he had been cheating on her. She allegedly chased him from the house brandishing a golf club – a confrontation that ended with Woods crashing his Cadillac into a tree.

While he may not be the most suitable choice for delivering an after-dinner speech on the secrets to a long and happy marriage, Woods, 33, is due to serve as best man at a school friend's wedding this weekend, it emerged.

The troubled golfer, who has not been seen in public since the crash and cancelled an appearance at a charity tournament in California last week, is due in South Carolina for the marriage of Bryon Bell, who heads his golf course design company.

It was unclear whether Woods – who has known Mr Bell since they were 12 and played together on their school golf team in Anaheim, California – would be honouring his commitment, amid continuing revelations about his multiple affairs, at least one of which is alleged to have been facilitated by Mr Bell.

Woods, who has admitted to "transgressions" in his marriage, has reaped more than $1 billion in career earnings, a large proportion of it through commercial endorsements that have played off his image as a clean-living sports icon.

But that image was further shredded yesterday with a claim by Florida lawyer Michael O'Quinn, who is representing another as yet unnamed "mistress".

He said Woods once told the woman that his marriage to Ms Nordegren was a "sham", allegedly confiding: "It's only for publicity."