Bewildered golf world faces up to life without Tiger Woods

Published on Sunday 13 December 2009 23:14

STEWART Cink was at a birthday party when he learned about Tiger Woods taking an indefinite leave from golf. A friend had the news on his cell phone, and even as the page loaded with the announcement, Cink thought a punch line was coming.

Then he noticed a text message on his own phone, along with four or five voice mails from the media. "That's when I knew this was serious, and not just another joke," Cink said on Saturday. "I didn't really have a reaction. I really wasn't surprised. It's probably the right thing for him to do."

How serious is it for golf without its biggest star?

The ramifications for Woods and his sport began to unfold on Saturday. One of his sponsors, Gillette, said it won't feature the world's richest athlete in its marketing campaign while Woods takes time off to repair his personal life.

He has been married to Elin Nordegren for five years, and they have a two-year-old daughter and a ten-month-old son.

"This is supporting his desire to step out of the public eye and we're going to support him by helping him to take a lower profile," Gillette spokesman Damon Jones said.

Such a move will be far more difficult for the US PGA Tour. Woods has been the face of golf for more than a decade, and the sport had no trouble pitching its squeaky-clean image behind a star who had avoided even a hint of scandal. Woods' world has imploded over the last two weeks, however, with lurid tales from alleged mistresses and Woods admitting to the "disappointment and hurt" his infidelity caused so many, starting with his family.

"It's probably damaged the game to a degree," Greg Norman, golf's biggest draw in the generation before Woods, said at his Shark Shootout in Naples, Florida. "I get texts from family members whose kids idolise Tiger, and they don't want to tell them because they don't want to pollute their minds with what's happened."

While many questions remain about exactly what did happen – over the course of Woods' marriage and the 27 November car crash just outside his home – his decision on Friday to take an "indefinite break" from golf has fans and his colleagues buzzing about when or if he'll return.

"It's a scary vision, a very scary vision," Ryder Cup player Graeme McDowell said. "We're under no illusions. We're much more prosperous golfers for having Tiger Woods playing in our era."

No one knows how long Woods will be gone. Everyone does know Woods' absence will be costly.

A year ago, he missed eight monthswhile recovering from reconstructive knee surgery.

"Just the absence itself, we've been through that," Cink said. "I don't think it's any rocket science in saying him not being involved in golf for a while is going to hurt (TV) ratings. No one can take the place of Tiger Woods out there."

The US PGA Tour already has 33 tournaments scheduled for US network television in 2010, with ten more on the Golf Channel. When Woods was out with his knee injury, ratings typically plunged 50 per cent.

The ratings Woods attracted is what helped the tour negotiate blockbuster deals with the networks that allowed prize-money to quadruple since he arrived. Most believe ratings won't suffer from Woods' image being tarnished, and might even improve whenever he does return because of all the publicity.

"I don't think Tiger is going to come back earlier because we need him to come back. He's going to come back when he fixes his problems," Brad Faxon said. "It's a bit of a worry, but like Greg (Norman) said the other night, nobody's bigger than the game. You could put, 'comma, except for Tiger' in a lot of situations. But we will survive this."

Former CBS Sports president Neal Pilson said the networks' loss in revenue will be much less severe than the drop in ratings. He said companies that advertise around golf are attracted by the demographics of the sport's core fans. Most of those fans watch golf whether Woods is involved or not. The casual fans who tune in only when Woods is in contention aren't the viewers these advertisers are targeting. "While you may have a 50 per cent increase in viewership, a lot of that 50 per cent is just bonus," he added.

Even so, these are uncertain times.

Woods taking an indefinite leave could mean reduced visibility in advertising, especially if more sponsors take Gillette's lead.

"I think that this probably is a win-win for his sponsors who were trying to figure out how they were going to manage their relationship with Tiger given the substantial and significant fall from grace," sports attorney David Cornwell said. "By absenting himself from the public arena, it gives them a chance to pull back and gives everybody a chance to take a deep breath."

Some sponsors, such as Nike, are still sticking with Woods,

pledging "full support" while waiting for his return.

"We need him out here," said Mark Calcavecchia. "What he's done for our tour and the game of golf over the last 13 years is unparalleled, really. So we'll see how long it takes and whenever he's ready, he'll come back. Hopefully, he'll have smooth sailing and he'll be better than ever."