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Will Attention On Tiger Hurt Or Help PGA Tour?
I think of all the public criticisms I can recall in sports, Jasper Parnevik's of Tiger Woods is the most stinging. He introduced Woods to his wife, and just ripped Tiger for having his affairs.
Parnevik was obviously a friend, and feels betrayed, but I can't help but wonder what Tiger's other competitors on tour are thinking. Most of the comments players are making about him are, predictably, generic. But I wouldn't be surprised if there is more than a little smirking about this behind the scenes. Can't tell me many of them didn't know what was going on. And that Woods' sterling persona, which has been blown to smithereens, is something they didn't resent. That, and the idea golf was all about Tiger - and seldom about them.
What I don't know is whether this will help or hurt the PGA Tour in the long run. There will be more attention on the events Woods enters than ever. When he comes back and wins, it will be how he, "overcame it all." On the other hand, the rest of the PGA Tour just got smaller and even less significant. Strange dynamic.
My column in Friday's Oakland Press about why I expect the Tigers to contend in 2010 http://tinyurl.com/yk6mml6
Parnevik was obviously a friend, and feels betrayed, but I can't help but wonder what Tiger's other competitors on tour are thinking. Most of the comments players are making about him are, predictably, generic. But I wouldn't be surprised if there is more than a little smirking about this behind the scenes. Can't tell me many of them didn't know what was going on. And that Woods' sterling persona, which has been blown to smithereens, is something they didn't resent. That, and the idea golf was all about Tiger - and seldom about them.
What I don't know is whether this will help or hurt the PGA Tour in the long run. There will be more attention on the events Woods enters than ever. When he comes back and wins, it will be how he, "overcame it all." On the other hand, the rest of the PGA Tour just got smaller and even less significant. Strange dynamic.
My column in Friday's Oakland Press about why I expect the Tigers to contend in 2010 http://tinyurl.com/yk6mml6
posted by Pat Caputo at
12:40 PM
9 Comments:
Oh I do bet there is a lot of "looks good on you Tiger" sentiment in the PGA players conversations, no doubt.
But as for the good it would possibly do the PGA in the long term ... losing a powerful and dominant Tiger Woods in the field would be as crippling as last year when PGA dropped drastically when Tiger was off with his knee surgery.
It would almost be like a re-building period - not just for a team like the Tigers in baseball - but for the whole PGA waiting for someone (or some ones) to step in and replace the excitement he brings.
Now for the last 13 years the PGA has been driven by Tiger - I don't know how it would remain as popular with nobody like him to instill drama by simply being in the field.
Ironically, this will help the PGA ... instant media attention when Tiger plays.
This will fade if Tiger settles down just as it did for Kobe.
The PGA tour is declining as corp sponsors drop tourneys like flies being caught in a fly trap in a hot open kitchen.
They need their Tiger so they will try to keep this under the radar as best they can.
A more interesting this next year on the PGA is how these pampered players with all their technology will do without their "square grooves" ..
They are going to have to turn the volume down on the microphones so that the viewing public doesn't have their kids hear all the cursing when the approaches out of roughs fly off the greens!
Hey are you a professional journalist? This article is very well written, as compared to most other blogs i saw today….
anyhow thanks for the good read!
No,no, but appreciate the compliment ... just in a humorous mood that day ... glad you enjoyed.
Fred Brill,
There was no interest in the Buick Open in 2008 when Woods didn't play. There wasn't even much in the PGA compared to what it would have been that year. Huge interest in Buick last summer and years before when he did play.
Caputo
Anonymous,
I thought this thing with Tiger would blow over relatively quickly. Now I'm not so sure. Wonder how it will be in a couple months.
Caputo
I thought so also, but the gossip rags will just keep the gossip coming ... I think it will die somewhat but also think that this thing will boil when Tiger comes back at Torrey Pines in San Diego, first tourney that Tiger plays in 2010.
It's going to be interesting how the PGA tries to paint this.
I would love this if I was Phil. You would think it would be easy to get under his skin and off his game now. These wounds will linger for a long time.
This may get real ugly if things start to pile on. Some have said that behind the scenes he's a rude jerk. The smile only lights up when the camera's on.
His advisors have also done him no favors in this mess. So far, he has done everything wrong.
Allan
Allan, you are right .. this will definitely be a huge distraction to Tiger.
But his dad taught him to focus like a maniac when on the course.
But he is going to get some catcalls on the course from the public ... like "hey Tiger, there's a nice blond at 10:00 o'clock"
The biggest reason you could be right is that Tiger is a robot when it comes to training and golf practice .. this could take him off stride.
I once went to the Buick Open and Tiger got his privileges and went off first at 7:00 AM ... I got there at 9:00 and put in a long day ... I left at 6:30 PM and he was still practicing on the range.
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