Woods saga must end before he returns

Posted Jan 21, 2010 by Ryan Lavner

Updated Jan 21, 2010 at 05:14 PM

By RYAN LAVNER

Tiger Woods is reportedly in a sex addiction clinic. A world-class field is halfway around the world in Dubai. And no player inside the top 35 in the world ranking is at the Bob Hope Classic, which no longer has a title sponsor. 

To which we ask: When will this end?

The National Enquirer will publish a spread Friday in which photos are purported to show Woods with a hooded sweatshirt, black Nike hat and Styrofoam cup—at a sex addiction clinic in Hattiesburg, Miss.

It’s anybody’s guess as to whether the world’s top golfer is there to cure an addiction, save his marriage or give his floundering PR image a much-needed boost. It doesn’t really matter.

He’s not at the golf course. The salacious saga lingers still. It will continue to cast a dark cloud over the sport until Woods finally steps up to the podium and dishes on the scandal that has rocked the sports landscape.

He just shouldn’t deliver his mea culpa at a tournament venue.

Geoff Ogilvy, the 2006 US Open champion who won two weeks ago in the season-opening SBS Championship, said as much this week. Quoth Ogilvy: “It would be nice if he came out away from a golf tournament. When he does come back to golf, it would still be a bit crazy, but that tabloid edge might be gone.”

Let’s say Woods returns at Bay Hill in late March. Everyone will be there—Phil, Vijay, Sergio, Ogilvy. And the paparazzi. And CNN. And TMZ. Mickelson and celebrity blogger Perez Hilton in the same press conference? It could happen.

That’s why Ogilvy insisted Woods face the media before returning to golf.

“One, out of respect for all the other golfers,” said Ogilvy, who, it must be noted, is finally taking a stand after many of his colleagues have either refused to discuss the situation or merely wished Woods the best in his return to the game, “and two, to diffuse the circus part of it before he actually gets to a golf tournament.

“I don’t believe a lot of tournaments want all the tabloid media floating around.”

No, they don’t. That’s why there’s talk of Tiger returning at Augusta, a notoriously controlled environment. But would Tiger really make his return at a major, having not playing a tournament round since November? Not likely.

The belief here: Woods will return at the CA Championship at Doral. It’s a course he loves. It’s a World Golf Championship event. It’s somewhat close to his Orlando mansion. (Although he’s rumored to be anywhere from Sweden to South Africa.) And it’s about a month before the Masters, which, when paired with Bay Hill, would provide the proper tune-ups for a major championship.

Then again, no one knows for sure. After all, did we ever imagine Woods would land in sex rehab?