Damage control appears flawed

If Tiger Woods was hoping to quiet the tabloids by making a public statement Friday at 11 a.m. in the TPC Sawgrass clubhouse in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., he hasn't learned much during nearly three months of silence since his middle-of-the-night car accident sparked revelations of infidelity.

According to an announcement released by Woods’ agent Mark Steinberg yesterday, there will be a single “pool” camera that will feed the event to networks around the globe, but only a few “pool” reporters will be on hand and they will not be allowed to ask questions. This won't go over very well with a mainstream press that wants answers and it certainly won't stop the tabloids from treating Woods like a modern-day Howard Hughes. So its very unlikely that the statement will change the freak show that Woods' life has become.

It is known that Woods will be making a public apology for his actions, but predicting what he will say about his future is strictly speculation. Many golf writers are wondering about the timing of the statement. Some are speculating that he might return to the PGA Tour next week in Phoenix. Others have gone so far as to suggest that he is trying to get back at his former sponsor Accenture, which is sponsor to this week's Match Play Championship at Dove Mountain.

Asked by the Associated Press yesterday if Woods' statement could’ve waited until Monday, Steinberg offered only a simple, “no.”

All Oldgolfdawg knows is that it should be interesting. Golf Channel will televise Woods' announcement live at 11 a.m. and will air a special report beginning at 10:30 a.m. leading into the historic event.