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by Jeff Skinner

The countdown to Tiger’s return at The Masters continues and while most people in and out of the golf industry have opinions on everything Tiger few have the perspective of Tiger’s friend Notay Begay.  Tiger’s old college buddy and close friend gave Brian Wacker of PGATour.com some insights to Tiger’s state of mind.

Begay is close to Woods and was one of the few friends that attended “Tiger’s Apology” last month.  He thinks that Augusta is the right fit for Tigers return but acknowledges that it could detract from the season’s first major.  “The one downside is I hope the hype and media attention doesn’t take away from the fact that it is a major championship, that it doesn’t take away from the other players that week.”

Begay is one of the few of Tiger’s inner circle that actually talks to the press about Tiger.  Granted, he knows what he can say and not threaten his standing with Tiger so he’ll never say anything that Tiger would disapprove of but he can give a perspective that few have.  “Being the competitor he is, Tiger is trying to create the best situation to make his way back and to compete. From a security standpoint, there’s probably not a better place in the world to play golf.”

Tiger’s decision to return at Augusta has given us all a new topic for debate: is it good or bad for The Masters?  There will be no discernable difference on the course for Tiger.  There will be the same number of fans on the grounds and these “patrons” are the most respectful in golf.  There will be no heckling or bad behavior.  The boys at Augusta won’t tolerate any uncivil behavior from anyone and those that do will be dealt with quickly by all the extra security covering the biggest sports event in recent memory.  The difference Tiger will see will come in the media center when the press gets to question him.  Surely there will be the prying, personal questions and surely there will be the rehearsed response that Tiger and his team of handlers are working on at this moment.  My money is on the “I’m not answering questions on my personal life, next” response to any thing aimed at the personal Tiger.  The overlords of The Masters will even keep a tight lease on the men of the media so Tiger couldn’t have selected a more hospitable venue for his return.  Woods and his team made the right choice here, the right choice for Tiger.

Whether or not it’s the right choice for The Masters is debatable.  Golf professionals and fans alike relish each of the four majors.  There is nothing like the majors but Tiger’s return here brings an unusual feeling to this one.  It will be equal parts circus and golf and it certainly will be a different Masters.

It is said that no one player is bigger than the game of golf but for the week of The Masters when Tiger returns he’ll definitely be bigger than The Masters and that’s a shame.

by Jeff Skinner

So the next chapter in the Tiger Woods Saga is about to be written: The Comeback.  With his announcement that he’ll play in The Masters the “Tiger Watch” has shifted into overdrive.  It’s understandable why Woods chose Augusta for his comeback tournament.  The boys with the green jackets run a tight ship down there.  They won’t tolerate any heckling, screaming or hollering at Augusta.  So the press better watch out or they’ll be hustled out of there quicker than that guy who was caught running to get on line for a pimento and cheese sandwich last year.

Tiger’s decision to tee it up at the Masters can be described with one word: selfish.  Sure Tiger doesn’t want to miss a major but playing here just turns one of the most distinguished events in all of sport into a cheap circus.  If Woods had opted to make his return at another venue before The Masters the focus could be on the golf and not on Tiger’s return, but for his own self serving reasons Woods picked the biggest tournament of the season.

Somewhere there are a few Augusta members that must be grumbling about the spectacle that their beloved tournament will become when Woods and his travelling troupe come to town.  Publicly they’ll say they are glad Tiger’s back but they have to be wishing that he played before their tournament and gave someone else the pleasure of Tiger’s Circus. Jay Busbee of Devil ball echoes these sentiments and calls his decision short sighted.

The players can’t be too happy either as the first major is relegated to second tier status after everything Tiger.  “Whenever he comes back it’s going to draw a lot of attention to that tournament and the focus is going to be on him coming back,” Steve Stricker said last week. “I don’t know if Augusta would like that to happen, you know? To turn it into Tiger’s comeback instead of the Masters tournament itself.”

I can’t wait for The Masters, heck I can’t wait for any tournament, especially a major, but I’m not thrilled that The Tiger Show will get more coverage than the golf.  Maybe we’ll see a different Tiger: one with a lot less ego and little more humility…a guy can dream can’t he?

by Jeff Skinner

This is a special week for Ernie Els.  This is a special week for a special guy.  This week Els has seen more than his share of good fortune and winning the WGC CA Championship is only a small part of a wonderful time for Els and his family.  Every golfer at one time or another has paid homage to “The Golfing Gods” and Els is no different.  This time however it seems like The Gods are smiling upon Ernie.  Ernie is being deservedly rewarded by The Gods for all the hard work he has put in both on and off the course.  You see this week isn’t just about winning a golf tournament; it’s about much more than that for Ernie.

This has been an interesting time for Els.  Ernie was as happy as any golfer could be as he grabbed his first PGA Tour trophy since the 2008 Honda Classic.  Els played spectacular golf as he shot a 66 to finish four shots clear of his countrymen and friend Charl Schwartzel.  Els and Schwartzel were thrilled to be paired in the final round together but the seeds of this relationship were sown years ago in South Africa.  Twenty three years ago Schwartzel was two when his father and Els won a club tournament together.  The young Schwartzel also was a member of a junior golf team sponsored by Ernie’s foundation in South Africa.  As Gary Player was a mentor to up and coming South Africans, so has Els been to golfers like Schwartzel.   Schwartzel isn’t a regular PGA Tour player but he was here to play in the two WGC events so Els asked him to stay at his home while he was here.  I would venture to say it worked out fine for the both of them.  Els got to see one of his protégés perform very well on a big stage and he completes his comeback to the world’s elite golfers with the win.  Schwartzel gets to play with his hero, take home a check for $850,000 and establish himself as a player on the 2011 PGA Tour.

That alone would be enough to classify as a great week for Els, but there’s much more.  Last week Ernie was named as the winner of the Charlie Bartlett Award by the Golf Writers Association of America. The award is given a golfer for their “unselfish contributions to the betterment of society.”  Much of that betterment will take place today when Els hosts the 2^nd Annual Els for Autism Charity Pro-Am Golf Tournament.  Els and his wife, Liezl started the Els for Autism Foundation to help raise funds for autistic children.  Their son Ben, 7, is autistic and they have committed the foundation to raise $30 million towards a school and research center.  Last year’s tournament raised over $500,000 and this year’s is expected to raise more.

Els is pulling out some big guns for his tournament as Jack Nicklaus and Raymond Floyd will play as well as many other PGA pros like Stricker, Appleby, Allenby, Calcavecchia, Scott, Rose and Sabbatini are all scheduled to play.

Ernie Els is one of the more forthright players on tour.  He is honest, sincere and involved.  Certainly his win this week is very significant to his career but his play on the course is only a part of his life.  Els established his willingness to give back long ago in South Africa with his foundation and now he continues his benevolent work here.  This is one of the aspects that makes Els such an appealing and likable player.  He’s “The Big Easy” and he’s back.  Can he add “Masters Champion” to his list of titles next month? He thinks he’s ready to contend at Augusta and wouldn’t that be a special week for Ernie.

by Jeff Skinner

So my favorite writer from the New York Post, Mark Cannizzaro (covers my NY Jets too), has reported that Tiger Woods will return to the PGA Tour at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.  Soon after that The Associated Press counters that report with a story that contends that Woods will stay dormant until The Masters.  The Woods Camp made headlines by hiring public relations specialist Ari Fleischer and his fledgling “sports communication” company.  Fleischer is the former press secretary for former President Bush and lord knows he must have earned his money playing for “W’s” team.  The word among some in the sports business is that Fleischer’s firm hasn’t quite made the splash he was envisioning and the only reason is got this gig is due to some ties with Tiger’s agency, IMG.

In my book that is part of the problem.  Tiger’s public relation problem right now isn’t the fact that he’s a serial cheater with the low moral standards of a sports agent, we all know that.  His problem is that he is still surrounded by sports agents and handlers that are more concerned with image over substance.  IMG and the rest of the crew blew this fiasco from the start.  IMG has had Tiger from the start of his career and they have served him well financially.  Woods has earned more money than anyone could imagine and IMG had a big hand in all of that.  But they have failed him in handling this personal situation.  True, Tiger is at fault here but he was able to carry out this episode on IMG’s watch.  Where I come from that’s grounds for dismissal and IMG should be gone for letting Tiger spin out of control.  Now they bring Fleischer on board, a professional “Spin Doctor.”  Here is what Fleischer’s website looks like.  The last line says it all,”Ari Fleischer Sports Communications can help you handle the bad news and take advantage of the good.”

Yes, we have to “handle the bad news.”  Is this what Tiger needs now, more handling?  Tiger has always done everything different from the norm.  He has accomplished much and his unusual methods and goals have served him well, up to now.  Now it’s time for Tiger to do something really different, something Woods has never done before.  This time calls for Tiger to be his own man and not the phony, fabrication of a bunch of image consultants.

I don’t care where or when Tiger returns but this is what I’d like to see.  Take note Ari and IMG and try a little honesty for a change. Tiger, and only Tiger, walk into his pre-tournament press conference.  Let Woods stand there by himself without agents, publicists or spin doctors by his side.  Then Tiger can be different, as he likes to be, he can answer the questions without a script or rehearsed answers.  He shouldn’t even entertain questions concerning his wife and family and all those mistresses, those are out of bounds. Those questions he can give the “It’s personal, I’m not answering” response. But a question that asks him about himself, his feelings, his rehab, his self-image and of course his game should be answered.  Here’s something new for you Tiger: sit there and answer all the questions.  Take a page from Paddy Harrington, Phil Mickelson, Kenny Perry, Steve Stricker and Ernie Els.  They are huge stars that take the time to answer each question the press can ask and they do it honestly.  You don’t have to make a habit of it, but this one time a long, honest question and answer session will do more for you than anything else the “handlers” can come up with.

I find it comical that at a time when Tiger should be jettisoning some of “his people” he is hiring more.  Tiger has to realize that he isn’t the “all powerful Tiger” right now.  He’s a guy on the comeback trail and a little dose of honesty and humility would go a long way in putting this episode behind him.

by Jeff Skinner

Sunday brought us some wonderful golf on the PGA and Champions Tours. I feel for those that think Tiger and Phil are the only reason to follow the tours.  Camilo Villegas topped a youthful leader board at The Honda which was studded with familiar names that could dominate the tours this season and even take home a few major championships.  Villegas, the Columbian heartthrob, took home his first trophy since 2008 and second place finisher; Anthony Kim looked as fit as ever and ready to reclaim his 2008 form when he and Villegas both won twice.  Justin Rose, Paul Casey and Lee Westwood continued the resurgence of English golf with top ten finishes for all and a renewed Vijay Singh showed there is still life in those old 47 year old bones.  Any of those players could win a major or two this year and it would be surprising if they don’t.

Fred Couples wins his second title on The Champions Tour in his third start.  His other start was a second place finish, so it’s easy to see he feels comfortable playing on the senior circuit.  But then, Freddy looks comfortable anywhere.  If he was any more laid back he’d fall over.  You have to admire a guy that can stroll on to the course, laugh, smile and carry on with his partners and fans and then shoot lights out…bad back and all.  Freddy is one of a kind.

I found some of the back story at the Honda interesting.  With Jack and Barbara Nicklaus heavily involved in the tournament since their charity is the beneficiary, we got to see and hear from The Golden Bear and his wife Barbara.  When Jack speaks, we all listen and it’s a joy to hear him go on about the game.  It was interesting to hear that Arnold Palmer had given his old friends Jack and Barbara a call campaigning for a sponsor’s exemption for his grandson Sam Saunders.  Deservedly so, Saunders was granted an exemption and he didn’t disappoint himself or his grandfather.

Saunders had a wonderful week shooting three 69’s before slipping to a 73 on Sunday but he certainly showed a bit of his Grandpa’s style on the final hole.  Hoping to reach the 18^th in two and displaying the same bravado that endeared his grandfather to millions of fans, he hit his driver from the fairway on his second shot.  A bold move indeed, who cares that it didn’t work out and he took bogey at least he’s willing to go for it.

Saunders finished tied for seventeenth in his fourth start on the PGA Tour this year. He has had mixed results with two missed cuts and a seventieth place finish in addition to The Honda.  He’ll use his last exemption at Bay Hill in a few weeks when he plays in Arnie’s Bay Hill Invitational.  Talk about a home field advantage: Arnie owns the Bay Hill, his parents manage the resort and Sam grew up on it.

Saunders left Clemson a year early to turn professional and his game looks to be improving to the point that even Nicklaus said he has the skills to be a good player. Saunders is an intriguing story but his game can certainly stand on its own.  Still, it has to be nice having Arnold Palmer calling his friends asking for exemptions for his boy.  There is nothing wrong with that, but can you imagine if any of those tournament directors could possibly say no to Arnie.  How can anyone possibly refuse a request from The King?  If it wasn’t for Arnie there would be no PGA Tour as we know it today.  All those pros would be selling shirts in a pro shop and giving lessons to guys who shoots 120.  Arnie didn’t invent the tour or golf; he just dragged it along with him as he took it out of the country clubs and placed it smack dab in front of  everyday Americans.  Arnie is the reason there is popular golf in America.

If Arnie calls and asks for an exemption for his dog they should sign him up.  Arnie deserves anything he asks for after all, he’s still The King.

by Jeff Skinner

It is a strange period in men’s professional golf.  For months the biggest headlines have been concerned with issues off the course.  Tiger’s scandal has dominated the sports pages like few stories ever have.  With the season well under way and the PGA Tour moving into the Florida swing we should be allowed to concentrate on the golf inside the ropes but it’s not that easy.

Yesterday was a unique day in golf.  We saw both the class of the game and the ass of the game in action.  It is embarrassing that I use Jack Nicklaus’ name and John Daly’s name in the same sentence but it is those two that represent the aforementioned monikers. Jack Nicklaus is without a doubt the class of the game of golf and he once again showed why when he played at the Honda Classic Pro-Am.  John Daly is most certainly the ass of the tour and his actions again showed why he has no close competition.

The Honda Classic is a tournament that was revitalized a few years ago when new management decided to revamp the classic tour stop.  The Honda has found a home on the Nicklaus re-designed PGA National course and has even been able to recruit The Golden Bear to be part of the festivities.  The people that run The Honda made a clever move when they made the Jack and Barbara Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation their primary charity.  If you want to get Jack on board, give to his charity.  It usually works.  So the greatest golfer ever was asked if he would play and with the dollars from the Honda Classic going to his charity he was more than willing.

Nicklaus played with an amateur foursome that was stacked with big names and fanatical golfers.  Drew Brees, Dan Marino and Kenny G filled out Jack’s foursome and were the highlight of the day at The Honda Classic.  Nicklaus said he truly appreciates that the guys come out to help raise money and that the tournament couldn’t happen without the volunteers.  “There’s a lot of guys that make the golf tour what it is. It’s not all the golfers. The golfers are certainly a very, very big part of the golf tour, but there are a lot of people who are volunteers who give of their time, people who work hard — if we had to pay for this, golf tournaments would never happen.”

Check out the video and watch Nicklaus at his self-effacing best.  He says his game isn’t “for public consumption” but watch him hole one from the bunker.  As recent events demonstrate, there are few things we can count on.  But we can always be sure of this: the sun will rise and the sun will set and Jack Nicklaus will always be the class of golf.

At the opposite end of the class spectrum sits John Daly.  For the past year we have been subjected to another of John’s comebacks.  We have seen it before, he straightens his life out for awhile and then he backtracks into issues and trouble.  This time it appeared like he may have actually turned the corner as witnessed by his lost weight and the way he has changed his personal life.

We all have been subjected to the bombardment of Daly promotions on The Golf Channel and we have seen Daly say that this is his last chance to get it right.  Well, if Daly hadn’t used up all the good will he already had, he certainly screwed the pooch yesterday when he used his twitter account to attack a writer.

Garry Smits wrote an article on Daly that included a list of the PGA Tour’s disciplinary actions towards Daly.  He recounts most of Daly’s problems on tour which included fines and suspensions for his unprofessional behavior. It is rare to have these facts become public because the PGA Tour never releases any of its disciplinary actions on any player.  Daly’s record was made public because it was part of a lawsuit that Daly had initiated and subsequently lost.  Now there was nothing new about the actions of Daly but it is the actions that the PGA Tour took towards Daly that made headlines. We all knew of Daly’s problems before this report. Daly would like us to think that this type of behavior was done with.  This was supposed to be his final comeback. That was until Daly, at his own self-destructive best, pulled another bit that will most likely garner another fine.  He posted the phone number of the author, Smits, on his Twitter account and told his followers to flood him with calls.  Do I need to say how wrong, immature and unprofessional this is?

John has done it again.  Just when you think he can’t sink any lower, he finds a new way to crawl even lower.  This was just plain wrong.  Daly needs to grow up but you have to wonder if he ever will.  How many chances does a man get?  I think Daly may have just used his last one.

It’s amazing that this game can claim two such talented golfers on the course while at the same time the difference between the two could not be any greater.  Jack’s the class of golf while John does his best to remain the ass of golf.

Nicklaus Interview

by Jeff Skinner

If you’re a golf fan than The Golf Channel has to be a large part of your television viewing habits.  Unfortunately for the past months Golf Channel viewers have been force to watch the relentless promotion of their two shows The Haney Project and Being John Daly.  Both shows made their debut this week and of course I had to watch both of them, after all I would like to think that it is golf and any golf is better than most of the crap that saturates television.  Man, was I wrong.  There was plenty of crap even though it was sold under the guise that it was golf.

I will say that I liked The Haney Project with Ray Romano and Hank Haney.  Having heard Haney speak live before and watching him work with Charles Barkley last season you get the feeling that he is a genuine guy and refreshingly humble for a man with his stature in the game.  He is likable and all of us hackers can use each and every swing tip that comes from his lips.  Ray Romano can be a little obnoxious if you ask me, but he appeared to be toned down and even affable enough during the show.  Maybe it’s because Romano is playing our role, the ever optimistic golfer that thinks shooting par or getting to a single digit handicap is one swing tip away.  We all know that’s the truth, we all keep hoping for that one magic move that takes us from Shankapotamus to Mr. Single, single digit that is.

For those reasons I’ll continue to watch Haney and Romano or at least DVR it so I can glean his tips and continue to live the fantasy that I can improve my game.

As far as John Daly’s show, Being John Daly, I wish my DVR had malfunctioned.  Let me say that I am hoping that John Daly can set his life right and come back to play well on tour but more importantly live a decent and healthy life.  However, I had a hard time with all the emotional guitar strumming and the soul bearing vignettes.  I was looking for more Daly on the course, not the shots but the back story and the scenes that network television will not show.  Daly hanging out with his buddies, packing for a trip or playing that damn guitar does not interest me.  I did like his RV but his sitting around with his buddies while they tell him how great he is was a bit much.

Stories of redemption and comebacks are always attractive and can easily draw us in but as a good friend told me,” I was taught that a journey of redemption must be a path undertaken in humility. How humble is a man who has a mural of himself in his first moment of public glory painted on is living room wall and prominently featured in every TV promo?”

With the recent discovery of Daly’s disciplinary record on The PGA Tour it makes it more difficult to accept Daly as a sympathetic figure.  Let’s face it: most of John’s troubles were all self-inflicted.  I wish John good luck on the course this year, I hope he plays well and gets his playing privileges back.  As far as his personal life I hope he continues to make the right choices and gets himself together.  I just don’t need to watch it on The Golf Channel.  I would rather be watching the reruns of Shell’s Wonderful world of Golf with Jack, Arnie and Gary.  Now that’s some interesting television.

by G. Rennie

We’ve all the heard the saying “I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out” which is a reference to the pugilistic nature of modern professional hockey. I think we’re approaching the time when we can say, without much exaggeration, something similar about a PGA golf tournament. The 16th hole at the TPC Scottsdale, in what’s now called the Waste Management Phoenix Open, is more like a football game atmosphere than a golf tourney, at least in my mind.

When did booing become an accepted form of fan interaction on the PGA tour?  Why do players need to placate the vultures there to keep them relatively quiet while they play out the hole?

It used to be that folks who overindulged in adult beverages were a distinct minority who were appropriately removed from the premises when their behavior became boorish. At TPC Scottsdale this Neanderthal behavior is, it seems, encouraged. This is done directly by the PGA Tour, the locals who put the tournament on, and the corporate entities who subsidize so much of the tour now with their hospitality venues.

Well on Sunday this seething cauldron of foolishness got it shoved back in its face when the ever stylish Ian Pouter gave the crowd the international signal for “Go Get Stuffed”. Poulter will take some heat for this but I think he’s more justified in his rebuff to the rowdies than he’ll get credit for from the talking heads and pundits who sup at the table of Prince Tim and the PGA Tour.

The arena that the PGA has built around #16 reminds us of the modern stadia that all modern team sports use to showcase their product. This is the latest manifestation of Tim Finchem’s “penis envy” issue as it relates to other sports, most notably NFL Football and NASCAR. The commish doesn’t seemed satisfied with the game of golf as it’s been played for several centuries, he’d rather turn it into some garish spectacle to help garner additional advertisement revenues generated by increased TV ratings from the casual viewer tuning in because there’s  blood in the water. There’s a real downside to the headlong pursuit of riches, or the win, at the expense of integrity and identity. Just ask Al Gore.

I say they should tear down that arena at 16 for starters, sell only near beer or cactus juice, and invite Jack and Arnie to teach the PGA big wigs, staff and then the spectators at 16 some basic etiquette and sportsmanship.

Can you imagine someone booing a shot by Jack?

by Jeff Skinner

I have never seen so much raw emotion from a golfer.  Watching him on The Golf Channel yesterday was a moving experience.  No I’m not talking about Tiger Woods; I’m talking about Charlie Rymer.  Rymer got so choked up offering his analysis of Tiger he couldn’t talk.  I like Rymer, he’s always insightful and funny and after yesterdays near sob fest I like him more.  He showed that he’s human; much like Tiger showed during his speech, he is human also.

Tiger is indeed human a flawed human for sure, but still human.  I can understand Rymer’s compassion for Tiger easier then I can understand Tiger’s behavior.  How a man betrays the people he loves like that is beyond me.  But at least Tiger is trying to set things right.

Forget the planned environment that Tiger’s people cooked up and the absurd rules set forth by what must have been a hundred public relations and crisis management specialists.  Tiger hit all the right notes and at least it’s a start to regain his life.  Unfortunately we’ll all have to go through this again when he comes back to play only then he’ll have to answer questions.  Couldn’t he have opened these proceedings to the press, read his statement and answered questions for ten minutes?  After his statement, if he had spoken for one minute without the script and spoken from the heart he would have come off more sincere.  Then if he spent ten minutes answering questions he would have the biggest portion of his “public comeback” behind him.

Tiger and his speech writers came up with a fairly good piece but at times it sounded too calculated.

He’s right when he says his real apology to Elin will come over time.  That’s the truth.  Earning her trust will not be easy and it shouldn’t be.

Of course his people made sure he spoke about all the good he has done with his foundation so we all know what a great guy he is.

He certainly apologized often enough and to all the effected parties.

I heard a little “Rehab 101” in there with references to entitlement, boundaries and selfishness.

Tiger got a bit antagonistic when admonishing the tabloids for following his wife.  I can understand Tiger trying to protect his family from that.

I thought it ironic when he said’ “It’s up to me to start living a life of integrity” and “Character and decency are what really count.”  Sounds like The First tee slogan, Integrity, Character, Decency.

His reference to his Buddhist upbringing was odd.  Buddhism asks you to lead a moral life, be mindful and aware of thoughts and actions and to develop wisdom and understanding.  Strike three on all counts Tiger.  Its teaching also says that wealth does not guarantee happiness.  He’ll have to go a long way to get back to his Buddhist roots.  How many Buddhists have a billion dollars in the bank and a 155 foot yacht?

Overall, Tiger said what needed to be said for him to try and set this episode behind him.  If he is truthful and sincere about earning back his family’s respect than that is certainly his most important and difficult task.

If he wants to change his on course demeanor like he said I have a suggestions.  Look people in the eye and recognize they are there.   Spend a few minutes in the press tent talking with the press, not at them. Follow the same media rules all the other players do.  Lose the swat team of security that insulates you from your fans and finally, try signing an autograph or two with a smile and maybe you’ll find a smile or two coming back at you.

by Jeff Skinner

Something revolutionary took place in golf yesterday.  It wasn’t the fact that all four number one seeds have been dispatched from The Accenture Match Play Championship.  It’s not the fact that John Daly shot a three under par and didn’t retire again.  It’s not even the fact that Thongchai Saidee a twelve seed from Thailand advanced to play Jeev Milkha Singh a fifteen seed in the third round of The Match Play.  While on a normal day any of those events would be shocking they pale in comparison to what the Golf Writers Association of America did last night.

The GWAA has announced that they will boycott the orchestrated Tiger Woods Media Event.  The Board of directors has voted unanimously to boycott the event unless Tiger’s people open it up to all accredited media.

This is not an insignificant action.  Tiger and his people have manipulated, bullied and abused the mainstream media for years.  On a good day Woods has viewed the media as a necessary evil and on most days he just viewed them as evil.

The president of the GWAA, Vartan Kupelian said, “I cannot stress how strongly our board felt that this should be open to all media and also for the opportunity to question Woods.”  The GWAA, which has over 950 members, will not send three pool reporters that it had agreed to earlier. The main wire services will still attend and there will be no shortage of television coverage as The Golf Channel, ESPN, ABC, CBS and NBC all plan to carry the event live.

Maybe this is the first sign to Woods and his agent, Mark Steinberg that it isn’t business as usual any longer.  Whatever Woods wanted previously he always received and if he didn’t want something to happen, it never did.  The boycott should be a signal to the Woods camp that the golf writers can’t be manipulated any further.  Woods might have to act like a human being for awhile and maybe treat the writers like they are people also.

Commissioner Tim Finchem has looked terrible during this entire episode.  He obviously talked to someone from Tiger’s camp and gave the go ahead for the TPC Sawgrass venue, but he says he hasn’t talked to Tiger.  He says he does not know what Tiger will say today.  Really Tim?  So Tiger, or his people, call and ask to use your facility for what is the biggest story in golf, in sports really, and you don’t inquire as to the content of his statement.  Sure, we buy that.

Overall Finchem has been a good commissioner and the players and the PGA Tour have done well under his reign, which happens to coincide with Tiger’s emergence as a television ratings machine.  The fact that Finchem can say with a straight face that he has no knowledge of Tiger’s subject matter is farcical.  Even from a distance it’s easy to see that when Tiger passes wind, Finchem gets a face full.  Listen to him on the ESPN video.  He mentions Tiger’s rehab and his rehab schedule.  So he had to have some intimate knowledge of Tiger’s schedule but none of what he plans to say in his statement.  Sorry Tim that just doesn’t sound like an executive that has a handle on his resources.  It sounds like someone trying to protect his meal ticket and maybe save a little face at the same time.