Analysis: Too little, too late, Tiger
Tigers Woods finally apologised in person for his mistakes
Friday, 19, Feb 2010 05:07
By Alistair Potter.
Tiger Woods looked a broken man at his podium in Florida on Friday.
Until his world came collapsing in around him late last year, on the golf course Woods had an aural of indestructibility. He was bulletproof.
His own doubts, the doubts of others, criticism from all quarters, and all myriad of distractions in his private life - nothing fazed him on the course.
But in his first public address since his multiple mistresses came out of the woodwork late last year, Woods was a shadow of his former self.
Reading only a statement - albeit one that lasted a good 13-and-a-half minutes - and not taking questions, he (again) admitted to his infidelities and apologised. At least this time it was in public and in person and he even gave a convincing impression of a man who cares.
Until now, the only acknowledgement of the circus going on around him was a short statement on his website.
This was better, but his refusal to entertain any form of recourse - and the fact that his scheduled press conference was during one of the biggest tournaments on the golfing calendar - left many wondering whether this was a genuine attempt at building bridges with his fans and his friends, or the start of re-establishing 'Brand Woods'.
The problem is that he's now so far behind the story that he's got a lot of catching up to do. And even though Woods is known for his ability to claw back deficits on the golf course on his final round, one wonders how he will cope being this far behind.
Woods also hinted at a return to golf, but is still to set a date. He said he doesn't rule out a return this year, but it seems a lot depends on how his therapy goes.
If today is any indication, he has a long way to go.
The big issue for others involved in golf is that the sport desperately needs Tiger back. He's the big draw, the money-maker. He'll draw crowds to even the most inauspicious tournament in the backwaters of the world.
Now he will still draw the crowds, when he finally does come back, but for entirely different reasons.
Woods seemed genuinely upset by the process of admitting to the world that he is fallible, but it's difficult to know what bothered him so much.
Was it the fact that his "aura" is now well and truly broken?
Was it genuine remorse, the kind that seemed so lacking when he refused to acknowledge the intense media attention last December?
Or was it the realisation that his life, which had contained all the trappings of fame and fortune, is now a skeleton of its former self?
After the Woods circus of the last few months, how many of his many fans will stand by him?
And, although golf courses are renowned for their gentlemanly rules and regulations, there's no question he'll be heckled by crowds across the world, wherever he goes.
He's going to have to learn to deal with pressure of a very different kind now.
It remains to be seen how he'll cope with that on the course, but the early indications of his coping mechanisms away from the sport he loves are not too good so far.