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Tiger Woods will now approach the microphone after nearly three months of silence. He knows the world now knows everything about him and nothing. They stand ready to dissect every word. Some to denounce him no matter what he says, others to support him regardless of his performance. But what should he say? I’m sure his handlers have advised him to be contrite. To apologize and say he let down the world. To position himself behind his family and say he will do anything to restore their confidence and that of the world. To say he will work hard to regain the trust of the world and to get back to dominating the field on the golf course. That is what many hope he will do; I think Tiger should do the following:

Tell the truth. That he is furious at himself and what he let happen. That he took his drive and passion and let it take him where he never should have let it. That he understands that the same ingredients that allow him to be dominating on the golf course are lethal when applied to other parts of his life. Ben Hogan had the personality of a rock. Michael Jordan’s killer instinct, drive and confidence led him to believe he could have a pro baseball or golf career, become a serious gambler and to a divorce. I once had to approach Joe Namath and asked him to kindly take his loud cell phone conversation out of the quiet lounge in the Chicago Admirals Club. I returned to my seat to smiles nods and light applause. In my business I’ve met enough Hollywood stars to know I like most of them much better on the screen than in person.

He needs to say that he will have to work hard for the rest of his life to focus his talents on the golf course and fight like hell to keep the ugly underbelly of the same traits out of his life off the field. Those who love sport want to see Tiger on the course and dominating. Swinging smoothly and making impossible shots at improbable times. To get there he needs to survive the next two weeks. He will want to lash out at the press. He will want to say how unfair all of the attention has been to him and his family. But he should not. He should simply claim his baggage, lug it out of the room and go change into his golf clothes and win as soon and as dramatically as possible.

To read an article I wrote for ABC News go to : http://abcnews.go.com/Business/real-life-tiger-woods-reacting-believed/story?id=9325069

The  news that Tiger is stepping away from golf, just 4 short of Jack Nicklaus’s major record to save his marriage; has stunned the golf world. Real life Tiger is not reacting the way we believed he would. He didn’t come out and talk to the world. He didn’t explain himself. He didn’t blame the media or lash out at the world. He may not have even listened to his handlers. Instead by all appearances he seems to desperately trying to deal with his inexcusable behavior and repair the most important relationships –those with his family.

It has been an unbelievably rapid descent for Woods. From allegations of an affair with one woman reported by tabloid newspaper The National Enquirer a little over two weeks ago, to an early morning single auto car crash with Tiger at the wheel last week, to the discovery of a Pandora’s box, engraved with Eldrick Tiger Woods’ full name and filled with cocktail waitresses, escorts and even a prostitute; by early in the week, it was obvious this was not a nightmare but a straight up, wide awake, public relations disaster.

Nothing Tiger has done in his career to date has been the easy or expected. When we were introduced to his prodigious talent as an amateur we expected him to win. But as he become a professional and easily continued his winning ways, we began to understand he was truly special. Many of Tiger’s greatest shots are permanently stored in my memory banks.

·         The 1997 hole-in-one at the Phoenix Open which heralded to the golfing world that Tiger was going to be masterful on the grand stage.

·         His march up the 18^th hole into his father’s arms as he took the Masters by a ridiculous 12 strokes.

·         The 3^rd round, 6^th hole of the 2000 US Open where from the deep grass above the hole on the slickest of greens, he hit a soft hands beauty and birdied the hole.

·         The 2006 Open Championship 14^th hole where he sinks a shot from the fairway for eagle to get back into the mix.

·         The 24 foot putt at Bay Hill on the 18^th hole to win over Bart Bryant.

·         The 2008 US Open for every reason in the world as he won with a broken leg with no shot in golf as powerful as the birdie on the 18^th hole to force a playoff and then winning on the first hole of sudden death.

After he won the 1997 Masters at the tender age of 21 by an unprecedented 12 strokes we knew he was not just special but a true phenom. More than 80 worldwide wins later we now know we have been witness to the type of athlete who comes along maybe once a generation. At times, it seemed, he simply willed himself to victories.

Now as he takes this unexpected hiatus from the game he reinvented we are left with many questions. When will he be back? How will the business of golf air without its star? What will sponsors do?  What part did the media play and did it overstep its bounds?

Advertisers will forge ahead bravely and try to see what they can salvage of their sales forecasts without the help of their main engine. Golf will take a big hit in interest and for the time being go back to being the elitist niche sport of the pre-Tiger era. The media will point fingers at itself until the next ambulance comes flying down the street with its sirens blaring and a barefooted celebrity hanging out the back. The public will be split between those who are growing increasingly ravenous to eat its celebrities and those who had had enough the day after the crash.

Tiger on the golf course has shown an unmatched ability to take a game where many things can’t be controlled such as the weather and the lie of the ball and somehow make everything work o his advantage. Golfers the world over believe golf mirrors life. Tiger can only hope so. Advertisers hope so. Many golf fans do as well.

I predict Tiger will be back. New Tiger will be changed like Moses after the mountain experience. He will better understand his mortality and his place in the world. He will savor his time on the field of play and recognize it is a blessing and a privilege. He will be a better endorser because he will no longer be invincible and that will make his success even more appreciated and revered.

Read my abcnews.com column on Tiger

Recent News May Increase Respect For Woods’ Accomplishments on and off the Golf Course.

As most Americans, full from our Thanksgiving meals, were just entering into the deeper stages of sleep; Tiger Woods was pulling out of the driveway of his Isleworth, Orlando home. He wouldn’t get far. According to police reports, his 2009 Escalade SUV hit a fire hydrant and then a neighbor’s tree in a single vehicle accident. Woods was transported to the hospital where according to some reports he was treated for facial lacerations. Now he will be treated to media speculation and rumor on a global scale. Reporters are already speculating about why he left the house and if there is any connection to recent published rumors (The National Enquirer) about an affair.

33 year-old Tiger Woods has won 82 times around the world. He wins an astronomical 30% of the time he tees the ball up a feat never approached by any other golfer in history (for perspective legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus trudged along at a 15% pace). He has been an exemplary role model for sport in general and golf in particular since he entered the limelight at 2 years old in an appearance on The Mike Douglas Show. Over the past 31 years his every move on and off the course has been scrutinized.

By every account, Woods has been a great role model. While athletes in every sport have made the headlines with their bad behavior from drug-use to dog-fighting to self-inflicted wounds to rape; Tiger has floated above the fray honoring the military, founding and financing a school and winning…always winning. He had shown us great courage and humanity while dealing with the death of a parent and career –threatening injuries to his knee. After the smoke clears on this one perhaps we should spend the remaining years in Tiger’s career respecting and admiring the difficult role top athletes play in our current society. Athletes who manage to balance great wealth, great talent and the fame tax should be rewarded by our loyalty and support.

You can also check out my comments in the ABCnews.com story which can be found at http://alturl.com/krp9

I was sitting on a hill overlooking the 18th tee this afternoon about 12:30. I had done all of the things I normally do on the final practice day of the Masters. I ate a leisurely breakfast a Waffle House (even though in keeping with my new diet it consisted of egg whites, whole wheat toast, steamed hash browns and Orange Juice) while reading about this years changes to the course. (biggest visible change –new gate and lots of new free parking). I picked up my tickets and had a happy reunion with a number of guys who always rent on Azalea Street. Once on the course I visited my favorite haunts…the practice tee and the putting green. I got an egg salad sandwich (still just a buck fifty). I walked the course to see who was practicing. Of note: Anthony Kim who is starting to look healthy and Rory McElroy. McElroy shaped a monster tee shot from left to right on the par 5 No. 13. He was in the trees on the right with a 230 yerd downhill lie on pine needles between two tall trees. After  a long wait for the green to clear, he hit a 3 wood that started low to get under the trees, flared up, faded and landed softly over Rae’s Creek on the green, under the hole , 18 feet. He is absolutely the real deal. Vijay was happily practicing on the course solo, chipping from multiple locations around the green. I watched some of the par 3. As I sat by No. 18, I saw Pate and Ben Crenshaw walk up and just behind him, Carl Jackson. This is Carl’s 47 Masters. I couldn’t help but think about ESPN’s story on Sunday about the lack of African American players on the Tours. (There is only one on all 4 Tours -Nationwide, Senior, LPGA and PGA). One of the commentators said: “It’s simple, golf carts have set the game back. Almost all of the Black PGA profesionals learned the game as caddies.” So watched Carl Jackson walk up, waited for him to walk off so I could say hi and went to the gift shop to finish my tradional way — buying one of the limited edition, numbered Masters watches. There were still watches left. It is going to be a great week.

I have a golf buddy named Lee O Wood. He’s an interesting guy. He’s the only funeral director (He owns the business) I know with a real sense of humor and an absolute zest for life. He loves the game of golf and at some point started putting together colorful plus four ensembles and actually wearing them to the golf course. He swears this is the ultimate ice-breaker and claims he has made friends the world over. Every time I’ve been with him it’s true someone will approach us, start a conversation and leave with a smile on their face. I used to think that meant that Lee was in the wrong business. I’ve learned I was wrong.

I’m playing in the Buick Pro-Am at Torrey Pines and I show up atothe tee with my clubs, my caddie and my camera well before Tiger. My caddie for the day is a great guy. He told me some great stories about looping for Pros on the tour. Most of the caddies and many of the players knew him and seemed to genuinely like him. I only had one request: Take my camera and from the moment I walk up to Tiger just shoot pictures like a wild man. While I was shaking Tiger’s hand I even stole a glance back to make sure he was on the job and he appeared to be snapping pictures like a tourist in Times Square. I was ecstatic and his tip after the round, I believe, reflected my gratitude. I half walked, half ran back to the room at the lodge to download my pictures to share with the world and to select the one suitable for framing. To my disappointment I found only the out-of-focus, out-of-position shot above. That’s me with the aura.

I was looking at the beautiful, shiny and new Buick LuCerne we are using for our hole-in-one car this year and I got to thinking about the fact that in more than 20 years of serious golf I have never had an ace.

According to Golf Digest the odds are about 12,700 to 1. 12,700 tries with approximately two par threes per round (6,350) means with the number of rounds I play I would have about 104 chances at a hole-in-one per year. So, unless I beat the odds I can expect one ace if I play for 61 years. Now my father has had many aces, so I guess you should factor in accuracy.

I may never get an ace.

Let’s face it, golf is hard.

I’m a guitar player. I’ve never been on stage and all of a sudden started playing like I never played a guitar before. But I’ve seen PGA Tour Pros shank the ball off the tee or even fail to execute shots that someone could walk right out of the gallery, take the club out of their hands and on that day, for that shot execute it better than the Pro just did.

So why do we play a game that is this hard? There is a simple answer best explained by what happened to me yesterday. I was on the 16th hole of Maple Moore in White Plains, New York and I was over the green in 2 on the par 4. I was in some thick rough, exacerbated by the fact it had not been cut due to rain the day before. It was straight down hill once the ball landed on the green so I decided to flop it high and try to stop the ball somewhere on the green. I took a good look at it and saw the line pretty well. I knew if I dropped it somewhere near the spot I located, the ball would have a chance to stop near the hole. Degree of difficulty: 9 on a scale of 1 to 10. I take a couple of practice swings, line up the blade behind the ball and take a full swing. The club slid nicely through the grass, the ball went up almsot 20 feet into the air, landed on the spot I had picked out and slowly rolled the 45 feet down the hill directly into the center of the cup. I’m going to make that shot one time in 1,000 tries. But the fact is under pressure, with a match on the line, I made a decision and I executed perfectly and what I had imagined became reality.

That’s why golfers return to the golf course.