Tiger admits to ‘transgressions’
He admits he’ll never be as good as Tiger at golf but with a nickname of ‘Shagger’ he may well be better than Tiger at something else.
How wrong I was. After today’s vague and remorseful statement on the Tiger Woods website it seems some of the rumours swirling have been true.
“I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone.” Read the full statement here.
The phone message circulating gives you the feeling of watching Jean Van De Velde’s last hole disaster at The Open in 1999, Greg Norman’s choke at Augusta in 1996 and an episode of The Office, all at the same time. Times ten. You just want it to stop but nothing can be done about it.
It is damning and now has big implications for golf. It has always been a stuffy, conservative game and which could generally assume some moral high ground, Augusta National’s membership criteria excluded. The game has been hit already with this weeks Australian Open, PGA and LPGA Q-Schools and Tiger’s very own Chevron World Challenge which he’s withdrawn from are but sideshows compared to his personal issues.
A piece in today’s Daily Telegraph talks about how Nitties turned down an offer to appear on American reality show, the Bachelor, the second biggest rating show on US television. He’s happily single and known for his partying. He has listed “clubbing” and “girls” among his interests on his PGA Tour profile in the past where as Woods’ profile pretty much read “golf”.
Nitties went on to tell the Daily Telegraph how he tackled the world’s biggest golf tour this year:
“When you look at how good the opportunity is, it’d be stupid to use your status on the PGA Tour to pick up chicks and have fun and party. When I am competing there is nothing I let get in my way. I want to win tournaments.”
Despite referring to Nitties’ own game, it is the sort of thing he should have been telling his golfing idol which is ironic coming from a single man. Tiger won golf tournaments this year, one in Melbourne where he was paid $3 million to show up, but now he’s starting to look stupid. And so does the game.
Sorry, but if the game looks stupid because Tiger has an affair, then what did it look like when Daly lost 4 wives one of which was on drug charges, was constantly drunk and having meltdowns on course? And I’m sure that if you have a look around we’ll find plenty of indiscretions by other golfers, just not blown out of proportion because they’re not the best golfer on the planet!
As I mentioned once before, I don’t care if it’s white powder off ladies of the night or infidelity or S & M, I’m pretty sure he wasn’t the first nor will he be the last!
AD
I just think it’s worse coz he’s the last golfer I would pick to do this sort of thing. He must be stupid to think he could do this sort of stuff and for it to never come out. Tiger? Stupid? Crazy talk.
That’s because we all expect our sporting super stars to be squeaky clean, like when they first arrived and made us gush at their ability to play!
Andre Agassi!?
I believe they are held to a standard because of who we want them to be personally, when they’re just normal people with exceptional talent!
AD
I’m sure if we all look back there’s a million comments we’ve made on Tiger that now seem completely daft knowing what we now know – but the shagger one is one of the best I’ve seen.