Related News
Sponsors begin to drop Woods
Source: Agencies |
December 15, 2009, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SAY Tiger Woods' name around his PGA Tour colleagues, and the reactions are swift and varied.
"Golf needs Tiger Woods," Brad Faxon said. "We wish them well and the best. I don't know what the best thing to do is. Nobody does. But I know him on the golf course is good for everybody."
Woods' future is uncertain, his family forever affected by the infidelity he acknowledged on Friday on his Website when announcing his "indefinite" leave from the game. With that, a long shadow of doubt has been cast over golf, which has seen a financial boon since Woods stormed onto the scene and now can only wait and wonder what'll happen with the world's No. 1 player and the game's biggest draw sidelined.
"The tour has got to be worried, because what's the definition of indefinite?" asked Greg Norman, the former world No. 1. "Indefinite meaning, OK, it might be a year because a lot of issues have got to be resolved? That's the word you've kind of got to drill in on."
Global consulting firm Accenture Ltd became the first major sponsor to drop Woods. The firm said in a statement that Woods is "no longer the right representative" after the "circumstances of the last two weeks."
The move ends a six-year relationship during which Accenture credited its "Go on, be a Tiger" campaign with boosting its image significantly.
In Dubai, a tournament official said that Woods has not yet canceled plans to play in the Desert Classic there in early February, and were willing to wait as long as possible for a decision.
"I don't think it's going to help anything, that's for sure," Nick Price said. "Especially in a recession like we're in now. It's hard enough to find sponsors out there and now to try to sell things without Tiger in the field for however long it is, it's going to be a challenge.
"I hope he comes back."
So do fans. Take Dodie Mills, a 61-year-old pediatric nurse in Florida, who says her real lure to watching and playing golf has been Woods.
"I think all the fame, all the money he has, all the women took advantage of it," Mills said. "He and his wife love each other ... I can understand how a man in that position can be very easily swayed by women. I was 23 once. He's in his prime. All these women wanted a piece of him."
Noted sports attorney David Cornwell also pointed out that the women - more than 10 by some counts - who have been romantically linked to Woods should bear as much of the blame.
"They're looking to get paid after sex," Cornwell said. "They are engaging in something that's very ugly and it needs to be pointed out. Their 15 minutes are soon to be up. But the destruction that they've created with this kind of salacious detail may never be repaired."
"Golf needs Tiger Woods," Brad Faxon said. "We wish them well and the best. I don't know what the best thing to do is. Nobody does. But I know him on the golf course is good for everybody."
Woods' future is uncertain, his family forever affected by the infidelity he acknowledged on Friday on his Website when announcing his "indefinite" leave from the game. With that, a long shadow of doubt has been cast over golf, which has seen a financial boon since Woods stormed onto the scene and now can only wait and wonder what'll happen with the world's No. 1 player and the game's biggest draw sidelined.
"The tour has got to be worried, because what's the definition of indefinite?" asked Greg Norman, the former world No. 1. "Indefinite meaning, OK, it might be a year because a lot of issues have got to be resolved? That's the word you've kind of got to drill in on."
Global consulting firm Accenture Ltd became the first major sponsor to drop Woods. The firm said in a statement that Woods is "no longer the right representative" after the "circumstances of the last two weeks."
The move ends a six-year relationship during which Accenture credited its "Go on, be a Tiger" campaign with boosting its image significantly.
In Dubai, a tournament official said that Woods has not yet canceled plans to play in the Desert Classic there in early February, and were willing to wait as long as possible for a decision.
"I don't think it's going to help anything, that's for sure," Nick Price said. "Especially in a recession like we're in now. It's hard enough to find sponsors out there and now to try to sell things without Tiger in the field for however long it is, it's going to be a challenge.
"I hope he comes back."
So do fans. Take Dodie Mills, a 61-year-old pediatric nurse in Florida, who says her real lure to watching and playing golf has been Woods.
"I think all the fame, all the money he has, all the women took advantage of it," Mills said. "He and his wife love each other ... I can understand how a man in that position can be very easily swayed by women. I was 23 once. He's in his prime. All these women wanted a piece of him."
Noted sports attorney David Cornwell also pointed out that the women - more than 10 by some counts - who have been romantically linked to Woods should bear as much of the blame.
"They're looking to get paid after sex," Cornwell said. "They are engaging in something that's very ugly and it needs to be pointed out. Their 15 minutes are soon to be up. But the destruction that they've created with this kind of salacious detail may never be repaired."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
