Tiger Woods Puts Golf on Front Page over Holiday Weekend

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving that was filled with great food, football, the Macy's parade, and maybe even a little golf if the weather allowed! Amongst all of the festivities, there was one major golf story that was splashed across the newspapers and television stations. How could I go without mentioning it here as well?

As most readers already know, Tiger Woods was involved in a single-car accident early Friday morning. He had just pulled his Cadillac Escalade out of the driveway when he proceeded to hit first a fire hydrant and then a tree. His wife, Elin, told police that she used her husband's golf clubs to smash his back windows and get him out of the car. However, there is speculation that her involvement in the situation did not begin there. Authorities want to investigate whether the lacerations on Tiger's face resulted from the car accident or from a domestic situation that occurred before he left the house.

While Tiger Woods is refusing to speak to the Florida Highway Patrol, he did issue a statement on his website which said, "The situation is my fault, and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me." The FHP is working to obtain records from the emergency room to determine if Tiger's admission of responsibility is accurate.

When I first read this story, I could not help but think what the regulars at Prairie Winds Golf Course, the setting for my three published books, would have to say about it. Captain Jer would probably have something demeaning to say about Tiger's wife and then share his own story of a drunken accident. Curt would remind the guys to cut Tiger some slack until all of the details were known. Overall, though, I don't think Tiger Woods would receive much sympathy from that crew.

What are your thoughts on the Tiger Woods story? Is his reputation tarnished forever? Or, can he get past this with a good PR campaign?