Tiger Woods

[princess 1,712]

EOnline.comTIGERSHACK: Tiger Woods to spoof the movie Caddyshack in an upcoming American Express commercial. The ad will feature Woods battling the movie's gopher, and finally using his American Express card to hire an exterminator.

[princess 1,712]

Reports: Tiger and Elin to Wed This Week

Monday Oct 04, 2004 8:55am EST

By Stephen M. Silverman

people.com

 

CREDIT: ANDREW REDINGTON/GETTY IMAGES/AFP/NEWSCOM

 

After earlier reports that they may have gone their separate ways, famously tight-mouthed Tiger Woods and fiancee Elin Nordgren appear to be very together ? and set to march down the aisle.

 

Relying on newspaper coverage in Ireland, where the golf champ was playing, and news stories in Barbados, where the former nanny is vacationing, the Associated Press reports that the couple are set to wed at the Sandy Lane luxury resort on the Caribbean island, and may do so as early as Tuesday.

 

Nordegren, 24, reportedly arrived in Barbados last Monday with four other women, including her twin sister.

 

Speaking to reporters on Sunday in Ireland, where he played in the American Express Championship, Woods, 28, declined to confirm the reports, and when asked about a Caribbean vacation, he told the swarm of journalists: "I'm ready to go diving. I'm ready to hop in that water and shoot some fish. ... All I can say is that I'm getting married in the future. I've narrowed it down to that. I think you guys would be the last people I'd ever tell."

 

Mark Steinberg, Woods's Cleveland-based agent, expressed no comment to AP.

 

Nordegren was working as a nanny for Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik when she met Woods three years ago at the British Open, and the champ ? who recently dropped in rank to No. 3 golfer in the world, after having been No. 1 since May 1999 ? asked Nordegren to marry him last December during a sunset walk at a game reserve in South Africa, where he was playing in the Presidents Cup.

[princess 1,712]

Tiger Woods Weds Girlfriend in Barbados

Tuesday Oct 05, 2004 10:00pm EST

people.com

 

With its three scenic golf courses, the exclusive Barbados resort Sandy Lane seemed the perfect venue for Tiger Woods?s wedding to Elin Nordegren.

 

Never mind that the groom skipped the links to go snorkeling and jet-skiing. Sandy Lane had something else he craved: privacy.

 

With armed security guards keeping the curious away, Tiger, 28, and Elin, 24, the Swedish former nanny and model he met at the 2001 British Open and proposed to last November, said "I do" in a sunset ceremony before about 200 family and friends.

 

The nuptials were held in the largest of four tents set up at the resort, with 500 red roses adorning the end of the aisle. Guests (including NBA stars Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley) then feasted on shrimp cocktail, flying fish, macaroni pie and a four-tier wedding cake.

 

But it was Tiger?s trademark cool that really took the cake. "He didn?t act like he was going to get married," says a source. "He was very relaxed, like this was any other day for him."

 

Nordegren and Woods in Barbados

CREDIT: SPLASH NEWS (2)

[princess 1,712]

popbitch.comTiger Woods booked Hootie and The Blowfish toplay at his wedding this week.

[princess 1,712]

Tiger: Being Married Won't Affect My Game

Tuesday Oct 12, 2004 3:00pm EST

By Stephen M. Silverman

people.com

 

In his first public statement since getting married last Tuesday in a sunset ceremony in Barbados, newlywed Tiger Woods, still honeymooning with his Swedish bride Elin Nordegren, says being married will not affect his game.

 

"It is not going to change the way I play golf," Woods tells fans on his Web site. "I have been with Elin and happy together the last two years. Just because you are married it doesn't change your relationship. It doesn't change who we are."

 

He adds: "I just hope I can get the ball in the hole a little faster."

 

The golf champ also spoke to reporters aboard his honeymoon yacht, telling them that, although he remains committed to his sport, he isn't sure when he'll get back into the swing of things. "We're having so much fun on the honeymoon," he said.

 

But Woods will have to make up his mind soon if he wishes to participate in some Florida tournaments, though he has vowed to play in his own Target World Challenge that's set to tee off Dec. 8. As it is, Woods has not won a stroke play tournament this year and has slipped from the world's No. 1 golfer to No. 3 in recent weeks, falling behind Vijay Singh and Ernie Els.

 

About getting married, which the bride and groom kept as secret as possible, Woods told reporters: "We didn't tell anybody until the last minute. They all said, 'Oh, it is? That soon?' Yeah, well, there you go. You can still get cheap airfare. We made sure of that. ... To have all our family and friends there, it made it a very special occasion. Our families and friends are always going in different directions, so it's always hard to get them all together. We were able to do that for this occasion, which made it even more special for all of us. We had a great time."

 

Woods, 28, and Nordegren, 24, the Swedish former nanny and model he met at the 2001 British Open and proposed to last November, said "I do" Oct. 5 in a sunset ceremony before about 200 family and friends.

 

The nuptials were held in the largest of four tents set up at the posh Sandy Lanes resort, with 500 red roses adorning the end of the aisle. Guests (including NBA stars Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley, as well as Oprah Winfrey) feasted on shrimp cocktail, flying fish, macaroni pie and a four-tier wedding cake.

 

But it was Tiger's trademark cool that really took the cake. "He didn't act like he was going to get married," a source told PEOPLE. "He was very relaxed, like this was any other day for him."

[krysbabe 0]

Tigers new do.

 

[Rebelgirl 1]

In one of my tabloids this week, it says that Tigers wife is pregnant, Is this true?

[Cutielb99 0]

Tears for Dad, and another claret jug for Tiger

By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer

July 23, 2006

 

HOYLAKE, England (AP) -- The emotions had been trapped in Tiger Woods since he stood at his father's grave two months ago, set loose only after he tapped in his final putt Sunday to win the British Open.

 

It was his 11th major championship, but the first one they couldn't share.

 

He plucked the ball out of the cup, turned slightly and started to grin when a mixture of sadness and satisfaction washed over his face and he screamed out, "Yes!"

 

Woods buried his head in the shoulder of caddie Steve Williams, sobbing uncontrollably, his chest heaving. Then he found his wife, Elin, and hugged her for the longest minute, tears still streaming down his face.

 

"I'm kind of the one who bottles things up a little bit and moves on," he said. "But at that moment, it just came pouring out. And of all the things that my father has meant to me and the game of golf, I just wish he would have seen it one more time."

 

It sure would have looked familiar.

 

Woods was ruthless as ever on the brown, baked links of Royal Liverpool, relying more on brains than brawn.

 

He hit driver only one time the entire week -- the 16th hole of the first round -- and relied on iron play that was so impeccable his caddie kept a sheet of paper of all the shots Woods missed.

 

There were only three of them.

 

"I don't think anyone has ever hit long irons that well," Williams said.

 

It carried Woods to a 5-under 67 and a two-shot victory over Chris DiMarco, making him the first player since Tom Watson in 1982-83 to win golf's oldest championship in consecutive years.

 

It was his first victory since his father, Earl, died May 3 after a brutal bout with cancer. Some questioned whether Woods could regain his focus after taking nine weeks off, especially after he returned to the U.S. Open and missed the cut for the first time in a major.

 

Turns out, Woods had an answer for everyone.

 

And even when DiMarco made a charge with another gritty rally in a major to close with a 68, Woods responded with three straight birdies that allowed him to stride confidently up the 18th fairway at Hoylake and toward the claret jug.

 

No one could stop Woods from winning his 11th career major at age 30. He is tied with Walter Hagen for second on the career list and is one step closer to the 18 professional majors won by Jack Nicklaus, the only mark that matters to Woods.

 

He had to work for this one because of DiMarco, equally emotional and inspired while coping with a more recent loss.

 

DiMarco's mother, Norma, died of a heart attack July 4 in Colorado, and he made sure his father joined him on this trip to the northwest of England as a chance to heal. DiMarco, who pushed Woods into a playoff at the Masters last year, did all he could to deliver.

 

He made a 25-foot birdie on the par-3 13th to pull within one shot of Woods, then made a 50-foot par save on the 14th to stay in the game, a putt that rattled the cup and made everyone wonder if he had help from above.

 

"I had a lot of divine intervention out there," DiMarco said. "I had my mother with me all week."

 

Woods followed with another low, penetrating iron into 8 feet on the 14th for a birdie. And after DiMarco scrambled for a birdie on the 16th to keep his hopes alive, Woods answered with an 8-foot birdie into the heart of the hole at No. 15.

 

Woods finished at 18-under 270, missing an 8-foot birdie putt that would have matched his record (19 under) set at St. Andrews six years ago.

 

His father was with him for his first taste of links golf in the 1995 Scottish Amateur at Carnoustie, when Woods was a 19-year-old amateur. As he walked up the 18th fairway with a two-shot lead, his ball safely behind the green, memories of Dad poured forth.

 

"After the last putt, I realized my dad's never going to see this again, and I wish he could have seen this one last time," Woods said at the trophy presentation. "He was out there today keeping me calm. I had a very calm feeling the entire week, especially today."

 

For DiMarco, his third runner-up finish in the last eight majors came with a consolation prize. He earned enough Ryder Cup points to move from No. 21 to No. 6 in the standings, virtually making him a lock to be on the U.S. team in Ireland two months from now.

 

Ernie Els, among three players who started the day one shot behind, was the only one to catch him, briefly. He couldn't keep up with Woods, lost ground to DiMarco and had to settle for a 1-under 71 to finish alone in third at 275.

 

Jim Furyk birdied two of the last three holes for a 71 and fourth place.

 

Masters champion Phil Mickelson finished before the leaders even began the final round. Coming off his collapse in the U.S. Open, he was never a factor during the weekend and closed with a 70 to finish 13 shots behind in a tie for 22nd.

 

Even with so many players in contention on the gustiest day of the week, it didn't take long to sort out the contenders.

 

Furyk, two shots behind and the only U.S. Open victim who contended at Royal Liverpool, dropped shots on his first two holes and quickly fell out of the race. So did Angel Cabrera, with a triple bogey at No. 2.

 

Still, the biggest slide belonged to Sergio Garcia.

 

With his best chance ever to prove he could stand toe-to-toe with Woods, the 26-year-old Spaniard had three-putt bogeys on the second and third holes to slip three shots behind. Then he found a fairway bunker on the par-5 fifth and had to scramble for par as Woods was making eagle.

 

Garcia closed with a 73, the second time this year he has played with Woods in the final group and didn't break par.

 

Els had a two-putt birdie on the par-5 fifth to join Woods at 13 under, but that didn't last long. Woods threaded an iron up the front of the fifth green to 25 feet, then raised his putter aloft in his left hand when the eagle putt fell.

 

It was an icy, methodical way to celebrate such a big putt, but that's what Woods brought to the links for the final round.

 

He had a plan -- control his tee shots with a 2-iron or 3-wood -- and he stuck to it. This was Woods at his absolute dullest, which was how he mapped out his final round. Warm applause followed him around Hoylake as he found fairways and the middle of the green, taking advantage of the par 5s.

 

Only when DiMarco applied the heat did Woods respond.

 

Clinging to a one-shot lead after his only bogey of the round at No. 12, Woods lagged a 60-foot putt to within inches for par at the 13th, then strung together three straight birdies to give himself a comfortable margin walking up the 18th green.

 

It was his 49th career victory, and the $1.3 million for first place put him atop the money list and pushed him over $60 million for his career.

 

The next stop for Woods is the PGA Championship at Medinah, near Chicago, where he won in 1999.

 

Woods now has three British Open titles, the same as Nicklaus, and his victory at Hoylake carried another comparison. The first major Nicklaus won after his father died in 1970 also was the British Open.

 

What would Earl Woods have thought of this victory?

 

"He would have been very proud," Woods said. "He was always on my case about thinking my way around the golf course and not letting emotions get the better of you."

 

He didn't. Not until he had the claret jug firmly in his grasp.

[grainne 0]

I was so happy to see Tiger win today; a certain sign the young man is healing. One would like to think that DiMarco's Mother, along side Tiger's Dad, were both on sidelines watching these two fine guys and cheering each son on to a win.

[Cutielb99 0]

TIGER SAVES AWKWARD MOMENT

Page SIx

 

October 18, 2006 -- TIGER Woods got ambushed by an evangelical guest of Nike on Oct. 9 during an exclusive golf outing for top business and entertainment executives. According to our spy, 30 people - including Clear Channel Radio CEO Mark Mays, Louis Vuitton North America chief Daniel LaLonde and Details magazine editor Daniel Peres - gathered at the Trump golf course in Los Angeles for the 2006 "Tee It Up With Tiger Woods" event, which included a private golf session and lunch with the living legend. "During the lunch, there was a Q&A session with Woods, and most people were asking about their swings or golf questions," our source said. "Until some guy - a guest of Nike - stood up and said, 'Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? And if not, prayfully, would you?' " The source added, "You could have heard a pin drop. People were mortified. But Tiger was as unflappable as he is on the golf course and responded, 'My father was a Christian - of course Christianity was part of my life - but my mother is Asian and Buddhism was also part of my childhood, so I practice both faiths respectfully.' "

[Cutielb99 0]

Tiger Woods to Be a Dad

SATURDAY DECEMBER 30, 2006 05:30 PM EST

People.com

 

Tiger Woods and his wife, Elin Nordegren, are expecting their first child together, the golf superstar announced on his Web site Saturday.

 

"As some of you know, today is my 31st birthday. I'll spend it quietly with family and friends, but Elin and I have more exciting news to share: We are expecting our first child together this summer," Woods wrote on his site.

 

"Obviously, we couldn't be happier and our families are thrilled," said Woods. "I have always wanted to be a dad. I just wish my father could be around to share the experience."

 

Woods's dad, Earl Woods, passed away in May at age 74 after battling cancer. The father and son had a famously close relationship. "My dad was my best friend and greatest role model," Woods said at the time. "He was an amazing dad, coach, mentor, soldier, husband and friend."

 

As for his career, Woods says he plans to "stick close to home" for the next few weeks to spend more time with his expectant wife. He plans to start his 2007 PGA Tour season at the Buick Invitational in late January.

 

Woods told PEOPLE last year that he was looking forward to starting a family with Nordegren, whom he married in October 2005.

 

"We're definitely going to have kids soon. We certainly want to do it, because obviously I'm not getting any younger," he said. "I'd like to have a boy first, then a girl. I like the idea of a big brother taking care of his little sister. I want them to be close in age, too. I want my kids to grow up close."

[leaivory 2]

Tiger Woods and Elin introduce daughter Sam Alexis to the world.

 

 

 

http://socialitelife.com/

[QTPIE 0]

Woods to have his own drink in first licensing deal

 

Tiger Woods will have his own brand of sports drink next year under an endorsement deal announced Tuesday with Gatorade that marks a couple of firsts for the world's No. 1 golfer -- his first U.S. deal with a beverage company and his first licensing agreement.

 

Gatorade said it will introduce "Gatorade Tiger" in March, with more products to follow. Woods even picked out the flavors himself, with the drink available in a cherry blend, citrus blend and grape.

 

ADVERTISEMENT

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, although Golfweek magazine reported last month it was for five years and could pay Woods as much as $100 million, moving him closer to the $1 billion mark in career endorsements.

 

"There have been some licensing elements to things we've done," said Mark Steinberg, his agent at IMG, who cited video games produced by EA Sports as an example. "But everything he does with Gatorade is going to be creating new products. It's something Tiger and I and our licensing business has been looking at for some time."

 

The deal has been in the works since the summer, and Golfweek reported earlier that it came down to Gatorade and Vitamin Water. It became obvious who won out when Woods began drinking from Gatorade bottles during the final month of the PGA Tour season, even when the Gatorade product wasn't available at certain tournaments.

 

"Gatorade has been part of my game plan for years, whether I'm training or competing, so this is an ideal match," Woods said in a statement. "I'm eager to launch my first signature product in a few months and look forward to developing additional sports performance beverages with Gatorade in the coming years."

 

Woods, with 61 victories on the PGA Tour and 13 major championships, joins a stable of star athletes at Gatorade -- Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter, Peyton Manning and Mia Hamm. None of those athletes has licensing deals, which also is a first for Gatorade, a division of PepsiCo.

 

"His iconic nature resonates everywhere he goes," said Jeff Urban, senior vice president of Gatorade. "Bridging that iconic nature with his will to win, those things make this a big deal for us."

 

Urban said it was too early to say how Gatorade would market Woods and his new product line, especially since the drink will not be available until the spring.

 

The company released video of Woods going through sweat analysis testing with the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, which tested such things as his sweat rate and energy needs during exercise.

 

Woods has endorsed everything from sports equipment and apparel (Nike) to financial services (Accenture) to automobiles (Buick) to shaving products (Gillette). His first beverage deal comes after 11 years as a professional.

 

"We wanted to get away from a straight endorsement deal in the beverage category," Steinberg said. "We thought this would be the best fit for his first licensing deal. It's authentic to what Tiger does every day, as hard as he works out every day."

 

Woods previously had an endorsement deal with Asahi Coffee in Japan.

 

The Gillette endorsement features a television commercial with Roger Federer and French soccer star Thierry Henry. Steinberg said it was not likely that Woods and Jordan, who are close friends, would do a Gatorade commercial together. They have never appeared in television ads for Nike.

[QTPIE 0]

Elin Woods wins suit over fake nude photo

 

DUBLIN, Ireland (AP) — The wife of golfer Tiger Woods won $183,250 and an apology Friday from an Irish magazine that published an abusive article and a faked nude photo of her.

 

Trevor White, publisher of The Dubliner, conceded that the article - published in September 2006 when Ireland was hosting the Ryder Cup - "was cheap, tasteless, and deliberately offensive. It was also completely untrue."

 

The article visibly angered Woods during the opening day of competition, which the United States lost to Europe. His wife, Elin Nordegren Woods, welcomed the settlement in a statement Friday.

 

"The false and deeply offensive article in The Dubliner magazine, with the accompanying photograph of another woman wrongly claimed to be me, caused great personal distress to me and my family," she said.

 

Nordegren Woods said she would donate the money to a cancer charity in honor of Heather Clarke, the wife of Northern Ireland golfer Darren Clarke. She died of cancer before the Ryder Cup tournament.

 

As part of the settlement accepted by a Dublin court, The Dubliner must publish its lengthy apology in a variety of venues, including in its next issue. If the magazine fails to meet the conditions the award will be increased to $366,500 and the publishers will have to pay Nordegren Woods' legal costs.

 

"This regrettable episode in our lives in no way detracts from the great love of Ireland that Tiger and I share," Nordegren Woods said. "We look forward to experiencing the extraordinary warmth of its people and of our many friends in Ireland again in the future."

 

The September 2006 article's headline described the U.S. golfers' wives as "Ryder Cup filth." The story claimed that Woods' wife "can be found in a variety of sweaty poses on porn sites across the Web." It also insulted the wives of golfers Chad Campbell, David Toms and Jim Furyk, who did not sue.

 

"The photograph was not of Ms. Nordegren Woods. There are no such photographs of Ms. Nordegren Woods on internet sites or elsewhere. Ms. Nordegren Woods has never posed, or been photographed, nude. The story was utterly and comprehensively false," White said.

 

golf.com

[Bette Davis 0]

I wonder what the fake nudes looked like?

[Becca 0]

Their baby is so beautiful

[QTPIE 0]

Tiger’s Daughter Sam Woods

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tiger Woods’ mother Kultida holds his infant daughter Sam Alexis as Woods’ wife Elin sits at right as Tiger Woods wins the Target World Challenge golf tournament at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California.

[Lady Frost 23]

She's precious. And looks just like her mom.

[BobbyD 2]

She's already striking a pose.

[QTPIE 0]

Tilghman apologizes for 'lynch Tiger' remark

Updated: January 8, 2008, 8:55 PM EST

 

 

 

Being familiar with Kelly Tilghman's character and her chummy relationship with Tiger Woods — as well as Woods' sense of humor — she probably deserves another chance.

 

But you certainly have to file Tilghman's on-air, on-camera comments during the Mercedes-Benz Championship under the "What was she thinking?" column.

 

During their usual post-round banter as they wrapped up Day 2 at the Plantation Course at Kapalua, Tilghman and cohort Nick Faldo discussed young players who could possibly challenge Tiger. Faldo, ever the joker, said perhaps the youngsters should "gang up (on Tiger) for a while." The pair laughed a bit before Tilghman responded by saying, "Lynch him in a back alley." The pair chuckled awkwardly before moving on.

 

The Golf Channel said it received a limited number of complaints regarding the comment.

 

Tilghman, realizing her faux pas, explained her comments during the final-round broadcast despite the possibility she could have swept the incident under the mat.

 

"I've reached out to Tiger to make an apology, and I've done the same with our viewers," Tilghman said.

 

"I can assure you that there was never any intention to offend anyone. I'm sorry for any misunderstanding."

 

Attempts to reach Woods or his agent, Mark Steinberg of IMG, were unsuccessful. A Golf Channel spokesman said no disciplinary action is planned, "other than the mistake she made is regrettable and an extreme learning experience for her

msn

[BobbyD 2]

Sharpton on Anchor's 'Lynch Tiger' Comment: Same as Imus

 

Kelly Tilghman, the Golf Channel anchor who during Friday's broadcast from the Mercedes-Benz Championship said while discussing Tiger Woods' dominance that young players on the PGA Tour should "lynch him in a back alley," was suspended two weeks Wednesday for the remark.

 

The move came after a wave of outrage that included a call for her to be fired by civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton and despite a statement from the Woods camp saying, "It is a complete non-issue."

 

Sharpton said the fact Woods did not call for punishment of Tilghman does not mean the comment was not offensive to African-Americans.

 

"That's the same thing Don Imus said," Sharpton said on CNN Headline News Wednesday, referring to the radio shock-jock's racially offensive comments about the Rutgers University women's basketball team. "[He said] 'I want to talk to the Rutgers girls' and not talk about the insult he said on all blacks."

 

Sharpton said the issue of hanging strikes a raw nerve among African-Americans.

 

"If I got on this show and said I wanted to put some Jewish-American in a gas chamber, I don't care what context I said it in, the entire Jewish community would have the right to say I should be put off this show or my radio show if I said it there," Sharpton told CNN. "Or if I said I wanted to see a woman raped. This is an insult to all blacks. Lynching is not murder in general; it is not assault in general. It is a specific racial term."

 

The Golf Channel, which originally said there would be no punishment, changed its position less than three hours after Sharpton's remarks with a statement issued Wednesday night:

 

"The Golf Channel regrets the poorly chosen remarks made by Kelly Tilghman on a recent broadcast and, again, extends our apologies to anyone who was offended. There is simply no place on our network for offensive language like this. While we believe that Kelly's choice of words was inadvertent and that she did not intend them in an offensive manner, the words were hurtful and grossly inappropriate. Consequently, we have decided to suspend Kelly for two weeks, effective immediately."

 

According to Alabama's Tuskegee University, 3,466 African-Americans were lynched in the United States from 1882-1968. In 2005, The U.S. Senate officially apologized for failing to act on more than 200 anti-lynching bills introduced over the years.

 

The use of a hangman's noose as a racist symbol has resurfaced recently, most notably in the 2006 case of the Jena Six when six black high school students in Louisiana were charged with beating a white student after nooses had been left in a tree under which the black students had asked school permission to sit.

 

A story on its Web site posted before the suspension was announced said the Golf Channel "regrets the unfortunate choice of words that Kelly Tilghman used during a recent broadcast and we wish to apologize to anyone who was offended by her remarks. We take this matter very seriously. Kelly has apologized privately to Tiger and publicly on the air."

 

In her statement, Tilghman said, "On Friday during our golf broadcast, Nick Faldo and I were discussing Tiger's dominance in the golf world and I used some poorly chosen words. I have known Tiger for 12 years and I have apologized directly to him. I also apologize to our viewers who may have been offended by my comments."

 

Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg of IMG, released a statement saying, "This story is a non-issue. Tiger and Kelly are friends and Tiger has a great deal of respect for Kelly. Regardless of the choice of words used, we know unequivocally that there was no ill intent in her comments. This story is a non-issue in our eyes."

 

According to The Associated Press, Woods and Tilghman have known each other 12 years. She was picked to host a club demonstration with Woods in south Florida when he talked about new products from Nike Golf.

 

The comments by Tilghman flew under the radar all weekend, even after she apologized on-air during Sunday's broadcast. Newsday, a suburban New York newspaper, reported Tilghman's apology on Monday.

 

"I'm sure Kelly wishes she never said that," Jim Furyk said, according to The Associated Press. "I haven't spoken with Tiger, but I've been told that they've had their talk and they've discussed it. Anything I say is kind of just like pouring salt in the wound at this point. Obviously, she would love to not have said that and for it not to be news. I'm glad that her and Tiger spoke."

 

Fred Funk only heard about the comment Wednesday morning at the Sony Open.

 

"There was no ill intent at all," Funk said, according to The Associated Press. "I think it was just a slip, and they said that Tiger has already forgiven her. I think when you're in the TV tower for that many hours, you're going to wish you didn't say some things probably, and that was one thing that slipped out. I think you've got to give them a little grace."

 

Tilghman, one of the most-popular on-air personalities at Golf Channel, (last year was the first of a 15-year deal by the Golf Channel to broadcast PGA Tour events) became the first female to anchor a professional golf broadcast, and one of the few to hold such a prominent position in all of sports.

 

The former player for the Duke University golf team competed professionally from 1992-96 before joining the Golf Channel. She will return to the air Jan. 25 at the Buick Invitational, which will be Woods' first tournament of the 2008 season.

 

Ron Sirak is the executive editor of Golf World magazine. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[BobbyD 2]

Tiger OK with 'lynch' joke, Sharpton isn't

Golf Channel anchor Tilghman suspended over comments about Woods

 

HONOLULU - Golf Channel suspended anchor Kelly Tilghman for two weeks on Wednesday for saying last week that young players who wanted to challenge Tiger Woods should “lynch him in a back alley.”

 

Tilghman was laughing during the exchange Friday with analyst Nick Faldo at the Mercedes-Benz Championship, and Woods’ agent at IMG said he didn’t think there was any ill intent.

 

But the comments became prevalent on news shows Wednesday, and the Rev. Al Sharpton joined the fray by demanding she be fired immediately. Golf Channel didn’t know who would replace Tilghman in the booth this week at the Sony Open or next week at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

 

“There is simply no place on our network for offensive language like this,” Golf Channel said in a statement.

 

Tilghman became golf’s first female anchor last year when the PGA Tour signed a 15-year deal in which Golf Channel broadcasts the first three events of the year, weekday coverage of all tour events, and full coverage of the Fall Series and opposite-field events.

 

The suspension ends in time for the Buick Invitational on Jan. 24, when Woods will make his 2008 debut.

 

Faldo and Tilghman were discussing young players who could challenge the world’s No. 1 player toward the end of Friday’s broadcast at Kapalua when Faldo suggested that “to take Tiger on, maybe they should just gang up for a while.”

 

“Lynch him in a back alley,” Tilghman replied.

 

“While we believe that Kelly’s choice of words was inadvertent and that she did not intend them in an offensive manner, the words were hurtful and grossly inappropriate,” Golf Channel said in its statement. “Consequently, we have decided to suspend Kelly for two weeks, effective immediately.”

 

Woods and Tilghman have known each other 12 years. She was picked to host a club demonstration with Woods in south Florida when he talked about new products from Nike Golf.

 

Tilghman was helped when Mark Steinberg, Woods’ agent at IMG, said it was a non-issue and considered the matter “case closed.”

 

“Tiger and Kelly are friends, and Tiger has a great deal of respect for Kelly,” Steinberg said Tuesday night in a statement released by Golf Channel. “Regardless of the choice of words used, we know unequivocally that there was no ill-intent in her comments.”

 

Tilghman had said in a previous statement she apologized directly to Woods, and the immediate support from Woods’ camp was critical.

 

After Woods won the 1997 Masters at age 21 to become its youngest champion, Fuzzy Zoeller referred to him as “that little boy,” and suggested that Woods not serve fried chicken or collard greens, “or whatever the hell they serve,” at the Champions Dinner.

 

Woods, who had a different management team in his first full season, did not respond for three days to Zoeller’s apology, and it took Zoeller years to recover from the fallout.

 

Tilghman’s comment made the rounds Wednesday on TV shows such as CNN’s Headline News, and it was prominently discussed on blogs and message boards on the Internet. It also was a topic on the practice range at the Sony Open.

 

“I’m sure Kelly wishes she never said that,” Jim Furyk said. “I haven’t spoken with Tiger, but I’ve been told that they’ve had their talk and they’ve discussed it. Anything I say is kind of just like pouring salt in the wound at this point. Obviously, she would love to not have said that and for it not to be news. I’m glad that her and Tiger spoke.”

 

“There was no ill intent at all,” he said. “I think it was just a slip, and they said that Tiger has already forgiven her. I think when you’re in the TV tower for that many hours, you’re going to wish you didn’t say some things probably, and that was one thing that slipped out. I think you’ve got to give them a little grace.

 

“Her integrity, how Kelly is respected out here, is pretty good. I think Tiger really likes Kelly, so that helped squash it. Because Tiger could have run off with that if he took it the wrong way. But he didn’t, so that was good.”

 

Before her suspension was announced, Sharpton spoke earlier on CNN’s “Prime News” and continued to push for her firing, saying he wanted to meet with Golf Channel because the comments were “an insult to all blacks.”

 

“Lynching is not murder in general, it’s not assault in general,” Sharpton said. “It’s a specific racial term that this women should be held accountable for. What she said is racist. Whether she’s a racist ... is immaterial. She’s a broadcaster. The channel has to be accountable to the public.”

 

© 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[BobbyD 2]

http://openmike.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/01/10/569094.aspx

 

'Lynch Tiger' wasn't worth suspension

Posted: Thursday, January 10, 2008 2:19 PM

 

Kelly Tilghman should have used a different choice of words or, better yet, an entirely different analogy. But what the Golf Channel anchor said about Tiger Woods last Friday did not merit being suspended for two minutes let along two weeks.

 

Shame on the Golf Channel for suspending her, and shame on Al Sharpton for so trivializing one of the most important social issues in America by demanding that Tilghman be fired for an utterly innocent verbal slip.

 

She and co-anchor Nick Faldo were joking at the Mercedes-Benz Championship about what young golfers could do to unseat Tiger.

 

“Maybe they should just gang up on him for a while,” Faldo suggested.

 

“Lynch him in a back alley,” laughed Tilghman.

 

Tilghman reportedly gets along well with Woods, and the golfer’s agent said he understood there was no malicious intent in the comment. Had she said “mug him in a back alley” – and I’d bet that’s what she meant to say – nobody would have said a word. As it was, it took five days for Sharpton to get himself on CNN to demand that Tilghman be fired for saying a word that can be racially charged.

 

And then he acted as if the comment were the second coming of the reprehensible slur for which Don Imus was quite rightly fired by CBS Radio.

 

“Lynching is not murder in general, it’s not assault in general,” Sharpton said. “It’s a specific racial term that this women should be held accountable for. What she said is racist. Whether she’s a racist ... is immaterial. She’s a broadcaster. The channel has to be accountable to the public.”

 

Note the use of the misogynistic term “this woman.” Note the conclusion that “what she said is racist.” Note the claim that the word is “a specific racial term.”

 

I realize the word has racial connotations and is offensive to many black Americans. That’s why I don’t use it in columns or stories. I also object to the suggestion, even in jest, that great players should be taken out by the competition. Better to suggest they steal his clubs or put itching powder in his shorts.

 

But she was suspended for no reason other than offending Al Sharpton, and if that’s what we’ve come to, we’ve got a real problem. Given how easy it is to offend him, no one’s job is safe. And that’s not fair. Imus intended to be offensive and got what was coming to him. Tilghman didn’t, but she got what wasn’t coming to her anyway.

 

What’s really unjust is that Sharpton is guilty of the same racism he rails against. He also gives people more capacity for hate than most of us have. To accuse someone of racism is a grave accusation, and such charges shouldn’t be thrown around as blithely as Sharpton does. And the delight h takes in his own self-righteousness – as if he’s never said or done anything offensive – is an insult to every person who truly cares about justice and equality.

 

With all due respect to the Reverend, who could use some lessons in humility and charity not to mention history, not everyone automatically associates lynching with racism. As far as I knew for much of my life, lynching was what they did in the old West to cattle rustlers and other ne’er-do-wells. I had no clue there was a racial connotation until much later in life.

 

There’s a great novel written on the subject by Walter Van Tilburg Clark. It’s called “The Ox-Bow Incident,” and it’s one of those books every American should read, Sharpton included. It’s all about lynching, and there’s not a scrap of racism in it.

 

Sharpton is like one of the cowboys in the book who lynch an innocent man. He doesn’t care whether the person he attacks is innocent or not. If she or he looks guilty to him, that’s enough.

 

And the Golf Channel fell for his demagoguery. Rather than tell him that no offense was meant by Tilghman nor taken by Tiger, and so no action would be taken other than a chat about being more careful about what she says on the air, they suspended her. Her crime wasn’t being insensitive. It was offending Al Sharpton.

 

Shame on the network and shame on him.

[BobbyD 2]

Golfweek noose elicits strong reaction

By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer

 

The editor of Golfweek magazine said he was overwhelmed by negative reaction to the photo of a noose on the cover of this week's issue, illustrating a story about the suspension of a Golf Channel anchor for using the word "lynch" in an on-air discussion about how to beat Tiger Woods.

 

"We knew that image would grab attention, but I didn't anticipate the enormity of it," Dave Seanor, vice president and editor of the weekly magazine, said from the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla.

 

"There's been a huge, negative reaction," he said. "I've gotten so many e-mails. It's a little overwhelming."

 

Among the critics was PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, who said he found the imagery to be "outrageous and irresponsible."

 

"It smacks of tabloid journalism," Finchem said in a statement. "It was a naked attempt to inflame and keep alive an incident that was heading to an appropriate conclusion."

 

Kelly Tilghman was suspended for two weeks because of comments she made during the second round of the Mercedes-Benz Championship, when she and analyst Nick Faldo were discussing young challengers to Woods.

 

Faldo suggested that "to take Tiger on, maybe they should just gang up (on him) for a while."

 

"Lynch him in a back alley," Tilghman replied.

 

Tilghman said she apologized directly to the world's No. 1 player, and Woods' agent issued a statement that said it was a non-issue.

 

Seanor said editors at the magazine debated several choices for a cover, and he took responsibility for the noose. The title of the cover is "Caught in a Noose," with a sub-title, "Tilghman slips up, and Golf Channel can't wriggle free."

 

Golf Channel didn't deal with Tilghman's comments until Newsday in New York first wrote about the "lynch" reference three days after the broadcast. The suspension was announced shortly after the Rev. Al Sharpton demanded on CNN that Tilghman be fired.

 

"We're a weekly news magazine. The big story of the previous week was Kelly Tilghman, and that's what we chose," Seanor said. "How to illustrate that? It was tough. Do you put Kelly Tilghman out there? But was it so much about her or the uproar?

 

"This is emblematic of why people were so offended."

 

The Golfweek staff previously had scheduled a meeting with PGA Tour officials Thursday morning, and Seanor said the noose quickly became "item 1-A" on their agenda.

 

He said dozens of customers at the merchandise show stopped by the Golfweek stand and put an issue in their bag, with some stopping to discuss and complain.

 

"Most people who are objecting to it — within the golf industry — are saying this episode was just above over," Seanor said. "I think it's indicative of how, when you bring race and golf into the same sentence, everyone recoils."

 

Seanor said he was struck by the paucity of black customers among the thousands of people at golf's largest merchandise exposition.

 

"Look at the executive suites at the PGA Tour, or the USGA, or the PGA of America. There are very, very few people of color there," he said. "This is a situation in golf where there needs to be more dialogue. And when you get more dialogue, people don't want to hear it, and they brush it under the rug. This is a source of a lot of pushback."

 

Seanor said he expected canceled subscriptions over the issue. He was not sure how it would affect advertising. Golfweek is published by Orlando-based Turnstile Publishing Co.

 

Asked if he regretted the cover, Seanor paused before answering.

 

"I wish we could have come up with something that made the same statement but didn't create as much negative reaction," he said. "But as this has unfolded, I'm glad there's dialogue. Let's talk about this, and the lack of diversity in golf."

 

He denied the cover was an attempt to sell more magazines, noting that Golfweek is 99 percent subscriptions.

 

"I was a little shocked by the commissioner's reaction," he said. "It was rather strong, particularly from someone who rarely comments on things on his own tour."

 

The day after Tilghman was suspended, Finchem said it was clear the Golf Channel was "was taking this unfortunate incident very seriously."

 

"Over the years, many PGA Tour players and staff have had the chance to get to know Kelly," he said. "Knowing her, her comment seems to us to be very uncharacteristic and we believe it was completely inadvertent. We have no reason to believe that she was intentionally malicious in her remark."

 

Golfweek is one of two weekly magazines devoted entirely to golf.

 

Golf World, coincidentally put on its cover this week a photo of Bill Spiller, one of the black pioneers in the sport, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of his push to integrate the PGA Tour.

[BobbyD 2]

Magazine Replaces Editor

Jan 18 10:03 AM US/Eastern

By DOUG FERGUSON

 

Golfweek apologized Friday for putting a noose on the cover of its magazine to illustrate the controversy over a Golf Channel anchor's use of "lynch" in a comment about Tiger Woods. The editor responsible for the cover was replaced.

 

"We apologize for creating this graphic cover that received extreme negative reaction from consumers, subscribers and advertisers across the country," Turnstile Publishing Co. president William P. Kupper Jr. said. "We were trying to convey the controversial issues with a strong and provocative graphic image. It is now obvious that the overall reaction to our cover deeply offended many people. For that, we are deeply apologetic.

 

Turnstile is the parent company of Golfweek.

 

The company said Dave Seanor, the vice president and editor of Golfweek, has been replaced immediately by Jeff Babineau.

 

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.