TOUR MINUS TIGER LACKS TEETH
Nobody has to tell Eddie Carbone how much Tiger Woods means to golf.
Carbone, tournament director of the CA Championship at Doral Resort Golf & Spa, knows firsthand and is well aware that the indefinite leave of absence of the ubiquitous advertising icon — tarnished as he might be — will have a major impact on the sport.
Woods has not been seen in public since a one-car accident outside his home Nov. 27 set off a media frenzy, which led to a string of allegations of extramarital affairs. The beleaguered star admitted to infidelity in a statement and took a leave from the PGA Tour to repair his personal life. Some sponsors have distanced themselves from him, and his wife, Elin Nordegren, reportedly has moved out with their two children and might be seeking a divorce.
Every time Woods was on TV selling Nike products, Gillette razors, Tag Heuer watches, Gatorade and Accenture, he also was selling golf. Prize money quadrupled since Woods joined the PGA Tour, from $70 million in 1996 to $278 million in 2009. whenever Woods plays, the casual fan tunes in. When he doesn’t, they hit the snooze button.
Carbone remembers a phone call he received at 2:23 p.m. on Friday, March 6, 2009. it was such an important call he recalls the exact time. Woods was calling to let Carbone know that he would, in fact, play in the 2009 CA Championship, making it his second stop in his return from knee surgery. Up until that moment, his participation in the event was iffy.
Carbone hardly could contain his glee. His staff celebrated. within hours, the news had spread, and phones started ringing off the hook at the ticket office. When Woods stepped onto the practice green in the predawn hours that following Tuesday, hundreds of fans and media members were there to capture the moment.
THE TIGER FACTOR
Woods has played at Doral every year since 2004. He won on the Blue Monster course in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Carbone is one of the lucky tournament directors who hasn’t had to contend with the issue of how to get casual fans to care when Tiger’s not between the ropes. He hopes his luck hasn’t run out.
Doral got plenty of drama last year from champion Phil Mickelson’s gutsy battle through dehydration, and Colombian Camilo Villegas has become a huge draw with South Florida’s Hispanic community, but the Tiger Factor can’t be overstated.
“I think it’s a little premature,” to talk about how Doral would deal with Woods’ absence, Carbone said. “Hopefully, he’ll be back in time to play here. I don’t want to assume anything. There’s no question Tiger being here has contributed to our big crowds, and when Tiger competes in your event, it gets more recognition nationwide.”
TV ratings for the events Woods regularly plays are expected to take a substantial hit during his hiatus, as they did for the eight months he sat out after undergoing reconstructive knee surgery following his 2008 U.S. Open victory at Torrey Pines in San Diego.
According to Nielsen ratings, the weekend broadcasts for events Woods played following the 2008 U.S. Open drew an average audience of 4.6 million. a year later, during his absence, the same events drew 2.4 million viewers — a drop of 47 percent.
Woods’ final victory round of the 2007 PGA Championship drew an audience of 9 million, and Padraig Harrington’s victory round in 2008 was watched by 5.13 million viewers, a decline of 57.6 percent.
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