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| Ernie Els critical of Tiger Woods' timing |
| By espn.go.com |
| Published: 02/18/2010 |
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The timing of Tiger Woods' first appearance since his car accident and subsequent admission of martial infidelity -- on Friday in Florida, while the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship is in full swing in Arizona -- does not impress one of the game's best-known players. "It's selfish," former U.S. Open and British Open champion Ernie Els told Golfweek magazine. "You can write that. I feel sorry for the sponsor. Mondays are a good day to make statements, not Friday. This takes a lot away from the golf tournament." Woods will speak publicly Friday at 11 a.m. ET for the first time since his bizarre, Thanksgiving night car accident, beginning what his agent called "the process of making amends" for the sex scandal that sent him into hiding for three months, Since the accident, Woods' only statements have come via his Web site. The timing is peculiar. Woods' appearance will take place during the third round of the Arizona tournament, sure to steal attention away from the first big event of the year. The tournament is sponsored by Accenture, the first sponsor to drop Woods when he became embroiled in the scandal. Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, said the appearance during the tournament was "a matter of timing." Asked if it could have waited until Monday, he said, "No." "There is a very good reason [to do it Friday] ... and not do it next week,' Steinberg said, according to Golfweek. Steinberg said there was no intention to upstage Accenture's sponsorship of the Match Play tournament, according to Golfweek. He said he alerted a company executive of Woods' plans and made sure his statement would be made "well outside the tournament's TV window." "Accenture couldn't have been more supportive," Steinberg said, according to the report. "He's got to come out at some point," Irish golfer Rory McIlroy said. "I suppose he might want to get something back against the sponsor that dropped him. No, I don't know. It just went on for so long. I'm sick of hearing about it. And I'm just looking forward to when he's getting back on the golf course." PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said he did not think Woods' appearance would undermine the World Golf Championship event. "We have tournaments every week," Finchem said. "I think it's going to be a story in and of itself. A lot of people are going to be watching golf this week to see what the world of golf says about it, my guess is. So that will be a good thing." A number of golfers have publicly advised Woods to come forward before he resumes playing on tour. "Tiger has to take ownership of what he has done. He must get his personal life in order. I think that's what he's trying to do. And when he comes back he has to show some humility to the public," Tom Watson said before the Dubai Desert Classic earlier this month. "I would come out and I would do an interview with somebody and say, 'You know what? I screwed up. And I admit it. I am going to try to change. I am trying to change. I want my wife and family back," Watson said. Geoff Ogilvy, speaking before the Abu Dhabi Championship last month, said Woods should appear in public before returning to the tour out of respect for his fellow golfers. "It would be nice if he came out away from a golf tournament. When he does come back to golf it would still be a bit crazy but that tabloid edge might be gone," Ogilvy said. Woods will appear Friday in the clubhouse at the TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., home of the PGA Tour. The event is being limited to a small number of wire service and golf reporters and only one camera will be in the room to provide live coverage via satellite. Woods is not taking questions. Read More. |
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