PGA Championship 2011: Why Media Scrutiny of Tiger Woods Is Fair

Let the media circus begin.

To say this will be a week of drama may be an understatement in terms of Tiger Woods, Stevie Williams and the continued he said/he said bickering that is going back and forth in two camps like a couple that is going through a bitter divorce.

Can we get over it already?

I have many thoughts on the topic, none of which are truly relevant to the matter. But I will take a side and say I agree that the media has a right to scrutinize Tiger Woods and the matters of golf and all the things that have been a part of the circus he has created since turning pro.

Whether it was Nike or Tag Heuer or Buick or name some other brand that Tiger endorsed, we bought it and we also bought into the notion that he was the greatest thing since man landed on the moon. Whether he likes it or not, he has become a sports idol to men, women and children and that meant something to fans like me.

If someone so polarizing as Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali creates drama, whether it is on the course, in an argument with his caddy or with his home life in such a way that it warrants media attention, then yes, it is fair to face the scrutiny.

In terms of his private life, I don’t care what he does. It does not affect me. On the golf course, I do care.

And if he is so public in his pronouncements about his play, his injuries and his relationship with his former caddy, then I or any other media member have the right to criticize, ask, infer or even form and opinion and judge.

Athletes forget one thing when they sign large contracts and smile for the camera they become indebted to us, the fans and the media because the fans buy their merchandise and watch them perform and help establish their popularity.

The media, in a very real sense, can help them by building that popularity or hurt them by expressing the negativity in the actions of the performer, in this case Tiger Woods, which leads to lost endorsement, sinking ratings and losses in the bank account.

The Tiger Woods/Stevie Williams divorce is just another ping pong ball in the bowl of continual changes in Woods’ life in order to prove he can come back to be the best player in golf like he used to be. Injuries and drama have hurt his image. Time away from the game may have hurt his popularity and hurt his role with the media.

For years the media was looking for a crack in his armor. He seemed bulletproof. He seemed unfazed by everything.

He seems immortal. And then the armor cracked.  He dominated for so many years and men would shudder just seeing him atop the leaderboard on a Sunday morning and how he would come out in his tradition Stanford Cardinal Red and Black.

There was no one to challenge him. We waited for Phil Mickelson to step forward. And while Mickelson has claimed major championships, he was never really a threat.

We hoped someone like Sergio Garcia or a Jim Furyk would do it, it never materialized.

The only people to challenge Tiger Woods on any level were Jack Nicklaus’  18 major championships record and his father, Earl Woods, who taught him to be the player and solid citizen he was before it all came crashing down.

So when we see Tiger continue to tumble and fall out of the Top-25 in world rankings or have words with his former caddy over how they parted ways, yes we have a right to have a say in what happened. Stevie Williams is a great caddy and he achieved rock star status just like Tiger. Maybe some of that luster is now gone because the two are no longer an item.

But now, there is a new man in the picture, Adam Scott, who need not be involved in this media hype. He is too talented and won the biggest title of his life since The Players Championship in 2004. Having the media scrutinize Tiger does affect him in some way.

But then again, Tiger asked for this. Change for the better is not always a good thing for everybody. Especially when the media is involved.