The waiting continues with Woods
WINDERMERE, Fla. (AP)—The mystery over Tiger Woods’ car crash intensifiedSaturday when his agent called state troopers on their way to Woods’ house andasked them to wait another day before speaking to him.
It was the second straight day Woods was unavailable to talk. His wife toldtroopers on Friday afternoon, after the world’s No. 1 golfer had been treatedand released from a hospital, that he was sleeping and asked that they returnSaturday.
Woods is not required by law to speak to the Florida Highway Patrol becauseit is being investigated as a traffic accident, spokeswoman Sgt. Kim Montessaid.
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Elin Nordegren, wife of golfer… AP – Nov 28, 12:37 pm EST ![]()
Elin Nordegren, wife of golfer… AP – Nov 28, 11:06 am EST ![]()
Elin Nordegren, wife of golfer… AP – Nov 28, 11:04 am EST ![]()
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FILE – Tiger Woods' wife, … AP – Nov 28, 12:56 am EST ![]()
Security guards gather near th… AP – Nov 27, 7:25 pm EST ![]()
Health Central Hospital, where… AP – Nov 27, 6:53 pm EST ![]()
Security guards gather near Ti… AP – Nov 27, 6:34 pm EST ![]()
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This aerial photo shows the ho… AP – Nov 27, 6:15 pm EST ![]()
Todd Lewis, right, an announce… AP – Nov 27, 6:13 pm EST ![]()
Cars enter the gated Isleworth… AP – Nov 27, 6:13 pm EST ![]()
A car leaves the gated Islewor… AP – Nov 27, 6:03 pm EST ![]()
A security officer guards the … AP – Nov 27, 5:42 pm EST ![]()
A March 2001 photo shows Tiger… AP – Nov 27, 5:38 pm EST ![]()
A March 2001 photo shows Tiger… AP – Nov 27, 4:54 pm EST ![]()
FILE – In this Aug. 20, 2006, … AP – Nov 27, 3:20 pm EST ![]()
FILE – In this April 8, 2001, … AP – Nov 27, 3:15 pm EST ![]()
FILE – In this Nov. 15, 2009 f… AP – Nov 27, 3:07 pm EST ![]()
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Woods was injured when his Cadillac SUV struck a fire hydrant and a treejust beyond his driveway at 2:25 a.m. Friday. Police said his lips were cut andblood was in his mouth when officers arrived. Police chief Daniel Saylor saidWoods’ wife, Elin, smashed the back window with a golf club to help get him out.
Montes said troopers were en route to Woods’ $2.4 million mansion in thegated community of Isleworth when agent Mark Steinberg called dispatch and wasput through to the troopers, telling them Woods and his wife were unavailable.
“I don’t know what was said,” Montes said.
Steinberg did not immediately respond to a text message seeking comment.
With so many questions lingering—where was he going at that hour?—andrumors circulating on the Internet, one marketing expert said silence was onlystirring the pot.
“Every 10 seconds these days, people update their tweets,” said DavidSchwab, vice president of Octagon. “People are just adding speculation andcontroversy. You need something to settle the ship. If he’s not able to do it,find someone to do it for him.”
Montes said it was “kind of normal” for Woods not to speak on Friday, theday he was treated and released from a hospital.
“It is unusual that we haven’t gotten a statement,” she said. “This justdelays us to getting closer to the completion of the investigation.”
She said troopers inside the gates “are looking for other things for theirinvestigation,” and for now, that pertains only to a traffic accident. Montessaid Woods is not required to give a statement, only his driver’s license,insurance and registration.
“We still are going to move forward with our crash investigation,” Montessaid.
The 911 tapes of the crash could be released as early as Sunday.
More than two dozen media and a cluster of TV trucks were camped outside thegates of Isleworth, an exclusive subdivision near Orlando that’s set on anArnold Palmer-designed golf course and a chain of small lakes, on Saturday,watching for any developments. Even a couple of tourists stopped by and tookpictures.
Woods’ news conference for the Chevron World Challenge, the tournament hehosts that benefits his foundation, had been scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.It’s unclear whether he would still play, or even attend the event in ThousandOaks, Calif.
“We do not know if Tiger is playing; we are anticipating a great week ofcompetition,” said Greg McLaughlin, the tournament director and president ofhis foundation.
In a telephone interview, Woods’ father-in-law, radio journalist ThomasNordegren, told The Associated Press in Stockholm that he would not discuss theaccident.
“I haven’t spoken to her in the last few … ” Nordegren said about hisdaughter, Elin, before cutting himself off. “I don’t want to go into that.”
Woods’ mother-in-law Barbro Holmberg also refused to address the matter.
“She doesn’t want to comment on private issues like these,” Holmberg’sspokeswoman Eva Malmborg said.
Roger Federer, who has become close with Woods in recent years, said afterlosing in the semifinals of the ATP World Tour Finals in London, “I haven’tspoken to him. I heard it’s not too serious, which is a good thing.”
Woods has shared precious little about his private life during his dominanceof golf, which has brought him 82 victories around the world and 14 majorchampionships, second only to the 18 professional majors won by Jack Nicklaus.
His endorsements—Nike, AT&T, Accenture, Gillette, Gatorade—have helpedmake him the first athlete to top $1 billion in earnings.
Aside from occasional criticism of his temper inside the ropes, he has kepthimself out of the news outside his sport. In an October posting on his Facebookaccount, Woods wrote, “I’m asked why people don’t often see me and Elin ingossip magazines or tabloids. I think we’ve avoided a lot of media attentionbecause we’re kind of boring. …”
“He’s an iconic brand, the platinum standard,” said John Rowady, presidentof rEvolution, a Chicago-based sports marketing agency. “I find it interestinghow he’s being attacked by so many sides after how gracious he’s been. But eventhe best of celebrities who try to do their best can be riddled withcontroversy.”
Rowady said Woods has solid relationship with his sponsors, and they are notlikely to drop him over what is known so far.
“Here’s a guy that has a squeaky clean record,” Rowady said. “He leadsthe king’s life and everybody admires him. It’s a personal matter, but hisability to come out and talk about it will be interesting. I’m sure he has a lotof pressure on him and is trying to avoid the rumors.”
Nordegren, a former model from Sweden who once worked as a nanny for golferJesper Parnevik, is as private as Woods. She keeps a low profile at tournaments,watching her husband from behind the ropes, and moves on when photographersstart taking her picture.
Asked at a Friday evening news conference if the couple could have beenarguing, Saylor said he had no knowledge of that.
The accident came two days after the National Enquirer published a storyalleging that Woods had been seeing a New York night club hostess, and that theyrecently were together in Melbourne, where Woods competed in the AustralianMasters.
The woman, Rachel Uchitel, denied having an affair with Woods when contactedby the AP.
“I resent my reputation is getting completely blasted in the media,” shesaid during a telephone interview late Friday. “Everyone is assuming I came outand said this. This is not a story I have anything to do with.”
Uchitel said she was in Melbourne two weeks ago with clients and never sawWoods the entire time she was there.
“The story stands for itself,” National Enquirer executive editor BarryLevine told the AP on Saturday.
AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson in Jacksonville, AP Sports Writer Tim Dahlbergin Las Vegas and Associated Press writers Tamara Lush and Lisa Orkin Emmanuel inMiami and Louise Nordstrom in Stockholm contributed to this report.
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