Tiger Woods Chronology
March 31, 2010
Nov. 25—The National Enquirer publishes a story alleging Woods had beenseeing New York nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel, and that she was photographedat his hotel in Melbourne during the Australian Masters.
Nov. 27—The Florida Highway Patrol reports that Woods crashed his CadillacEscalade into a fire hydrant and a tree outside his Isleworth home in Windemere,Fla., at about 2:30 a.m. The report lists injuries as serious. Woods’ spokesmanlater posts a statement on his Web site that Woods had been treated and releasedfrom a hospital. Uchitel denies having an affair with Woods in an interview withThe Associated Press.
Nov. 28—State troopers are on their way to meet with Woods at his houseuntil his agent calls them and asks that they wait another day to speak to him.
Nov. 29—Woods again declines to speak to troopers, instead issuing astatement on his Web site in which he says the situation is his fault “and it’sobviously embarrassing to my family and me. I’m human and I’m not perfect. Iwill certainly make sure this doesn’t happen again.” The patrol releases the911 tape from a neighbor, who says Woods is lying in the street and that he isunconscious. A woman whose voice sounds like Woods’ mother is heard yelling,“What happened!”
Nov. 30—Woods withdraws from his tournament, the Chevron World Challenge,in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Dec. 1—Us Weekly magazine says it has a cover story in which JaimeeGrubbs, a 31-year-old cocktail waitress, says she had an affair with Woods thatlasted 31 months, and she had 300 text messages to prove it. The Florida HighwayPatrol wraps up its investigation and says Woods has been cited for carelessdriving and will have to pay a $164 fine.
Dec. 2—Us Weekly releases a voice mail that Grubbs says Woods left on herphone three days before his accident. It suggests his wife, Elin, may be callingher. Three hours later, Woods issues another statement on his Web site thatsays, “I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all ofmy heart.” He also says stories that physical violence led to the accident were“utterly false.” In its final report, the Florida Highway Patrol said Woodscaused $3,200 in property damage with his accident, and damage to his SUV wasestimated at $8,000.
Dec. 3—Famed LA attorney Gloria Allred, representing Rachel Uchitel,abruptly cancels a news conference. Jesper Parnevik, who once employed Woods’wife as a nanny, tells Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, “I have lost all respectfor him, primarily as a man and a father. … He is not the one we thought hewas.”
Dec. 5—“Saturday Night Live” performs the first of many spoofs’ onWoods’ sex scandal.
Dec. 6—Jim Furyk, one of Woods’ favorite players on the PGA Tour, wins theChevron World Challenge. Woods posts a statement on his Web site thankingsponsors and players for being part of an event that supports his foundation.
Dec. 8—Woods’ mother-in-law, Barbro Holmberg, collapses in his home and isrushed to the hospital with stomach pains. She was released about 11 hourslater.
Dec. 9—Gatorade says it is discontinuing the “Tiger Focus” drink, adecision it made before the accident. Rep. Joe Baca, D-Calif., says he isdropping efforts to honor Woods with a Congressional Gold Medal.
Dec. 11—Woods announces on his Web site that he is taking an “indefinitebreak” from golf to work on his marriage, confessing to “infidelity” for thefirst time. None of his corporate sponsors say they are leaving him, althoughAccenture no longer has Woods’ image on the home page of its Web site.
Dec. 12—Gillette says it won’t feature Woods in its marketing campaignwhile he takes time off to repair his personal life. A Swedish real estate agentconfirms that Elin Woods has closed on a six-bedroom house on a small islandnear Stockholm accessible only by boat.
Dec. 13—Accenture becomes the first sponsor to cut its ties to Woods,saying he is “no longer the right representative.”
Dec. 14—Swiss watch maker Tag Heuer says it will spend the next few weeksassessing its relationship with Woods. Pictures surface on various Web sites ofWoods’ wife pumping gas. She is not wearing a wedding ring.
Dec. 15—The New York Times reports that Woods is linked to a Canadiandoctor under investigation for providing athletes with performance-enhancingdrugs. The report says Dr. Anthony Galea visited Woods’ home four times inFebruary and March to provide “blood spinning,” which helps speed recoveryfrom surgery. Woods’ agent says in an e-mail to the Times, “If Tiger is NOTimplicated, and won’t be, let’s please give the kid a break.” A photo agencyspokesman says a photo of Woods probably would fetch $100,000 worldwide. UpperDeck says it will stand by Woods. Charles Barkley says Woods changed his cellphone number the day after the accident.
Dec. 16—Woods is voted Athlete of the Decade by members of The AssociatedPress, receiving 56 of the 142 votes cast since November. More than half of theballots were returned after his Nov. 27 accident. He beats out Lance Armstrong,who had 33 votes, and Roger Federer, who had 25 votes.
Dec. 17—PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem speaks for the first time as hetries to dispel the “gloom and doom” outlook of golf without Woods, whileconceding that “no sport would be at the same level without its No. 1 player.”Woods is voted player of the year by the Golf Writers Association of America.
Dec. 18—The lawyer for Dr. Anthony Galea says Woods is in no way linked tocriminal charges brought against the Canadian doctor. Swiss watch maker TagHeuer says it will not use Woods’ image in U.S. advertising campaigns for theforeseeable future. The PGA Tour announces that players have voted Woods playerof the year.
Dec. 31—AT&T becomes the second sponsor to sever its ties with TigerWoods. It will continue to sponsor the AT&T National, but Woods no longer willbe the tournament host. Woods enters therapy for what he later describes as the“issues I’m facing.”
Jan. 4—A government official says Woods’ appearance at the AustralianMasters—his last event before his accident—pumped an estimated $31 millioninto Melbourne’s economy. He had been paid a $3 million appearance fee.Electronic Arts Inc. says it will stand behind Woods, and announces the latestversion of his PGA Tour video game will be released later in the month.
Jan. 8—In a conference call with golf writers, Jack Nicklaus says if Woodsis going to pass his record for 18 majors, “this is a big year for him in thatregard” because the major venues include Augusta National, Pebble Beach and St.Andrews.
Jan. 11—Gatorade says bootleg labels with a picture of Woods and the word“unfaithful” have been found on bottles in Colorado stores.
Jan. 20—The National Enquirer says it has the first photo of Woods sincethe accident, and the image raises little argument that it’s not him. Acelebrity Web site posts eight photos from the Enquirer that show Woods in whiteshorts and a dark hooded sweat shirt outside the Pine Grove Behavioral Healthand Addiction Services building in Hattiesburg, Miss.
Jan. 21—The Florida Highway Patrol releases new audio recordings,including one in which a trooper tells a dispatcher that Woods wasn’t doinganything he shouldn’t have been doing, and that Woods had only minor injuries.
Jan. 27—Woods tops the Bloomberg BusinessWeek list of most powerfulathletes, based on earning potential.
Feb. 3—Tom Watson says Woods needs to show humility to the public when hereturns to golf. Watson also criticizes Woods for his foul language on thecourse by saying, “I think he needs to clean up his act and show the respectfor the game that other people before him have shown.”
Feb. 11—Woods leaves inpatient therapy after 45 days and returns to hisIsleworth home.
Feb. 17—IMG agent Mark Steinberg says Woods will speak publicly for thefirst time since the accident on Feb. 19 at the TPC Sawgrass clubhouse. He is tospeak to a small group of associates, friends and business partners. Three wireservice reporters and a pool of three reporters picked by the Golf WritersAssociation of America are invited to be in the room, with no opportunity to askquestions. Ernie Els is angry that Woods chose to speak during the AccentureMatch Play Championship—Accenture being the first sponsor to drop him—andsays the timing is “selfish.” Getty Images releases photos of Woods and afriend jogging in his Isleworth neighborhood.
Feb. 18—Satellite trucks start to fill the parking lot at the SawgrassMarriott. The GWAA successfully asks Woods’ management team for an increase tosix pool reporters, then announces its board has voted overwhelmingly not toparticipate. Getty Images releases more photos of Woods hitting golf balls onthe Isleworth practice range.
Feb. 19—In a 13 1/2 -minute statement televised to a worldwide audience, Woodsapologizes again for cheating on his wife without revealing the scope of hisinfidelity or when he will return to golf. “I have made you question who I amand how I could have done the things I did,” he says to a room of 40associates, including his mother and top employees. His wife, Elin, is not inthe room.
Feb. 20—Woods leaves home for family counseling in Arizona. In aninterview with the AP, the Dalai Lama said he had not heard of Woods, but thatself-discipline is among Buddhism’s highest values. Woods has said he would leanon his Buddhist faith to get through.
Feb. 23—Orlando television station WFTV reports on its Web site that Woodsand his wife have sent a written apology to parents at the preschool their2-year-old daughter attends because of all the media there. Proctor & Gamble CEOBob McDonald says he doesn’t know if Woods will ever appear in another Gillettecommercial. “We’ve got lots of great spokespeople,” he says.
Feb. 25—Nike brand president Charlie Denson says the company will continueto support Woods and looks forward to his return.
Feb. 26—Gatorade says it has ended its endorsement relationship withWoods. “We no longer see a role for Tiger in our marketing efforts,” aspokesman says. The company says it will continue its relationship with theTiger Woods Foundation.
Feb. 27—Woods returns home from family therapy in Arizona.
March 2—The AP reports that Woods is practicing as he tries to get backinto a routine of golf and fitness. It also says there still is no timetable forhis return.
March 3—Woods’ caddie, Steve Williams, says in a New Zealand televisioninterview that he was angry to learn of Woods’ extramarital affairs, but that heremains at Woods’ side. “Tiger’s one of my closest friends and he needs mysupport right now and I’d never think of walking away,” Williams says. JackNicklaus, playing in the Honda Classic pro-am, says he would be “verysurprised” if Woods did not play in the Masters, and compete somewhere beforeAugusta National.
March 11—The AP reports that Woods will not return until the Masters.
March 16—Woods announces he will end four months of seclusion and play atAugusta National. “After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feellike I’m ready to start my season at Augusta.”
March 21—Woods gives his first two interviews, to ESPN and The GolfChannel, both about five minutes. “A lot of ugly things have happened. … I’vedone some pretty bad things in my life,” he said. He refused to discuss whathappened on Nov. 27, saying it was all in the police report. He also said hewould not discuss his private life.
March 22-23—Woods spends two days practicing at Augusta National.
March 24—Augusta National says Woods will hold a news conference on April5, the Monday of Masters week.
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