Graham Bensinger: Tiger Woods' Ex-Caddy Steve Williams: "Our Relationship Obviously Deteriorated Very Quickly" I recently traveled to Auckland, New Zealand to sit down with Tiger Woods' former caddy Steve Williams for his first extensive interview since being fired by Tiger. The interview is for a new episode of In Depth.
Fired by Tiger in July, Williams opens up about Tiger's scandal, the fallout, the circumstances leading up to his firing, and his most memorable moments working with Tiger. Williams also speaks about his career as a caddy starting at a very young age, his love for auto racing and his significant charitable contributions. Highlights: Steve Williams says that Tiger Woods will never break Jack Nicklaus' all-time major record. Jack Nicklaus won 18 majors in his career. He holds that record for most major victories. Williams: Well, if you look at it in the perspective that he has to have a career sort of equal to Phil Mickelson from here on in. Watch clip: Steve Williams reflects back on 12 years with Tiger Woods: After all of this, how well do you believe you knew Tiger?
Watch clip: Tiger Woods, Elin Nordegren will share joint custody of children, Sam & Charlie, in divorce: report. Shaw/Getty Tiger Woods holds his daugher, Sam, and stands next to his wife, Elin Nordegren, at a golf event a week before his Thanksgiving SUV crash drew a spotlight to his affairs. Tiger Wood may be losing his tigress, but he's not going to lose his cubs. Woods and spurned spouse Elin Nordegren will share joint custody of daughter Sam, 2, and son, Charlie, 14 months, RadarOnline.com reported. "They have not been getting along as a married couple but there has been no conflict over the children," the source told RadarOnline.com.
"They both want what's best for the kids. While their marriage was wrecked by reports that Woods cheated on Nordegren with a parade of party girls, porn stars and even a neighbor, "the kids are close to both of them and neither Tiger nor Elin wants a battle. " "The marriage doesn't look like it's going to make it but at least there's not going to be a custody battle," the source said. csiemaszko@nydailynews.com. TIGER WOODS: Tiger Woods and wife Elin Nordegren and children Sam and Charlie.
Elin Nordegren Opens Up About Tiger Woods' Affairs and Their Divorce in People Magazine. <br/><a href=" US News</a> | <a href=" Business News</a> Copy Elin Nordegren said she wanted to save her marriage to Tiger Woods even after she was "blindsided" by his multiple affairs, but in the end the damage was irreparable and she didn't trust him. "I've been through hell," Nordegren, whose divorce was finalized Monday, told People magazine in the issue to hit newsstands Friday. Elin Nordegren Breaks Her Silence on Tiger Woods Affairs Nordegren revealed that she had no clue about her golfing superstar husband's infidelities, saying she was "blindsided" and "embarrassed" by the affairs.
At a press conference today preceding a golf tournament in New Jersey, Woods called the divorce a "sad time. " "You know, it's a sad time in our lives," he said. Nordegren: 'I Never Suspected' "I never suspected, not a one," she said in the exclusive interview. Tiger Woods Discusses Elin Nordegren and Divorce. Tiger Woods Lost $22 Million In Endorsements In 2010. Poll shows Tiger Woods' popularity amongst fans is falling amid controversy. The number of women who say they’ve been with Tiger Woods is growing but the ranks of his fans are falling. A new CNN Opinion Research poll shows that Woods’ popularity is tumbling.
Some 60 percent of people view him favorably now, down from 84 percent in June 2001 and 88 percent in June 2000. His unfavorable rating soared to 25 percent from 9 percent in 2001 and 5 percent in 2000. The percentage of people who have no opinion of Woods also jumped, to 13 percent from 5 percent in both 2001 and 2000. The poll included 1,041 adults and was conducted Dec. 2 and 3. The polling took place after a National Enquirer report last month that Woods had an affair, which was followed a day later by his bizarre car crash in his posh Florida neighborhood.
Since then, it has come to light that as many as nine women had relationships with Woods. Fans react to Tiger Woods controversy. Tiger Woods will be taking an 'indefinite' leave from golf - Devil Ball Golf - Golf Blog. For Tiger Woods fans, the worst has come to pass. In a statement released on his website, Woods revealed Friday evening that he will be taking an indefinte leave from the game of golf in order to spend time with his family and work on his marriage.
Here is the statement, in full: I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children. I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness. It may not be possible to repair the damage I've done, but I want to do my best to try.I would like to ask everyone, including my fans, the good people at my foundation, business partners, the PGA Tour, and my fellow competitors, for their understanding. What's most important now is that my family has the time, privacy, and safe haven we will need for personal healing.After much soul searching, I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional golf. Sponsors hit hard after Tiger scandal. Two economists from UC Davis have analyzed stock market returns following Tiger Woods’ car accident on Nov. 27 and subsequent announcement that he was indefinitely leaving golf. Their findings suggest the scandal reduced shareholder value in the golfer’s sponsor companies by 2.3 percent, or about $12 billion.
(Credit: Paddy Briggs/2005) UC DAVIS (US)—The reputation of golfer Tiger Woods isn’t the only thing that took a major hit in the wake of the scandal involving his extramarital affairs, a recent study finds. Shareholders of Nike, Gatorade, and other sponsors lost a collective $5 to $12 billion, with sports-related companies faring the worst. The losses are separate from—and potentially much larger than—damage to Woods’ own earnings. “Total shareholder losses may exceed several decades’ worth of Tiger Woods’ personal endorsement income,” says study coauthor Victor Stango, a professor of economics at the University of California, Davis. Tiger Woods' mistress scandal costs shareholders of sponsors like Nike, Gatorade $12 billion. Tiger Woods' sponsorship deathwatch - Dec. 9, 2009.
NEW YORK (Fortune) -- As Tigergate continues to unfold, the million-dollar question -- actually, make that the billion-dollar question -- remains: will his sponsors stick around? Chief among Woods' accomplishments is that he's the first athlete said to hit a billion in career earnings -- but most of that kitty comes from endorsements. According to Sports Illustrated, Woods' on-course earnings amounted to only 7% of the nearly $100 million he took home in 2008. So far, Woods' boosters, including Gillette, Accenture, Nike (NKE, Fortune 500) and Electronic Arts (ERTS), are all still on board.
PepsiCo-owned Gatorade caused a brief stir yesterday when it announced it would discontinue selling Gatorade Tiger Focus in 2010. But so far, that seems to be unrelated to recent events; the news was first reported in the November 25 issue of Beverage Digest, several days before the golfer's Thanksgiving-day accident that triggered the revelations. Tiger's other brands are standing by their man, too. Tiger Woods Endorsements: Which Sponsors Will Back Out? The sex scandal surrounding golf icon Tiger Woods has put sports marketers in the rough. They face a difficult choice. If they stick with him, they risk alienating consumers put off by the lurid allegations about Woods' private life.
And there's the prospect of yet more allegations after they've affirmed their support. Dump him now, however, and you risk missing the upside of one of the potentially great comebacks in sports. What if, after Tiger's hiatus, he emerges contrite, marriage repaired, and his game better than ever? Woods, who earns more than $100 million annually in endorsements, could actually become more valuable after this mess. "It'll be a tale of redemption and forgiveness," says Marc Ganis, president of SportsCorp, a consulting firm. Each of Woods' sponsors faces a unique set of considerations while formulating a postscandal Tiger plan. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Besides Nike, several other Woods sponsors may escape unscathed. Tiger Woods's Gillette Endorsement Ends Next Week as Part of Plan in 2009.
Tiger Woods’s endorsement deal with Procter & Gamble Co.’s Gillette division will end next week as the company follows through on a plan it announced last year. Woods’s contract to endorse Gillette razors will end Dec. 31, company spokesman Michael Norton said tonight in an e-mail message. Norton had said in December 2009 that Procter & Gamble would begin phasing Woods out of print and TV ads for its Gillette division. The company will not renew its relationship with Woods as part of a plan to phase out its Gillette Champions marketing program in the first quarter of 2011, Norton said in an interview earlier today with USA Today.
Gillette also will cut ties with soccer players Thierry Henry, Kaka, Rafael Marquez and Lionel Messi and other athlete endorsers around the world, Norton told the newspaper. Gillette will retain endorsement ties with athletes including tennis’ Roger Federer and Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees. Close Open Photographer: Scott Barbour/Getty Images. Nike, Gatorade Stand Behind Tiger Woods Amid Car Crash Controversy | Access Hollywood - Celebrity News, Photos & Videos. As the fallout continues over Tiger Woods’ late night car crash, and the public – and police – await details from the pro golfer over what really happened, the companies shelling out big bucks to Tiger are standing firm with their support. “Tiger and his family have Nike’s full support,” a spokesperson for Nike, which Tiger endorses, said in a statement on Monday.
“We respect Tiger’s request for privacy and our thoughts are with Tiger and his family at this time.” Sports drink giant Gatorade, for which the golf superstar also stumps, spoke out lending their support as well to their pitchman. “We wish Tiger well as he recovers and look forward to seeing him back on the course soon,” a statement from Gatorade said. “Our partnership with Tiger continues.” While his golf game has made him an international icon, the money he makes on the course doesn’t come close to his endorsement dollars.
AH NATION: Should the incident affect Tiger’s endorsement deals? AT&T dumps Tiger Woods, joining ranks of Gillette, Tag Heuer and Accenture. Tiger Woods engulfed in PR storm. Tiger Woods is used to facing challenges on the golf course, but now he is navigating a public relations minefield. Tiger Woods finds himself at center of public relations firestormPro golfer has refused to discuss circumstances surrounding recent car accidentPublicist says Woods' strategy of silence is not working to quell speculationJournalists notes that little is known about Woods, who values his privacy (CNN) -- From the time he putted a golf ball at the age of 2 on "The Mike Douglas Show," Tiger Woods has been a golden child. While athletes in different professions dealt with doping scandals and other controversies, Woods continued to do what he did best: dominate the field of professional golf and rake in endorsements.
But it is that squeaky-clean image, and the tightly controlled persona Woods has cultivated over the course of his career, that experts say is fueling speculation and interest in the circumstances surrounding his recent car accident. Video: LKL: Tiger's silence. Tiger Woods PR Campaign off to Shaky Start. Can Tiger Woods Save His Image and Reputation? Public Relations Experts Weigh In.
With a 9,000-square-foot Florida home, Tiger Woods and his wife have ample room to avoid talking to each other, but Woods' failure quickly to address the public continues to hurt his reputation as tabloids continue to write about alleged extramarital affairs, public relations experts say. "He is beyond PR redemption.
He is in public relations hell right now. There is not a PR man on Earth who can restore his image," said public relations maven Howard Rubenstein. null Holed up for nearly two weeks, Woods has not once emerged from his home into public view. He has addressed the public only through his Web site, issuing a vague apology days after the bizarre Nov. 27 car accident that raised questions about a fight with his wife and spurred nearly a dozen allegations of marital infidelity. "Last week he had a big PR problem. "He's hemorrhaging; even a transfusion won't help.
But even a return to the golf course could turn into a public nightmare for the man many competitors once feared. Tiger Woods' Image Tainted By Crash? Tiger Woods is the highest-paid athlete of all-time. But has he put his endorsements on the line by issuing only a written statement about his car crash? CBS News correspondent Bianca Solorzano said the only statement released from Tiger Woods about Friday's car crash has been on his Web site, but his refusal to speak openly has only fueled further speculation about what really happened. Tiger: "I'm Human and I'm Not Perfect"Photos: Tiger Woods Ken Sunshine, a public relations specialist, said silence in this case is a "big mistake.
" "Sponsors are probably nervous," he said. And there's much at stake for his career, Solorzano added, citing Forbes estimates that his career earnings from endorsements, appearance fees, and his golf course design business, have pushed Woods over the $1 billion mark. Sunshine said on "The Early Show" the situation surrounding Woods is a "perfect storm. " "(Woods') people mishandled it," Sunshine said. "It looks like they're protecting something," he said. Tiger Woods Car Accident: Alleged Affair, Mistress, Wife Fight (UPDATE, PHOTOS) UPDATE: Click HERE for the list of Tiger Woods' alleged mistresses -- photos, info, more! UPDATE, 1:32 AM: Rumors have surfaced that Jamie Jungers, a Las Vegas model, has been involved with Tiger Woods.
Click here for possible photos of the blonde. UPDATE, 12/5 4:15 AM: Read about Tiger Woods' erotic dream -- involving an alleged mistress, Derek Jeter and Bones star David Boreanaz -- here. UPDATE, 1:01 PM: As if the Tiger Woods saga were missing any characters, Ashley Dupre, the central character of Eliot Spitzer's scandal, has shared her views to the New York Post: "Here you have all these girls accepting gifts, money, trips from Tiger in exchange for sex -- all the while knowing he is married. Click here for more. UPDATE, 12:58 PM: The daughter of Rachel Uchitel's attorney believes the alleged mistress of Tiger Woods canceled the press conference because she made a deal with Woods worth "at least a million dollars. " Click here for more. Click here for more. Click here for more. More here. Tiger: "I'm Human and I'm Not Perfect" Tiger Woods during the final round of the 107th U.S.
Open Golf Championship at the Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa., Sunday, June 17, 2007. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) AP In a public statement Tiger Woods said the car accident early Friday morning in which his SUV hit a fire hydrant and then a tree was "embarrassing" and entirely his fault. The world's No. 1 golfer, who was sent to the hospital following the accident, canceled an interview with state troopers for the third straight day. The Florida Highway Patrol said this afternoon that an attorney contacted them saying he had been hired by Woods and that the interview scheduled for today has been canceled.
Police also release audio of the 911 call made early Friday morning regarding the accident. Tiger Woods Accident 911 Call The traffic crash remains under investigation and charges are pending. Florida law enforcement officials, however, deny they are seeking any search warrants. "This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way. Audio5825140. Brief History of the Tiger Woods Scandal - Photo Essays.