Tiger Talks
There’s a guy named Tiger making a statement today. Maybe you’ve heard something about the little mess he’s in and how he is managing his way out of it.
At some point, and perhaps we learn today when that is, Tiger will return to what got him his fame and fortune in the first place: golf.
If the circus down the street at TPC Sawgrass is any indication, it will be full fledged media event. The only time I ever expected to see a media turnout like this in Ponte Vedra was if a hurricane were ever bearing down on the First Coast.
Enter Hurricane Tiger.
That’s what it will feel like for the folks running the first event Tiger plays after this break.
If Tiger comes back at Augusta for the Masters, the media crush won’t be quite as noticeable as that Major already gets massive coverage and the club will work very hard to keep outsiders out.
But if Tiger decides he’s coming back at regular Tour stop, say the Bay Hill event he won last year, the media crush will be significant.
The challenge for the tournament will be to handle this and even maximize while also not alienating its regular media contingent, not to mention the other players in the field.
I remember working the LA Tennis Open in 2006. It was the first US event Andre Agassi played after announcing his impending retirement earlier that summer at Wimbledon. The megastar drew mega media attention.
As much as having the sudden crush of extra media rocked our world, we had to treat it as business as usual. That’s not easy, especially when it’s standing room only in the press conference venue.
The publicity surrounding Tiger’s return to the Tour will be unprecedented. This will be great for the event and sponsors in terms of interest, but right now, Tiger’s entrance might seem like a hot potato.
Best wishes to whatever event gets the first crack at handling Hurricane Tiger.


