CHICAGO, (Reuters) – The head of the U.S. professional golf tour yesterday applauded Tiger Woods’ decision to take a break from the game over a sex scandal, but he played down fears the sport would suffer from the absence.
PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem portrayed as exaggerated scenarios suggesting the tour would lose many sponsors and see its TV ratings plummet 50 percent or more without the presence of the world’s No. 1 golfer.
Woods, 33, last week admitted to infidelity in his marriage to his Swedish wife Elin Nordegren as allegations of multiple extramarital affairs rocked his life and career.
The golf icon, the world’s first billionaire athlete and believed to be its wealthiest sports figure, said he would take an indefinite break from pro golf to try to save his marriage.
“I’m not saying that I think everything’s fine,” Finchem told reporters in a telephone conference call. “We’re in a down economy, it’s harder and having the No. 1 player in our sport not play is not a positive thing and it does hurt television ratings.”
But he added:”We are going to be successful in ‘10 if Tiger is out for a couple of months or eight months or a year”.
“It won’t be at the same levels without our No. 1 player … but the doom and gloom needs to go away,” he said.
Finchem, who said he had not spoken with Woods since the scandal over his private life broke late last month, said he did not know when the golfer would return to the sport.
Some U.S. media outlets, including ABC News and People Magazine, reported Woods’ wife Elin planned to leave him and seek a divorce, although she has not announced this publicly.
Seeking to play down the expected impact of Woods’ absence, Finchem said the golf world got by well enough last year and early this year when its star draw missed eight months recovering from leg surgery.
However, during that time, TV ratings for golf tournaments without Woods fell almost 50 percent compared with years that he played, and attendance suffered.
Finchem, who pointed out Woods plays in fewer than half the tour’s annual tournaments, said he had bigger things to worry about than when the golfing idol would return.
“Our biggest concern, of course, for now over two years, has been the economy,” Finchem said, noting the loss from golf of some sponsors such as General Motors Co and Chrysler.
Finchem, who earlier also spoke in a CNBC interview, said 2009 was a “phenomenal” year for sponsorship deals, citing numerous extended or new agreements.
“I don’t see corporate America backing away from golf over Tiger’s issues,” he said, adding PGA Tour sponsor Accenture Plc has not asked to rework its tour contract despite ending its individual endorsement deal with Woods.
“Golf is centuries old,” he added. “It’s on a tremendous growth path in certain parts of the world, punctuated this year by being accepted into the Olympic Games.”
Finchem said 2010 has the same number of tournaments as 2008 and charitable donations raised at its events — a reflection of golf’s revenue — should rebound next year to at least a range of $115 million to $117 million from $109 million this year. PGA Tour reported a record $125 million in 2008.
