UPDATE, 3:15 PM: Tiger Woods has withdrawn from his own golf tournament:
“I am extremely disappointed that I will not be at my tournament this week,” Woods said. “I am certain it will be an outstanding event and I’m very sorry that I can’t be there.”
UPDATE, 1:30 PM: Click here for more on Rachel Uchitel, Tiger Woods’ alleged mistress, who may have previously been involved with Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez.
UPDATE, 1:28 PM: SportsByBrooks highlights a Steve Lewis piece at Blackbook Magazine, which relates the following about Woods:
I was told that over the last three to five years, many a jet was occupied by Mr. Woods and his entourage, with an ex-working girl tasked to provide beauties for the beasts. Come back tomorrow for more on the working girl in question—a lady based out of Chicago who is a regular “pal” of one of Tiger’s inner circle. “The jets would touch down in L.A. or Vegas or wherever the party was,” said my source. I asked if Mr. Woods was partaking in the girlie action? She responded with “duh.”
UPDATE, 1:17 PM: RadarOnline.com reports that Tiger Woods told his wife that she had ruined their Thanksgiving just before leaving the house and crashing his car.
UPDATE, 12:49 PM: John Daly weighs in:
“I don’t really care what happened between Tiger and … whatever happened. I’m just glad he’s OK,” said Daly, who will play in the Australian Open starting Thursday. “We need him, probably more than anybody on the tour, to keep things going, the way the economy is.” …
“Tiger’s the biggest asset the tour’s had in a long, long time,” Daly said. “Whatever happened, as long as he’s OK that’s all that matters. Golf needs him badly … no doubt.”
UPDATE, 12:46 PM: Another interesting Accenture ad:
UPDATE, 12:26 PM: TMZ reports that earlier today a pair of Florida Highway Patrol troopers stopped by the hospital Tiger Woods visited following his car accident. TMZ also counters the Fox News report that claimed the FHP was not seeking a search warrant:
An FHP spokesperson has just said the department has not sought a search warrant for Tiger’s medical records associated with his treatment. However, as TMZ first reported, the department is pursuing a warrant — though it has not formally sought one out — after being shut down by Tiger’s lawyer.
Story continues below
UPDATE, 11:32 AM: Fox News reports that the Florida Highway Patrol is not pursuing a search warrant.
“We don’t need a warrant to get records, that is incorrect,” said Florida Highway Patrol Chief of Public Affairs Capt. Mark Welch.
More here.
UPDATE, 11:31 AM: TMZ reports that the Florida Highway Patrol is interested in obtaining surveillance video from the Woods residence. But as the post notes, “The question, even if the FHP gets a warrant for the video … what, if any, footage exists at this point?”
UPDATE, 10:22 AM: Sponsors continue to back Woods. Darren Rovell tweets a statement from Gatorade: “We wish Tiger well as he recovers and look forward to seeing him back on the course soon. Our partnership with Tiger continues.”
UPDATE, 4:42 AM: SportsByBrooks challenges the logic of TMZ’s report that the Florida Highway Patrol could obtain a search warrant due to contradictory statements from Woods’ wife, Elin Nordegren Woods:
TMZ reports that Nordegren’s supposed contradictory statement about a golf cart she used that night during the incident could provide the evidence the FHP needs to obtain a warrant. The website notes that in its crash scene photos, there’s no golf cart present: “TMZ has reviewed 21 photos from the scene — no sign of any golf cart.”
But in a WFTV.com crash scene photo, there is a golf cart.
Check out SportsByBrooks for more.
UPDATE, 12:38 AM: TMZ reports that the Florida Highway Patrol is pursuing a search warrant.
Sources tell TMZ the Florida Highway Patrol is now focusing on obtaining a search warrant — allowing them to seize medical records from the hospital that treated Tiger Woods — in an attempt to determine if the wounds Woods sustained are consistent with a car accident or domestic violence.
Read the rest at TMZ.
UPDATE, 11/30 12:02: SportsByBrooks argues that Nike’s support of Woods gives him “cover to blow off [the] media [and] public.” More:
The apparel and shoe company has already lined up behind Woods in support. That’s a huge shot of credibility for the golfer with his other sponsors. Without Nike’s support, perhaps other lower-profile sponsors might be apt to pull the plug on endorsement deals with Woods if the golfer didn’t show up to his tournament next week – and continued to refuse to publicly address the accident and the Enquirer story.
It also occurred to me that perhaps Nike is helping to advise Woods in his current situation.
Nike’s move may have given Woods cover to remain out of public sight indefinitely, and help ensure that his hundreds of millions in other endorsement agreements remain intact.