Tiger feat: is Woods bigger than golf?
In his latest website post Woods finally saw fit to admit his infidelity – thanks for that Tiger; maybe in your next blog you will exclusively reveal that you can sometimes be a bit surly – and he has decided to “take an indefinite break from professional golf” to focus on “being a better husband, father, and person.”
Commendable words I’m sure. Nicely timed, too. After all, ‘indefinitely’ is appropriately non-committal. It could mean a ten-year hiatus, or it could mean the golfing downtime between now and April when the first major comes around. And you won’t find this punter betting against Woods making a comeback at Augusta in the spring, rolling up Magnolia drive flanked by his beaming wife and kids, fresh from having renewed his wedding vows and from having rediscovered God.
The truth is there is nothing that means more to Woods than becoming the best golfer of all time – and he won’t let the small matter of a few dalliances get in the way of chasing Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major titles.
Woods will be filthy rich until his dying day regardless of whether or not he ever picks up a golf club again, gets divorced or decides to spend the rest of his years scuba diving in the Indian Ocean. It’s a safe bet we won’t be seeing him on I’m Celebrity Get e Out Of Here any time soon.
But we will see him back on the golf course because it is golf that defines him. He is desperate to leave a legacy other than being the world’s most infamous waitress shagger and, love him or hate him, he is a golfer par excellence, hell-bent on achieving golfing immortality.
However, Elin Woods is not the only person having sleepless nights just now as Woods’ decision to take a sabbatical will have myriad repercussions for thousands. Firstly, there are the sponsors. Sales in Nike goods will dive; Gillette have already stopped showing Woods on their adverts.
Then there is the USPGA. When the World No1 took time out in 2008 to undergo knee surgery the downsurge in the ratings was such that viewing figures for tournaments were 60% down on the previous year.
And then there is the betting industry. Although Woods being out of the equation will mean that my traditional Lee Westwood to win a major bet might actually stand a chance of winning for once (the US Open at Pebble Beach is favourite) the odds on that happening will be seriously less attractive.
“If you backed Lee Westwood to win the Open at say 40/1 or 33/1 this year, next year without Tiger in the field, you might only be able to back him at 25/1 or 20/1,” says Alan Alger of Bluesq.com. “The fact is that Tiger hugely influences the pricing of odds at a tournament.”
And it doesn’t end there. Tiger’s non-attendance will have bookies crying into their beer because events without the world’s greatest completely decimates turnover significantly.
“Such is the interest in an event when Tiger plays that people will watch the event to see him in action – and they will also place a bet to enhance their enjoyment over a four-day period,” adds Alger. “It’s like when there’s a football match on involving Manchester United. They are a high-profile team people want to see win – or even lose – and they will place bets any number of in-running markets, like correct score or last goalscorer, whilst they are watching.”
“If Tiger isn’t playing then the interest level dips. The ticket demand at golf courses is halved, the TV viewer rating is halved and the betting turnover is halved. It’s terrible news for the bookmaker.”
Little wonder Paddy Power approached Woods recently, albeit with tongue firmly lodged in cheek, offering the 14-time Major champion a sponsorship deal worth $1m to promote their new betting product “Tigers Birdies”.
The new bet, which is exclusive to Paddy Power, offers a return of 500/1 to customers who correctly predict the number of birdies holed by Tiger each day over the four days of a tournament.
Of course, not for the first time, the Irish bookmaker was taking the piss, but on a serious note it is quite remarkable to see the influence that one man can have not just on one sport, but on so many associated industries.
Forget about the Bull and Bear Markets. The Tiger Market could trigger an all new global recession.
- Expekt.com
