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A Masters Class in PR

Business | Sport

All eyes are on Tiger Woods today as he tees off for the 74th Master tournament and belatedly begins the restoration of his damaged reputation.

It is a testament to his status as the world’s leading golfer that even after four months away from competition, besieged by intense global scrutiny in the aftermath of his much publicised marital indiscretions, Woods is still the favourite to take his fifth Masters this weekend.

For the first time since his extra-curricular activities first surfaced in November last year, Woods has faced the media and the public to answer a barrage of questions about his private life. This process has been the single most crucial step on the road to recovery for Woods, who has gone out of his way to evade such a public cross-examination since those stories first came to light four months ago. Naturally, there has been an air of strategy and control about the whole thing, but at least there is two-way communication.

From a PR perspective, the signing of former White House PR advisor Ari Fleischer was an important step in the Woods revival. The now infamous apology speech that Woods gave back in February was rehearsed, recited and remorseful, but it was baby steps in comparison to the importance of his media activities this week; Woods needed a face-to-face with the world for the healing process to begin in earnest.

Woods was given a warm reception from the public during his appearance at Augusta National earlier in the week and this is as much an indication as any that golf and sports fans want to see one of the world’s greatest sportsmen return to the top of his game.

However, Augusta National Club chairman Billy Payne has reinforced the damage that Woods’s off-course antics have caused: "It is not simply the degree of his conduct that is so egregious here. It is the fact that he disappointed all of us and, more importantly, our kids and our grandkids," he said. "Is there a way forward? I hope yes, I think yes. But certainly his future will never again be measured only by his performance against par, but measured by the sincerity of his efforts to change. We at Augusta hope and pray that our great champion will begin his new life here tomorrow in a positive, hopeful and constructive manner, but this time with a significant difference from the past. This year it will not be just for him, but for all of us who believe in second chances."

There may be a fair way to go before order is fully restored, and there are plenty of sceptics still prowling the fairway, but a winning performance at Augusta this weekend will speak greater words than any press conference.

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