SHIRLINGTON, VA. – When Bryce Thomas came in to work his shift at the Washington Golf Center on Black Friday, he expected his day to be about sales, not scandals.
But when reports surfaced that Tiger Woods was involved in a mysterious single-car accident earlier that morning, it became impossible to avoid.
A photo of Tiger Woods adorns a wall at the Washington Golf Center.
“I knew what had really happened right away,” Thomas said. “After the reports came out, I was helping an older couple and they kept saying we didn’t know what happened so we couldn’t pass judgment, but I knew Tiger wasn’t just going out at 3 a.m. to get milk for his kids.”
TROUBLE AT HOME
What began as a single-car accident in the wee hours of the morning after Thanksgiving has since evolved into a tabloid spectacle. Over the course of the past week, allegations have flown about marital infidelity and trouble on the home front for the world’s most famous golfer.
Related: Tiger Woods speaks through a message on his Web site
Fans of both golf and Woods don’t seem deterred by the rumors and reports.
“Americans forgive slips in morality, but they don’t forgive failure,” golfer Russell Murphy said at the golf super center in Shirlington, Va. “So if Tiger wins the Tour next year, this will all go away.”
What Woods does on the golf course is more important than what he does behind closed doors, according to golf fan Alex Karr.
“I’m a fan of Tiger’s because of his ability, how well he plays the game, not because of him as a person,” Karr said while making a purchase. “When I hear that Tiger’s not very fan friendly that may affect how I think of him as a person, but not as a golfer. This is the same thing.”
BUSINESS AS USUAL
Employees at the Washington Golf Center said they’re confident most shoppers will feel the same way as Karr and don’t expect business to suffer. If anything, they said, this news might even improve business.
“It didn’t affect Kobe when he had an affair, he didn’t lose sponsors or fans,” Gary Heinzmann said from behind the register. ”People who are sports fans want to see sports played well. They want to buy products that will make them better at their sport.”
Heinzmann’s colleague Mike Runfola said he thinks this scandal will be good for the industry in the long run.
First Church of Tiger: Not all fans are so quick to forgive and forget
“Tiger brought such an interest to the game,” he said. “And now with this, you can’t turn on a TV or radio without it being golf, golf, golf. Especially with the holidays coming up, people will probably be more likely to think of golf for gifts.”
One such customer is Robert Foster, who came into the store wearing his Tiger Woods hat as a “sign of support.“
“When you put individuals on pedestals and treat them like Moses, this is what happens,” he said. “He’s no worse a golfer because of this drama. I’m definitely going to keep buying his clothes. I still support him and his talent.”
FUTURE AS A ROLE MODEL WANES
Fellow shopper Cissy Baker agreed with Foster that another issue at hand is how celebrities are worshipped and said she hopes he ceases this opportunity to clean up his act.
“This helps to take him off that pedestal so now he can actually grow up and be a husband and a father,” she said. “He has two kids at home, not to mention all the kids in the world who look up to him. You just don’t do that as a person, regardless of celebrity.”
Maxx Kleiner, a graduate student at George Washington University who interned at The First Tee—an organization that provides free golf lessons to underprivileged kids—over the summer, is concerned how his fans under 5-feet are going to react.
“Up until a week ago Tiger was the epitome of a good role model for those inner-city kids,” Kleiner said. “For them it’s all about trying to hit the ball like Tiger. He’s the only golfer they know. So who are they supposed to look up to now?”
