PGA Commissioner Sticking By Tiger

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem paints rosy picture for golf in wake of Tiger Woods scandal



PGA Commissioner Tim Finchem Thursday expressed little concern over what Tiger Woods' ongoing scandal means to the PGA Tour, including the most recent developments concerning a Canadian doctor linked to HGH who treated golf's No. 1 player.

Finchem went beyond trying to spin the situation in the wake of Woods' troubles into painting an almost rosy picture.

"I think the doom and gloom needs to go away and frankly it's misleading to our fans," Finchem said in his annual year-end conference call with the national golf media.

The Commissioner said he hasn't spoken to Woods since news broke just over a week ago because he has, "respected his privacy in this matter."

He said the allegations Woods faces do not fall under the category of conduct unbecoming a professional. He also indicated the PGA Tour will not currently conduct its own investigation of the relationship between Woods and Dr. Anthony Galea, who is the subject of investigations by both U.S. and Canadian authorities.

Galea, a proponent of HGH, claims never to have administered performance enhancing sunstances to Woods or any other athlete, although he has treated many with a blood-spinning procedure that speeds recovery from injuries.

"There are a lot of doctors linked to HGH but there is no reason for me to be concerned because I have no information to trigger a concern," Finchem said.

"I haven't been directly involved in it but our anti-doping people have looked at it and they've concluded there is nothing about that procedure that would trigger any violation of our anti-doping policy."

Finchem noted that Woods has been "100 percent" in support of the PGA Tour's testing program.

"I have no reason to have a concern with respect to him and a doctor that's used HGH with whatever patients for whom it's not an illegal drug. I have no reason to have any concern, no."

Neither did Finchem have any concerns that Woods' reported actions have harmed the PGA Tour. He said they required no disciplinary action from his standpoint, unlike John Daly, for instance, who was suspended the first six months of last season for conduct unbecoming.

"Historically, the PGA Tour has never taken a situation in someone's personal life and dealt with it as a disciplinary matter or considered it conduct unbecoming as it relates to our regulations," he explained. "Our regulations relate to conduct unbecoming in the public arena or law enforcement arena.

"Our disciplinary policy is developed and focused in our sport primarily as a tool to use to bring to a player's attention why a certain behavior is inappropriate from a public presentation of our sport standpoint," he continued. "That wouldn't be relevant here either so it's never been seriously considered are subject to our tournament regulations."

Finchem was asked about allegations, such as paying for prostitution, that might be considered illegal.

"I don't have any facts to support anything that would trigger disciplinary action on the part of the Tour," he said.

Conversely, Finchem continued to throw his full support to Woods.

He categorized Woods' statements as "heartfelt," and insisted golf's growth would not be stunted as a reaction to Woods.

"Tiger I don't see corporate America backing away from golf over Tiger's issues and I think at the end of the day after all the media scrutiny if he can successfully deal with those issues and come back and play golf that will be a positive thing. I think there is a distinction between a player having personal issues that because of the scrutiny of that player get a lot of media attention is a very different thing than a pattern of activity that is distasteful across the Tour."

Finchem conceded Woods will have to deal with scrutiny when he returns to the golf course.

"I'm not suggesting that his popularity level is going to soar again. I don't know where that's going to be. But I think people generally are going to want him to succeed. They're going to want him to deal with his issues; they're going to want him to come back having dealt with those issues; and I think he'll find eventually a significant amount of support."

"Tiger Woods has been an incredibly positive asset and impactor for the PGA Tour so he's been good for the game of golf. And I think the game of golf and the PGA Tour been good for Tiger. At this time we anticipate, and I firmly believe, that that mutually beneficial relationship will continue when it's right, and we'll just have to see how that plays out."

One's thing for sure. It's going to play out without the Commissioner's direct involvement.


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Sources: NY Daily News, Google Maps