Tiger Woods is famous for his early practice tee-times, sometimes arriving at the golf course before the sun, but ... 2:25 in the morning?
Hmm. Okay, so he wasn't on his way to the links. Where, then? And why?
Chances are, we'll never really know what caused Woods to crash his SUV in the wee hours yesterday as he sped away from his $2.4-million home on Deacon Circle in the gated community of Isleworth, just outside Orlando, Fla. What we do know is that his Cadillac got away on him and he took out a fire hydrant, then smacked a neighbour's tree head-on.
We also know that less than a day before the incident, the National Enquirer published unsubstantiated allegations of an affair between Woods and a New York woman named Rachel Uchitel that had the internet gossip mill in a frenzy. The report alleges Woods and Uchitel have been stepping out in New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and on his recent trip to Australia, where he won the Australian Masters.
This could turn out to be the granddaddy of all double-bogeys. Such a salacious, and very much unproven, allegation clearly flies in the face of Woods' squeaky-clean reputation. If nothing else, Tiger has been famously protective of his image and ultra-secretive about his private life, especially as it pertains to his wife, Elin, a former model and nanny, and his two children, Samantha and Charlie.
Last night, multiple outlets were reporting Nordegren told police the accident occurred following an argument between herself and her husband.
The police report, which wasn't made public for 12 hours, initially described the world No. 1 golfer's injuries as serious but Woods' publicist, Glenn Greenspan, quickly issued a release stating that Woods "was admitted (to hospital), treated and released in good condition."
Woods' wife was apparently in their home at the time and heard the crash. Wielding a golf club, she smashed the back window of the vehicle. According to Windermere police chief Daniel Saylor, Woods had cuts on his lips and blood in his mouth.
The airbags in the car did not deploy. The highway patrol says the crash is still under investigation, and charges are pending. Alcohol was not a factor, it said.
Because Woods required medical attention, he was not interviewed by officers at the scene and police have yet to determine if any traffic violations occurred.
Woods' home is part of the exclusive Isleworth subdivision, a community set on a championship golf course dotted with small lakes. The neighbourhood, which maintains its privacy with high brick walls and has its own police force, is home to many of the rich and famous, including athletes from just about every pro sport.
Aside from his domination of golf, what has made Woods such a popular and effective spokesman for his stable of corporate sugar daddies -- Nike, Gatorade, TAG Heuer, Gillette and EA Sports, to name a few -- has been his ability to avoid even a hint of controversy, unlike so many famous athletes.
He routinely earns more than $100 million a year and recently became the world's first billion-dollar athlete. But we're wondering if a few of those corporate masters won't be tossing and turning in their sleep these next few days.
KEN.FIDLIN@SUNMEDIA.CA
