The PGA Tour survived without Tiger before, but how will his latest hiatus affect his TV ratings and his checkbook?

As always, the Tour kicks off in beautiful Hawaii with the SBS Championship and the 2009 winners. One golfer missing is Tiger Woods, winner of 6 tournaments last year. Sure, he missed last year’s trip to Hawaii, but he was coming off knee surgery, not dodging the world trying to stay out of the spotlight. We’ve seen the numbers and also the sponsor’s TV ratings can drop 50% or more when Woods isn’t in the final group. Since the SBC only has about 30 golfers, viewers were guaranteed to see every golfer play every day of the television coverage. This is a bonus for Tiger fans, though he gets more than his fair share of coverage during whatever tournament he’s playing in, most don’t compare to the beautiful backdrop of the Plantation Course in Kapalua.

2009 was another banner year for Tiger and his flock. After knee surgery, no one knew what to expect, but he didn’t keep us guessing for long by capturing the win at Bayhill (Arnie’s Tournament). He then won 5 more tournaments last year, but no majors. He was chased by YE Yang on The Players, but even more notable was in December when he was chased by his wife Elin with a golf club. The accident and the consequences of that day shocked the world. Woods lost his image as a clean family man and has now lost some sponsors because of it. Notably AT&T, Tag Hauer, Accenture and Gatorade, though Gatorade claims they were going to pull their drink off the shelves already. Nike is still with Woods and most likely won’t drop him unless more news comes out that leaves them no choice.

No matter how you “cut” it, Woods is still the No. 1 golfer in the world and if he comes back and continues his winning ways, Nike, the PGA Tour and everyone else associated with him will benefit from this, even with his tarnished image. Golf fans are an eclectic bunch and cheer on the underdog even when their personal lives are in shambles. This is no more evident than when John Daly steps onto the field. Although John has had his share of problems, he remains a crowd favorite wherever he goes. Tiger will get the same treatment when/if he comes back. Some fans will not respect his lifestyle, but you have to respect his golf game. Never since Palmer and Nicholas has a golfer been so dominant that when he plays, most golfers know they are playing for second place.