ORLANDO, Fla. — Tiger Woods’ team moved swiftly Tuesday to discredit a New York Times report that linked the golfer to a physician whom the newspaper claims is under criminal investigation in the United States and is suspected of providing athletes with performance-enhancing drugs.
The Times wrote that Anthony Galea, a Canadian doctor who said he uses human growth hormone himself and prescribed it to patients 40 and over, had treated Woods with a legal blood-spinning technique called platelet-rich plasma therapy to speed up Woods’ recovery from reconstructive knee surgery in 2008.
Mark Steinberg, Woods’ agent, said, “The treatment Tiger received is a widely accepted therapy, and to suggest some connection with illegality is recklessly irresponsible.”
The rapid response from Woods’ team contrasts sharply with the way it handled rumors stemming from the golfer’s bizarre car accident outside his Isleworth home Nov. 27. Public-relations experts faulted Woods and his representatives for not immediately addressing reports that the golfer had sexual relationships with numerous women outside his marriage.
“There’s reactive public relations and there’s proactive public relations,” said Mike Paul, the president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR, a firm based in New York City. “This is a key example of proactive public relations. You are reacting to the initial incident . . . but you’re proactively describing what it is before others do so in their view.”
There would be reasons why Woods’ team moved so quickly to address The Times’ piece. Unlike the continued reports about Woods’ infidelity in his marriage, any report that ties Woods to a physician suspected of providing performance-enhancing drugs potentially would threaten Woods’ reputation as the world’s greatest golfer.
Woods’ prowess on the golf course is the one aspect of his public persona that hasn’t been assailed the last few weeks. He has won 71 events on the PGA Tour, a figure that includes 14 professional major championships, just four shy of Jack Nicklaus’ all-time record of 18.
Woods’ reputation clearly has taken a significant hit recently. A USA Today/ Gallup poll conducted this week revealed that Woods’ “favorable” rating has dropped to 33 percent. It was 85 percent in the last poll about Woods in June 2005.
Despite that decline in popularity, Upper Deck, a sports card and memorabilia maker, announced it will continue its relationship with Woods.
