where TV ratings tumble

Historically, golf(golf clubs) without Woods is a lonesome, desolate place, where TV ratings tumble, galleries shrink, merchandise sits on shelves and weekend honey-do's get done. When he met with the press in mid-December, PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem didn't declare a national emergency. But he acknowledged -- cough or clear throat here for embellishment -- the game's No. 1 talent would be missed.This season will be, perhaps, not much different from most seasons in that Woods(taylormade r9 driver) is not a regular presence on the golf scene(ping g15 driver) anyway. He has played in as many as 20 events only once since 2000. If you eliminate the majors, the World Golf(titleist ap2 irons) Championships, the Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup, Woods plays a limited number of PGA Tour events. He appears only slightly more often than a cicada.As for the world of golf(Ping G10 Irons), there are legitimate questions to be answered. The juicy headlines have receded in recent days, but the residual damage remains unclear. When Woods does pick up the sticks again, the cuts might be healed, but the scars will be there for some time to come.If Woods can steer clear of Hollywood headlines, time will soften the picture, another celebrity will fall and he will become "so five minutes ago." For now, the response he receives from the golf(Ping Rapture V2 Irons) community may depend somewhat on the status of his marriage. If Mrs. Woods stays with her offending partner, if the family commits to working things out, significant numbers will both empathize and sympathize.As the 2010 season kicks off, Tiger Woods is missing from the scene. But believe it or not, there will be professional golf(TaylorMade R7 CGB MAX Fairway Wood) and there will be stories worth following.