Blog Hound: Tiger Woods To Be Out For A Month

With Tiger Woods out of the action for at least the next month due to a knee surgery, bloggers discuss the impact his absence will have on PGA Tour TV ratings and attendance levels at the Wachovia Championship and The Players.

BUILDING THE BUZZ: Sports Media Challenge's Buzz Manager analyzed the online discussion about Woods. Bloggers who felt his absence from the Tour for the next month would somehow have a positive effect on the game were tallied as such. Bloggers who felt Woods’ injury would damage the sport were counted as negative. See www.sportsbusinessdaily.com for more info.

The topic ranked 8 out of 10 on the buzz, indicating a high level of interest among sports bloggers.

• The majority of bloggers believe that ticket sales will decrease tremendously over the next month. These fans believe golf loses its star power and therefore its appeal when Tiger is absent from a tournament.
• Some fans are more concerned about Woods' career than his immediate future. They’re hoping that his knee recovers so he can continue his quest to win the most major tournaments in golf history. These fans think golf will be hurt more by Woods failing to achieve this historical mark than simply missing a few upcoming tournaments.
• Only a few bloggers perceive Woods' absence as a positive for golf. They are excited to see which golfers can take the reins as the “world’s best player” while Woods is recovering. The early predictions have been Phil Mickelson and, surprisingly, Ian Poulter.