Golf News?Scandal, swing woes still haunt Tiger

If speaking without saying much were an art form, then Tiger Woods would be Michelangelo.

 He's a master at burning the clock during news conferences.

 The only guy the prevent defense has ever worked for.

 Thanksgiving 2009 is not a time Tiger will soon forget. Callaway Diablo Edge Driver  We consider the effect on him as we look back at the scandal that rocked Tiger's Woods

 As I've written before, while politicians have to be trained to stay on-message, this guy was born on-message.

 And — a week after the anniversary of his demise-by-fire hydrant — Woods was in rare form during Tuesday's Chevron World Challenge pre-tournament news conference.

 "It's been difficult," he said of the past 12 months, "But also it's been very rewarding at the same time. It forced me to look deeper into myself.

 "I'm very excited about the future because of that."

 Even the tone deaf would've gotten the message: I've moved on; can you, too?

 If there was one spontaneous moment on Tuesday, it  Callaway Diablo Edge Driver came when a reporter tried to ask Woods whether he was tired of discussing the scandal that ruined his life.

 He didn't even get the chance to finish the sentence.

 "Yes," came the eager response.

 Woods broke out that old billion-dollar smile.

 "Did I answer that too fast? Oh, sorry."

 But, of course, the scandal hasn't yet died; not even close.

And so his nightmare was the predominant theme at Sherwood Country Club.

 "Harder than anyone could ever imagine unless you've actually gone through it before yourself," he said when asked how difficult the year was on him.Woods needs to be careful not to appear the victim when he answers these sorts of questions.

 While it's true that he's been made to pay an exorbitantly high price for his sins, he can't forget that it was a mess entirely of his own making.

Not everyone will have sympathy for him.

It was interesting, too, that he repeated his (Callaway Diablo Edge Fairway Wood) assertion — one that seems to go against his announcement of a "hiatus" from golf in February — that he never considered taking the year off.