Talk of Tiger buzzing at tournament

THOUSAND OAKS, California – Tiger Woods’ presence is larger than ever at the Chevron World Challenge, even if he isn’t coming to his own tournament.

Padraig Harrington was leaving the media center after his interview at the tournament when he passed Lee Westwood and offered some tips.

“Would you like to know what questions are being asked?” Harrington said.

Westwood smiled and said, “I imagine there’s only one.”

As most players were getting ready to practice Tuesday, TV sets were tuned to a press conference in Florida, where state troopers declared the investigation into Woods’ Nov. 27 early morning crash was over and that he would be cited for careless driving and fined $164.

Then came a Us Weekly story with a woman claiming to have text messages and voice mails from an affair with Woods that began more than two years ago. That magazine cover story comes less than a week after the National Enquirer published a story alleging that Woods had been seeing New York nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel, who has denied it.

“There’s lot of questions that we’re never going to get the answers to, and the fact that he is the No. 1 sports star in the world means that there is going to be a higher profile to those things,” Harrington said. “It is what it is because of how good he is, and he’ll have to deal with it. I don’t know exactly what the truth of it all is, and the thing is, I don’t think anybody is ever going to know exactly what’s gone on. And that’s probably a good thing.

“But it won’t stop people from guessing and questioning things like that,” he said. “That’s human nature. We’re intrigued by other people’s lives.”

Most players, even those who are close to Woods, have not heard from him and don’t know what to think, much less say.

“I haven’t talked to him,” said Mark O’Meara, who took him under his wing when Woods turned pro at age 20 in 1996.

Steve Stricker went undefeated with Woods as his partner at the Presidents Cup, and their wives walked together in some of those matches. He usually gets a quick answer when he sends a text message from Woods. This time, not a peep. (AP)