Tiger to Tee Off at Masters Amid Controversial Commercial

As one of the world’s most recognizable athletes makes his comeback this afternoon on the green at the prestigious Masters tournament, there is another voice that has added his thoughts on the iconic golfer—his deceased father.
Last night, Nike released a commercial featuring Tiger Woods’ father Earl, a debate-igniting clip that is airing until the golfer hits the Masters in Augusta, GA. In the 33 second black-and-white ad, Woods stoically faces the camera while the voice of his father, who died in 2006, plays in the background.
"Tiger, I am more prone to be inquisitive, to promote discussion," says Earl Woods. "I want to find out what your thinking was. I want to find out what your feelings are. Did you learn anything?"
The cryptic comments come on the heels of Woods’ explosive scandal allegedly involving more than 15 mistresses . The salacious saga has so far become the biggest tabloid story of 2010, prompting the usually guarded Tiger to address the career-damaging episode during a contrite appearance at the Masters Press Conference last week.
Nike, who has been criticized for using Tiger’s dead father to rebuild the golfer’s marred reputation, said in a statement that they support Woods and his family and that the ad, "addresses his time away from the game using the powerful words of his father." —Keith Murphy