We’re waiting for Tiger Woods’ big announcement at 11:00 am EST this morning. I’m guessing that it will be a big letdown and that Tiger will just say something about how he deserves his privacy and will be returning to golf. If he does mention his dozen plus affairs, it will be briefly and he’ll refer to it in general terms and say he’s sorry but not get into it much. After all, that would be consistent with the statements he’s issued so far and the way he’s handled the scandal. Plus there’s the fact that Tiger’s people aren’t staging a traditional press conference with a question and answer period and have barred journalists from questioning Tiger at all.

One detail that has come out from Tiger’s camp is the fact that Tiger will be returning to “therapy” following his press conference. Some outlets are interpreting this to mean that he’s going to back to rehab, and it sure sounds like it but it’s hard to tell. “Therapy” could also means a nearby counselor, probably one that makes house calls for the kind of bucks that Tiger has to throw around. But it sounds more like rehab if the news event was hard to schedule. Good for him, I guess.

I really can’t stand Tiger and think he handled this scandal piss poorly. I was surprised to read comments on our story yesterday that some of you think he deserves to go back to golf as if nothing happened and doesn’t owe us an apology. I stand by what I said that he did make much more money by portraying himself as a loyal family man, but I hear what you’re saying. It’s sports and there are are plenty of guys who watch it who just want to see a great golfer back on the course.

Tiger Woods will return to therapy after he ends a three-month silence and speaks about his infidelity and his future plans.

Golf’s biggest star on Friday will address the shocking and sordid sex scandal that has consumed his life since late November then will return to the clinic where he has been undergoing therapy, according to a letter from PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem obtained by The Associated Press.

Finchem’s letter to the PGA Tour policy board and other officials explained why Woods chose Friday to make his first public comments, which are to be televised live by the major networks.

“As we understand it, Tiger’s therapy called for a week’s break at this time during which he has spent a few days with his children and then will make his statement before returning,” Finchem said in the letter Thursday. “Accordingly, there was very little flexibility in the date for the announcement.”

The letter shed no light on whether Woods plans to return to the tour anytime soon.

Golf’s biggest star is to make his first public appearance since he ran his SUV over a fire hydrant and into a tree outside his Florida home on Nov. 27 and sent him into hiding.

The setting for his return is decidedly friendly. It may be hard to remember the planet is watching.

Woods will speak to a small group of “friends, colleagues and close associates” in the Sunset Room on the second floor of the TPC Sawgrass, home of the PGA Tour. Just one video camera will broadcast the event and there will be no questions.

Woods’ statement comes during the Match Play Championship, sponsored by Accenture, the first company to drop Woods as a pitchman.

[From Golf.com]

There’s of course the ongoing speculation as to whether Elin will stand by Tiger during the conference, like poor Silda Spitzer did when her husband resigned as Governor of New York. Most outlets reported yesterday that she’s opting out, and I hope that’s true. Plus it seems consistent with the kind of low-key way Elin has led her life up to this point. Radar reports that there are intense negotations underway for Elin to attend though. Meanwhile Hollywood Life points out that Elin has been seen out decked in Nike gear, which may silently signal that she’s backing her husband and one of his few remaining sponsors. I don’t know, they probably have a ton of free Nike gear at home and it might not mean anything. We’ll see! Run Elin run!

Here are new photos of Tiger playing golf all decked out in Nike gear before his big announcement. These are also from Getty, which had the first photos yesterday of Tiger out running. TMZ estimates that by working with Getty to arrange the first post scandal photos, Tiger may have blocked an over $1 million photo opportunity from the paparazzi.