US golfer Tiger Woods in Shanghai in early November. Australian officials have said that the scandal-hit golfer was welcome back any time after the success of his November visit which delivered a 34 million dollar (31 million US) boost to the local economy.

Australian officials Tuesday said scandal-hit golfer Tiger Woods was welcome back any time after his November visit delivered a 34 million dollar (31 million US) boost to the local economy.

Victoria’s state government made the comments after a number of high-profile sponsors dropped the world number one following revelations over a string of extra-marital affairs.

“We have made it clear that Tiger is welcome to come play golf any time in Victoria,” tourism and events minister Tim Holding said.

“He has obviously made some announcements about his golfing future — we respect that and we respect his privacy.”

Woods drew thousands of fans as he swept to victory at November’s Australian Masters, his last tournament before a mysterious Florida car crash brought the affairs to light and prompted him to take a break from golf.

Victorian taxpayers forked out 1.5 million Australian dollars to lure the megastar to Melbourne but were rewarded by a 34 million dollar fillip in ticket sales, hotel and restaurant bookings and taxi and retail receipts.

Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer and Gillette have both dropped Woods from ad campaigns, while consulting firm Accenture ended a six-year sponsorship deal.

Australian media have said Woods’ alleged mistress Rachel Uchitel was also in Melbourne during the Masters tournament.

Tiger Woods at the Australian Masters golf tournament. Woods said family always comes before golf in what is being touted as his last interview before the sex scandal broke over his infidelity to wife Elin.

Tiger Woods said family always comes before golf in what is being touted as his last interview before the sex scandal broke over his infidelity to wife Elin.

New Zealand sports commentator Murray Deaker interviewed the golf superstar at the Australian Masters last month in what the broadcaster claims was his last interview before reports Woods cheated with 10 women.

“Family first and golf second. Always be like that?” Deaker asked Woods.

“Always,” the golfer replied in a promotional clip for the interview.

The eight-minute interview was to be screened by New Zealand pay television network Sky TV on Christmas Day but because of the frenzy of interest in the scandal, it has been moved forward to Tuesday.

Woods announced Friday he was taking a hiatus from professional golf and admitted he had cheated on his wife after reports that 10 women had claimed to have had sexual relationships with the 14-time major champion.

Tiger Woods holds his daugher, Sam, next to his wife Elin Nordegren at Stanford Stadium in November. Woods faced more fallout from his sex scandal Sunday as stunned rivals said they looked forward to his return after an indefinite break in his golfing career and corporate sponsors pondered their future cooperation with the billionaire athlete.

Tiger Woods faced more fallout from his sex scandal Sunday as stunned rivals said they looked forward to his return after an indefinite break in his golfing career and corporate sponsors pondered their future cooperation with the billionaire athlete.

Woods announced Friday he was taking a hiatus from professional golf and admitted he had cheated on wife Elin after reports that 10 women had claimed to have had sexual relationships with the 14-time major champion.

“It’s a shock. It was most definitely a shock to everybody to hear what has been going on,” third-ranked US golfer Steve Stricker said. “Hopefully he gets it straight. Staying away is a great thing to get his family life in order.”

World number one Woods, who has a son and daughter with Elin, said he wanted to work on being a better husband, father and person.

A Nike Golf display featuring Tiger Woods is shown at a golf shop in Orlando, Florida. Woods faced more fallout from his sex scandal Sunday as stunned rivals said they looked forward to his return after an indefinite break in his golfing career and corporate sponsors pondered their future cooperation with the billionaire athlete.

Australian golf legend Greg Norman said those should be his priorities for now.

“It’s not a good position to be in,” Norman said. “He has to sort out his private life first and foremost. There’s a lot of heartache for him. There may be some fallout. There are individuals who may have to change.

“The important thing is he gets it right and does what he has to do to get himself back out on the golf course. Tiger will come out of this.”

A major concern is how a prolonged absence by the game’s greatest player will hit the sport. Television viewership was down 50 percent when he was out with a knee injury and a tough economy has already cut into golf sponsorships.

“The game of golf is bigger than anybody,” Norman said. “Golf is hurt without him in the field but the game will go on.”

Woods sponsor Gillette announced Saturday it would phase him out of advertisements while he takes a break from golf, calling it a supportive move.

“As Tiger takes a break from the public eye, we will support his desire for privacy by limiting his role in our marketing programs,” a Gillette statement said without announcing a timetable for the resumption of use of Woods’ image.

Accenture took down an image of Woods on its website and AT&T, which backs the PGA event operated by Woods’s foundation, said in a statement, “We are presently evaluating our ongoing relationship with him.”

A tiger headcover is seen on display at a golf shop in Orlando, Florida. Tiger Woods faced more fallout from his sex scandal Sunday as stunned rivals said they looked forward to his return after an indefinite break in his golfing career and corporate sponsors pondered their future cooperation with the billionaire athlete.

However, Nike, which is Woods’ largest corporate partner with a deal estimated at 40 million dollars a year, stood by him. “He is the best golfer in the world and one of the greatest athletes of his era,” Nike spokeswoman Beth Gast said.

Women such as a show club hostess, pancake restaurant waitress, porn star and cocktail waitress have alleged affairs with Woods, whose squeaky-clean image was shattered, raising concerns of sponsors pulling away from golf.

“I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children. I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness,” Woods said.

The Woods scandal also makes fans and sponsors take a second look at all golfers.

“We’re still a very morally sound sport,” US veteran Jerry Kelly said. “The corporate world, they love Tiger and they love attaching to that superstar athlete, but there’s a lot to be gained from the PGA.”

Woods became a billionaire mainly through endorsements but his TV allure, as a Superman-like player rarely overtaken when leading late, brought sponsors and huge prize money to the PGA, already hit by cuts due to the struggling economy.Facts: Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods faced more fallout from his sex scandal Sunday as stunned rivals said they looked forward to his return after an indefinite break in his golfing career and corporate sponsors pondered their future cooperation with the billionaire athlete.

“We’re definitely going to miss him,” Stricker said. “We all know what he brings when he comes to an event — increased awareness and increased crowds.”

Stricker pondered the now-shattered notion so many Woods fans had that he was as impressive out of the spotlight as he was when winning golf titles.

“It’s unfair how we have built him up over the years,” Stricker said. “On the course he’s one of a kind. No one really knows what he was like off the course. He’s a tough guy to get around. He has his own little group.

“Hopefully he gets his priorities straight and gets back soon. There’s no doubt we need him. We need him out here because of sponsorships and just the awareness of our tour in general.”

US PGA veteran Brad Faxon agreed that Woods is vital to the PGA’s future.

“We’re all hoping Tiger comes back and he fixes everything he needs to fix because we need him out here,” Faxon said. “He’s such a dynamic personality and I know (people) want to have him out on tour as soon as we can get him.”

Tiger Woods will face no criminal charges for crashing outside his Florida mansion but the world’s number one golfer has been issued with a careless driving citation, according to police.

Tiger Woods will face no criminal charges for crashing outside his Florida mansion but the world’s number one golfer has been issued with a careless driving citation, according to police.

Woods must also pay a 164-dollar fine and lose four points from his license — a third of the total needed in a year to be suspended — but the Florida Highway Patrol investigation into Friday’s crash is now closed, police announced.

Spokeswoman Kim Montes said there was insufficient evidence for any greater charges and no claims of domestic violence were involved in the November 27 incident, which remained shrouded in mystery and speculation.

The patrol “is not pursuing criminal charges in this matter nor is there any testimony or evidence to support any charges of any kind other than careless driving,” Montes said.

Woods struck a fire hydrant and a tree when he lost control of his vehicle just outside his home around 2:25 am, far enough from the house to merit a traffic citation.

“The investigation has determined that Mr. Woods is at fault in the crash,” patrol major Cindy Williams said.

Woods did not provide information to police, something he was not required to do under Florida law, and has not revealed details surrounding the crash such as where he was going or why he lost control of the vehicle.

His silence fueled speculation surrounding media reports that Woods was in the vehicle to escape his wife Elin after the two argued about a tabloid newspaper story that he had an affair with New York night club hostess Rachel Uchitel.

Both Woods and Uchitel have denied the tabloid press reports.

Florida Highway Patrol trooper Major Cindy Williams speaks to the media about the Tiger Woods accident case in Orlando, Florida. Woods will face no criminal charges for crashing outside his Florida mansion but the world’s number one golfer has been issued with a careless driving citation, according to police.

“It’s the most ridiculous story. It’s like they are asking me to comment if there are aliens on Earth,” Uchitel told the New York Post in an interview published Tuesday.

But rumors continued to unfold around Woods as his mansion became a bunker, and not the type an errant golf shot might find.

Another report Tuesday in US Magazine quoted a 24-year-old Los Angeles waitress saying she and Woods had a 31-month-long affair beginning in April, 2007, and that she had voice mails and more than 300 text messages as proof.

The magazine’s website said that on Wednesday it would provide access to a Woods voice mail from the day the Uchitel report came out in which Woods suggests that Elin might suspect he was having an affair.

While the media storm is unlikely to die down soon, the end of the police probe will bring some respite to the 14-time major champion, who is not due to play again and have to face the hordes of reporters until 2010.

Uchitel, 33, told the Post she had met Tiger twice and only in her professional capacity as VIP services director at a New York club. She denied reports that she had met with Woods last month when both were in Australia.

“Tiger and I are not friends,” she told the Post.

There has been media speculation that Woods’s wife Elin, a Swedish former model, confronted him over Uchitel and chased him with a golf club, smashing in the rear windows of the car as he tried to flee, causing him to lose control.

Woods issued a statement on his website Sunday hitting out at the “unfounded and malicious rumors”, but providing no further explanation for the crash.

Florida Highway Patrol trooper sergeant Kim Montes speaks to the media about the Tiger Woods accident case in Orlando, Florida. Woods will face no criminal charges for crashing outside his Florida mansion but the world’s number one golfer has been issued with a careless driving citation, according to police.

Bill Sharpe, an attorney for Woods’ neighbor Linda Adams and her family, said Tuesday that the golfer’s injuries looked to be from a car accident rather than a domestic dispute.

“The scratches on his face were consistent with someone who maybe was in a minor car accident and hit his head on the windshield,” Sharpe said.

“None of his injuries looked like he was beat up by his wife.”

Sharpe said Adams found Elin kneeling beside Woods and upset over his injuries, saying she asked them to call police and medical personnel.

“Mrs. Woods’ attitude was consistent with her being concerned about her injured husband,” Sharpe said. “Mrs. Woods was trying to help him. Mrs. Woods was worried about her husband.”

Woods and Elin have been married for five years and have two children, daughter Sam Alexis, born in 2007, and son Charlie Axel, born in February.

Tiger Woods and his wife Elin Nordegren (R) are pictured during an October 2009 tournament in San Francisco. Woods broke his silence two days after crashing his car Sunday, saying the “embarrassing” accident was his fault and hitting out at “unfounded and malicious rumors.”

Golf superstar Tiger Woods took responsibility for an “embarrassing” late-night car crash, but declined to tell his story to police even as he lashed out at “unfounded and malicious rumors.”

Woods, 33, posted a statement on his website Sunday saying he was solely responsible for the accident outside his Florida home, which left him with facial cuts, some bruises and a welter of unwelcome publicity.

“This situation is my fault, and it’s obviously embarrassing to my family and me,” the 14-time major golf champion said. “I’m human and I’m not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

But Woods again declined to speak to Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) troopers, who had expected to talk with him as part of their investigation into the accident.

Officers, who were turned away on both Friday and Saturday, were to meet Woods at his home and discuss how his car came to hit a fire hydrant and then a tree near his two million-dollar home in the suburbs of Orlando.

Instead, FHP spokeswoman Sergeant Kim Montes said troopers who arrived at the house were met by Woods’ lawyer Mark Nejame, who said Woods would not be meeting with them on Sunday.

Mobile TV crews park outside the Isleworth community home of Tiger Woods in Orlando, Florida. Woods took responsibility for an “embarrassing” late-night car crash, but declined to tell his story to police even as he lashed out at “unfounded and malicious rumors.”

“It has not been rescheduled,” said Montes, who said the crash remains under investigation and could still result in charges. Under Florida law Woods is not obliged to give a statement.

“Mr. Woods’ attorney provided the troopers with Mr. Woods’ driver’s license information, registration and current proof of insurance as required by Florida law,” Montes said.

Authorities have already said alcohol was not a factor in the crash. Montes said investigators wanted to give Woods an opportunity to give his version of events.

Early FHP reports that Woods was seriously hurt. Even as it became clear Woods was not seriously harmed, speculation swirled as to why he was leaving his house at 2:25 am in the morning.

“Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible,” said Woods.

Leading the speculation, the celebrity news website TMZ.com reported that a dispute between Woods and his wife, former model Elin Nordegren of Sweden, was at the center of the incident.

By the website’s account, Nordegren confronted her husband about tabloid reports he was having an affair with a New York club hostess.

“The only person responsible for the accident is me,” Woods said. “My wife, Elin, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble. She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false.”

Golf superstar Tiger Woods took responsibility for an “embarrassing” late-night car crash, but declined to tell his story to police even as he lashed out at “unfounded and malicious rumors.”

The FHP released a recording of a 911 emergency call in which a shaken neighbor tells how a black Cadillac Escalade hit a tree outside his house.

“I have someone down in front of my house,” says the caller, who is not identified and never mentions Woods by name. “I see him, he’s laying down.”

Daniel Saylor, police chief of the Orlando suburb of Windermere, has said Woods’ wife used a golf club to smash out a rear window to help extricate him after she heard the crash from inside their home.

Woods and Elin have been married for five years and have two children, daughter Sam Alexis, born in 2007, and son Charlie Axel, born in February.

Woods is scheduled to play his last tournament of 2009 next week, when he hosts the Chevron World Challenge in Los Angeles. The annual event benefits his charitable foundation.

Meanwhile, American professional golfer John Daly said in Australia Monday that golf would suffer if Woods sustained any long-term damage.

Daly, a dual major winner affectionately known as ‘Wild Thing’, said the sport badly needed Woods and was relieved that the world number one was okay.

“Tiger’s the biggest asset the tour’s had in a long, long time,” Daly said ahead of this week’s Australian Open.

Italian golfer Edoardo Molinari (left) celebrates with his caddie after beating Robert Karlsson of Sweden in the play-off of the Dunlop Phoenix men’s golf tournament in Miyazaki.

Italy’s Edoardo Molinari defeated Robert Karlsson of Sweden on the second play-off hole to win the Dunlop Phoenix men’s golf tournament on Sunday.

Molinari’s approach shot left him a one-metre birdie putt while Karlsson had four metres for a birdie on the hole.

Karlsson missed the shot and then Molinari duly sank it for the victory, which brought him the winner’s cheque of 40 million yen (444,000 dollars).

“I think I played very well today. Also congratulations for Robert, because he played some fantastic golf,” said Molinari, who is 18 and the top money earner on the European challenge tour this season.

“Today it was a hard round till the end and I was lucky to come out on top.”

Starting the day with a one-stroke lead over Karlsson, Molinari carded two birdies and Karlsson four birdies on the front nine.

Karlsson, who last season became the first Swede to be the top money earner on the European tour, added two more birdies on the back nine, but Molinari birdied the 11th, 13th and 15th holes to catch up with the Swede.

Both had a chance to finish off before the play-off, with Karlsson’s birdie putt stopping at the edge of the cup on the 17th hole and the two narrowly missing birdie putts on the 18th hole.

Molinari ended the round with five birdies for a 66 and Karlsson six birdies for a 65 for the four-round total of 13-under-par 271.

Shane Lowry of Ireland, who won the Irish Open as an amateur in May, shared third place with Japan’s Hirofumi Miyase on 277, followed by Eddie Lee of New Zealand and Tadahiro Takayama on 278.

Three-time major winner Vijay Singh of Fiji hit a double bogey, three bogeys and two birdies for a 74 to share 31st place with seven other golfers on 286, including his compatriot Dinesh Chand.

The LPGA’s struggles to hang onto sponsors was reflected in its schedule for next season as the women’s pro golf tour has reduced its number of tournaments to 24 from 27.

The LPGA’s struggles to hang onto sponsors was reflected in its schedule for next season as the women’s pro golf tour has reduced its number of tournaments to 24 from 27.

Officials also announced a home for the second major of the year which will now be in Singapore. The Tour which begins February 18 at the Honda tournament in Thailand.

Next season also marks the first season that acting commissioner Marty Evens will be in charge from the outset. He replaced Carolyn Bivens in July.

Evans said the new schedule comprises tournaments already under contract and others that are “very, very close” to being signed.

“This is the schedule as of today,” Evans said. The tour is in the Houston area for this week’s season-ending LPGA Tour Championship.

The tour will remain in southeast Asia for its second event in Singapore and will not begin in the United States until a month later for the LPGA Classic in California.

The first major of the season the Kraft Nabisco Championship is set for April 1-4 at Mission Hills.

The second major of the year is the LPGA Championship June 24-27 at Locust Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York.

The U.S. Women’s Open will be played July 8-11 at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania and the Women’s British Open will be held at Royal Birkdale in South Port, England, beginning July 29.

The schedule ends with the LPGA Tour Championship on November 18-21.

The tour is still trying to find a date for next year’s LPGA Korea.

Tiger Woods watches his ball land on the green during the third round of the Australian Masters at the Kingston Heath course in Melbourne, on November 14. Woods dominated the final round on Sunday and won the Australian Masters at Kingston Heath.

World number one Tiger Woods dominated the final round to win the Australian Masters at Kingston Heath on Sunday.

The 14-time Major winner had a four-under 68 to finish the tournament on 14-under 274.

Woods beat Australian Greg Chalmers (68-69-69-70) by two strokes with Frenchman Francois Delamontagne (71-70-68-69) and American Jason Dufner (70-67-71-70) finishing two shots away in joint third.

Woods won the tournament’s golden jacket and 270,000 dollars (252,000 US) prize money.

It was Woods’s 93rd career title and his seventh of the year.

Tiger Woods of the US hits an iron shot to the green during the third round of the Australian Masters at the Kingston Heath course in Melbourne. Woods was tied for the lead after three rounds at 10 under par with Australians Greg Chalmers and James Nitties.

Tiger Woods was in a three-way share of the lead after wrestling with his game in the third round of the Australian Masters at Kingston Heath on Saturday.

The 14-time major winner endured a frustrating day of two birdies and two bogeys in his par round of 72, a far cry from his dominant 10-under after the opening two rounds.

Woods (66-68-72) goes into Sunday’s final round locked in the lead with Australians Greg Chalmers (68-69-69) and James Nitties (66-71-69) on 10-under 206.

The American world number one struggled to recapture the form that left the huge Australian galleries drooling over his shot-making in his first tournament appearance in Australia since 1998.

It looked as though Woods would stretch his overnight three-stroke lead after a birdie at the second hole, but he bogeyed the next and could not get to grips with the Kingston Heath links course, made harder by windier conditions.

American playing partner Jason Dufner, who led briefly after four birdies in six holes in the outward nine, faded to joint fourth with a 69 with Australian Cameron Percy (67-72-69) on eight-under 208.

Woods birdied the second hole with a 30-footer to howls of delight from the large gallery, but he came to grief at the next with his second bogey of the tournament.

His approach chip left him on the edge of the third green and he left his putt four feet short and three-putted for bogey.

But it was a mixed outward nine holes for Woods, who missed a five-footer for birdie on the sixth as Dufner joined him in the lead after three birdies in four holes.

Tiger Woods of the US retrieves his club after bouncing it into the ground and over the crowd during the third round of the Australian Masters at the Kingston Heath course in Melbourne. Woods was tied for the lead after three rounds at 10 under par with Australians Greg Chalmers and James Nitties.

Dufner sunk a 25-footer for another birdie at the eighth forcing Woods to make a pressure 15-foot put for par to keep his playing partner’s lead to one stroke.

Chalmers raced to the outright lead at 11-under after four birdies in his outward nine.

Woods slumped to his second bogey of the round at the par-3 11th after he missed the green and then over-cooked his putt to the opposite side of the green and missed the long par putt back to fall two shots behind the lead.

The world number one had some luck at the 13th when his wedge out of the bunker hit the flagstick and left him with an easy par putt to stay in touch with the lead.

Woods picked up only his second birdie of the day at the 14th when his eagle putt finished within two feet leaving him with an easy task.

He had a chance to regain the outright lead at the 16th and last holes but missed with birdie putts.

Tiger Woods made a spectacular birdie-laden start to the Australian Masters and only marred his opening round with a final hole bogey at Kingston Heath.

Tiger Woods made a spectacular birdie-laden start to the Australian Masters and only marred his opening round with a final hole bogey at Kingston Heath.

The American world number one on Thursday blasted his way to a six-under 66 as he took apart the revered sandbelt layout in his first Australian tournament appearance in 11 years.

The 14-time major winner claimed seven birdies, offset by just one bogey, to be one stroke off the early lead in the Australian Masters in his quest for a 93rd tournament title.

“I felt good today, I hit the ball pretty decent,” Woods said. “I didn’t make a lot of putts but I had great speed and a couple of iron shots which were 30 to 40 feet away.

“The crowd was great today. People were obviously excited about our pairing and the people were extremely respectful, they were actually policing themselves, which was great.”

Woods justified his favourite tag as he reeled off five birdies on his homeward nine holes, including three in a row.

Watched by thousands of fans who ringed the fairways, Woods came within one shot of the course record of 65, held by Australians Robert Allenby and Anthony Painter before he gave up a shot at the last hole when he hooked his tee shot into trees and scrambled to make a bogey.

Woods, starting off at the 10th hole, claimed his first birdie at the 525 metre par five 12th where he came out of a greenside bunker to within three metres of the pin and holed the putt.

He missed an eagle putt at the 14th and tapped in for a birdie four to reach the turn at two under.

Woods began his homeward journey by slamming a 200 metre-long iron to the front of the 1st green and missed an eagle putt by centimetres to pick up his third shot in 10 holes.

He then went on a run of four birdies in five holes before his final hole hiccup.