***UPDATE*** Tiger releases statement: "I have let my family down & I regret those transgressions w/ all of my heart ... I will strive to be a better person and the husband and father that my family deserves. For all of those who have supported me over the years, I offer my profound apology."  

There is a Thanksgiving hangover and it involves the media’s indulgence over Tiger Woods. I’ve never seen so much speculation and infatuation over a driveway accident. Sadly, the media frenzy has only just begun.

Every gossip site is milking this story for every ounce of traffic it can attain, and although most respectable news sites are holding off from making it A-1 material, one can’t imagine a cage made of human interest holding off a Tiger-sized story.

Several sites have claimed that Tiger has had a long affair with a former waitress, who allegedly has a voicemail and some texts to prove it. A Chinese news report even featured an animated re-enactment of the Tiger Woods incident (which is laughable not only in its poor quality, but in that they have Tiger attempting to drive off in a van).

If any of the speculations prove to be true, most people will wonder how in the world a man who has it all—money, fame, beautiful wife, healthy kids, adoration from fans, respect of many—risk it all for a tryst? Most of us would like to believe that with a billion dollars handy and the world as our stage we wouldn’t screw it up, but we’ll never have the opportunity to fail (or succeed) in those extremes. So, naturally, we project how we would have handled things on someone we don’t even know.

Sure, Tiger’s richer than all the readers of this site combined, but that doesn’t make this circumstance any less painful and any less difficult to navigate. He has a marriage to fight for, kids to protect, a job to maintain and partnerships to uphold. Whether he fabricated a story, cheated, lied or all of the above, no one knows the extent of the story better than Tiger himself.

Known as one of the most stoic and secretive sports figures, Tiger is suddenly facing his worst nightmare. It is a lonely jungle he’s traversing through, and I want to hope for something great to come out of this. I want Tiger to fight for his family, his legacy and his reputation as a role model for the next generation of golfers. I want Tiger to shock the media world and turn their indulgence for negative press into intervention for positive change. If I’m being honest, 12 hours ago I wasn’t even thinking about Tiger the person. I was just another set of eyeballs on the Internet scouring for the latest news on the collapse of a modern icon. Then it hit me, Tiger is just a man. A sentiment I discussed in my most recent post.

Life, like golf, is not just about how you begin on the front nine, it is all about how you finish on the back nine. Tiger has hit some major roughs and if there’s one thing we can all agree about real life is that mulligans are rarely offered. And as if I haven’t already used every golf metaphor in the book, excuse me as I continue. People describe the game of golf as more mental than it is physical. One’s ability to keep the outside distractions at bay determines the success on the golf course, and no one performed better under intense pressure than Tiger Woods. This is easily the toughest course he’s ever faced.

I’m neither a huge golf fan nor a Tiger enthusiast, but I am definitely someone who roots for the best story. The best story will not be found in the drama playing out on every tabloid magazine or gossip site. The best story always involves honesty, forgiveness, love, grace and hope. Unfortunately, that kind of drama is usually hidden.