Tiger's Purported Suspension - Much Ado about Nothing


A golfer who played intermittently on the PGA Tour drew the attention - and ire - of the PGA Tour and Tiger Woods' camp when he alleged the 14-time major winner was in the midst of a one-month suspension imposed by the Tour.

Dan Olsen, said on a Michigan radio show last Friday that Woods, based on remarks from a "strong witness … a credible person," was now serving a suspension by the Tour.

The 48-year-old Olsen added, "When it's all said and done, [Woods] is going to surpass Lance Armstrong with infamy."

In a statement released to ESPN and Golf Channel, Woods' manager, Mark Steinberg, said that the claims are "absolutely, unequivocally and completely false. They are unsourced, unverified and completely ridiculous. The PGA Tour has confirmed that there is no truth to these claims."

The PGA Tour's executive vice president, Ty Votaw, iterated as much in a statement Monday: "Regarding the allegations made by Dan Olsen concerning Tiger Woods, there is no truth whatsoever to his claims and the PGA Tour categorically denies them."

Olsen even claimed during the radio interview that Woods used illegal balls made for him by Nike, his longtime equipment sponsor. "I would almost bet they hadn't been tested," Olsen said. "He's really playing with - I'm not going to say a cheater ball, because he has the help of the establishment, really - but he played a ball that nobody else could play.

"So, that combined with his enhancement issues, like having a Canadian blood-spinning doctor in his phone, you know? I mean, I think people are starting to openly call it what it is, which is going to be a problem for him."

Nike issued its own statement to ESPN. "Every ball Tiger has put in competitive play from Nike has been thoroughly tested and approved by the USGA and R&A in accordance with their governing rules," it read.

Upon hearing the refutations of his inflammatory on-air comments, Olsen backtracked, telling ESPN, "Everything I said on that radio interview was only my opinion and not based on any first-hand knowledge or facts. I want to make a full retraction to everything I said for the entire radio interview, and I apologize to Tiger, Nike … [PGA Tour commissioner] Tim Finchem and the PGA Tour."

Olsen played just one season on the Tour, in 2004. Last year he was a club professional in Michigan and now lives in the Jacksonville, Fla., area.