There’s been a real palava over the Tiger Woods videogame series, since news crept out that the golfer’s one wood kept falling in the wrong holes. The publisher of the annual series, EA Sports, has mostly stood by its man through the scandal, and recently confirmed Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2011 will launch June 8th.

Palava over, right? Not … quite.

EA just unveiled the boxart for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11, and it’s curious to say the least. For the first time ever in the franchise’s twelve-year history, Woods is joined by another golfer: 20-year-old Northern Ireland rookie Rory McIlroy.

So the next inevitable question is: why? EA’s own press statement says McIlroy’s appearance reflects the game’s inclusion of Ryder Cup play, with players able to choose from U.S. or European teams of golfers.

That might well be the truth,or it could be that EA is pondering a future beyond Tiger. After all, Woods has still to return to golf, and McIlroy would seem a decent heir: a clean-cut, up and coming talent who is widely rated in golfing circles (he’s currently ranked ninth in the world).

One theory I find intriguing is that EA can’t rely on more Tiger scandals not coming out, so they’ve wheeled McIlroy in, just in case Tiger’s penis goes AWOL again.

[Via press release]