EA sticking by Tiger Woods for online golf game

Games publisher EA is keeping to its word over the Tiger Woods saga. After the recent soap opera surrounding his marriage and mistresses, Woods lost sponsorship deals with AT&T and Accenture, amongst others.

EA, however, has issued statements of support for the golfer/philanderer, and it is Woods who will be the face of EA’s new browser-based golf game, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online, when it opens for beta later this month. Here’s EA president Peter Moore on why:

“Our relationship with Tiger has always been rooted in golf. We didn’t form a relationship with him so that he could act as an arm’s length endorser. Far from it. We chose to partner with Tiger in 1997 because we saw him as the world’s best, most talented and exciting golfer. We struck that partnership with the assumption that he would remain near or at the top of his sport for years to come.”

If you want some help cutting through the corporate speak, that translates as: “Fine, this guy stuck his one-wood down the wrong holes, but as he’s eight bajillion times more famous/marketable than any other golfer ever, we’re gonna stick with the wayward swinger, thanks.”

Something worth noting, however: this announcement does only apply to the new online golf game. There’s still no word on whether he’ll be brought back to front the console and PC games, but EA seems very willing to stick by its man.

[EA Sports, via Eurogamer]