Tiger Woods has found himself in some tricky predicaments on the golf course, but nothing as difficult as his current off-the-course situation.  As it turns out, Tiger is much better at extricating himself from trouble on the course than off it.  

Put simply, he's handled the aftermath of his car accident Friday morning horrendously.  He's been silent for a few days -- ducking not only reporters but the police, too -- and in the process has allowed rumors and speculation about his private life to fill the void.

I suppose if there was a good explanation for Tiger bolting his house at 3 am and then ramming his car into a tree just 30 feet from his garage, he would have given it already.  My guess is there probably isn't an explanation that Tiger would like to share with the public, but in this case he's better off being honest and direct with the public, and owning up to any private failings. 

If he plays the "it's my business - not yours" card and refuses to discuss any of it publicly, he'll certainly get away with it (in the sense that nobody can force Tiger to do anything), but it'll mean a huge (and possibly permanent) blow to his reputation. 

If Tiger has an Achilles heal to begin with (when it comes to his public image) it's that he's too distant, remote and robotic -- that there's nothing genuine about him (other than the great golf).  This is in stark contrast to say, Phil Mickelson, who seemingly goes out of his way to open up his life to the public, and because of it has a special bond with fans that Tiger has never enjoyed.  

Tiger certainly won't help his cause in the long run by shutting this down.  He might as well fess up, admit he's human, ask for forgiveness, and move on.  He'll score way more points with the public, and put the incident behind him. 

If he simply remains "silent in perpetuity" this incident -- and all the rumors around it -- will always be hanging over him.  Will he lose endorsements? Probably not -- his brand is so unique and powerful that it can withstand silence and stonewalling, even around something as personal as this.  Will it make him any more likeable or appealing? Absolutely not.  He'll just reinforce the image of an aloof, pampered, out-of-touch mega star that he is, and it will leave him even more distant from his fans.  

Tiger should be reminded: it's never the crime that does the reputation damage; it's always the cover-up.  My advice to him is come clean, be contrite, ask for forgiveness, and move on.  It's much better than lying and hiding.