Q&A With Don Van Natta Jr., New York Times Investigative Correspondent

After Tuesday's New York Times front page story linking Dr. Anthony Galea to Tiger Woods, I requested an e-interview with Pulitzer prize-winning investigative correspondent Don Van Natta Jr., one of the key contributors to the story and an occasional writer for Golf Digest.

The Times story has been criticized by Woods' agent Mark Steinberg and on assorted sites, including this odd and dismissive take at Deadspin. As recently as yesterday, Steinberg's agency, IMG, continued to deny any link to Dr. Galea, though they appeared to be isolating their man in case evidence contradicts Steinberg's statements.

Gerald Posner writes:

But this afternoon, I had a surprisingly blunt conversation with Jim Gallagher, the normally diplomatic chief of IMG’s press relations, who told The Daily Beast: “Mark Steinberg has assured us that he has never met Dr. Galea or referred him to any of our clients, including Tiger Woods.”

I asked Van Natta about the strong denial by Steinberg, along with questions about elements to Dr. Galea's defense.

GS: Can you speak to the genesis of this story and when the New York Times began speaking to Dr. Galea?

DVN: We had received a tip that one of Tiger Woods’ doctors was under criminal investigation in the U.S. for dispensing performance-enhancing drugs to professional athletes. I was brought into the story last Thursday and first spoke with Dr. Galea by phone on Friday evening. Our first conversation lasted nearly two hours. Then over last weekend, Dr. Galea and I spoke by phone several additional times and exchanged a half dozen email messages.

GS: Tiger's agent Mark Steinberg followed up his bizarre initial comments in the story by saying, "The New York Times is flat wrong, no one at IMG has ever met or recommended Dr. Galea, nor were we worried about the progress of Tiger's recovery, as the Times falsely reported."  In the story, you write that Dr. Galea said Tiger was "referred to him by the golfer’s agents at Cleveland-based International Management Group, who were alarmed at the slow pace of Mr. Woods’s rehabilitation after knee surgery in June 2008." Later on the suggestion is made "In February, discouraged by the lack of progress, Dr. Lindsay asked Dr. Galea to look at Mr. Woods, who was suffering from patellar tendinitis and had scarring in the muscle."  Can you speak to Mr. Steinberg's claims and clarify how the Times believes Tiger became associated with Dr. Galea?

DVN: Dr. Lindsay and Dr. Galea both told me that Dr. Galea was brought in to assist in Tiger’s rehabilitation, with the knowledge and blessing of agents at I.M.G.  They both said that when Dr. Galea first examined Tiger, the golfer was suffering from tendonitis in his left knee and stubborn scarring. They said Tiger and his representatives were not pleased with the slow pace of his recovery. Both Dr. Lindsay and Dr. Galea said agents at I.M.G. routinely refer them both to their athlete-clients who need treatment.

GS: Mark Steinberg also said, "The treatment Tiger received is a widely accepted therapy and to suggest some connection with illegality is recklessly irresponsible."  But as I read the story, no assertion was ever made that the platelet therapy was illegal. However, the doctor's use of other alternative and illegal drugs does appear to raise questions as to why Woods would associate with a doctor using sometimes unlawful methods?

DVN: That’s right. We never said -- nor did we suggest -- that PRP was illegal. The story raised questions about why Tiger Woods associated with a doctor who is accused now by Canadian authorities of using unlawful methods. The follow-up questions I would ask Mr. Steinberg are: Why did IMG allow their most valuable client to get treatment in his own home from a doctor who he says they had never met? Did Tiger receive treatment from Dr. Galea without IMG’s knowledge and/or permission?

GS: While sharing what appear to be extensive on-the-record comments by Dr. Galea, it is noted that "his practice has become a regular destination for injured professional athletes, including N.F.L. players who take red-eye flights on Monday nights for treatment on Tuesdays, their day off," yet Tiger Woods was treated at his Orlando home on several occasions.  Did Dr. Galea ever speak as to why he made the unique gesture of flying to Florida?

DVN: No. But our reporting shows most of Tiger’s nine-month rehabilitation occurred in his personal gym inside his home outside Orlando.

GS: In the story, Dr. Galea is reported as saying that in October, "he heard again from Mr. Woods that his knee was still bothering him, 'but all this stuff started with the investigation, and I couldn’t go see him.'" Did the doctor indicate whether his inability to treat Woods since October was a product of his schedule changing due to the investigation, or because Woods decided to no longer seek treatment from Dr. Galea?

DVN: I was surprised by Dr. Galea’s comments that indicated Tiger was hurting more during this past season than we had known. Dr. Galea told me that Tiger wanted further PRP treatment but he could not go to Orlando because of the criminal investigation.