Tiger's Indefinite Leave, Rehab? Edition

People is reporting what X17 noted on December 29th: Tiger has checked into The Meadows in Wickenburg, Arizona for treatment. Granted, People has been wrong a lot more than the other tabloids (sorry reader N, I know you rely on People for the fair and balanced gossip).

However, the length of Tiger's disappearance suggests he's either holed up in a cave or in a high security, highly restricted rehab facility.

The sources say that Woods entered The Meadows, a clinic in Wickenburg, Ariz., sometime around the holidays – a rumor that first made the rounds last month. The clinic specializes in substance abuse, as well as compulsive disorders such as gambling or sex addiction.

A sex-therapy expert who claims to be familiar with the situation says Woods, 34, showed up in Wickenburg around New Year's and would likely plan to stay for 4 to 5 weeks of treatment. "He should be out by Valentine's Day or thereabouts," says the source.

I don't know if that's the holiday I would have chosen to mention in light of the subject-at-hand's marital status.

X17 gloats about their exclusive and, uh, fleshes out the story and shares details about life at The Meadows.  PGA Tour Day Care, this is not.

"Everyone has to wear a color-coded nametag that signifies what you’re in for. You wear it 24/7 so everyone knows exactly what your poison is from the minute they lay eyes on you. Sex addicts wear either blue or red and they not allowed to fraternize with members of the opposite sex (or if they were gay, they couldn’t talk to a member of the same sex).

Now if you are...ah forget it. I'm sure they've got a name tag for that too.

Connell Barrett checks in with Brandel Chamblee about where he sees Tiger the golfer when and if he returns:

Brandel Chamblee: Yes, he will. I like what [Chamblee's Golf Channel colleague] Frank Nobilo said recently: Golf is in Tiger's DNA. It's what he does best. It's who he is. He was meant to win golf tournaments. As far as I know, he didn't do anything to hurt his golf game. I think he'll come out, make a mea culpa in a very organized manner, and get back to playing great golf. On the course, he'll continue to have every asset you could possibly want in a golfer. He's Seve, Jack and Hogan rolled into one—he has Seve's creativity, he thinks his way around a course like Jack, and he has Hogan's focus. No one has ever been similarly blessed. Tragically, Tiger has a character flaw that's been exposed. His image has taken a big hit. But as far as I know, it won't hurt his golf.

Doug Ferguson talks to Jesper Parnevik who will not be sharing any more thoughts on the Woods affair except the ones contained in this story. Among the highlights:

Woods has not been seen in public in two months, and Parnevik said Tuesday he doesn't know if they will stay together.

"I've kind of stayed out of it," he said at the Sony Open, his first tournament of the year. "It's better that people don't approach me if I don't know anything. That way I don't say anything that I shouldn't have. Like if she told me something and I let it slip out. It's better that I don't know, so I can say, 'I don't know.'

"I have an idea through my wife," Parnevik said. "But I don't want to be the one who says something wrong."

Asked if he thought Woods could stay married, Parnevik smiled and said, "That's what I mean. I can't say."

GM's SUV loaner deal with Tiger ended December 31, 2009.  That's probably best.

Now, we can all agree to disagree on Brit Hume's comments, but as followers of the game, I think we can all agree he's really got no idea what he's talking about when it comes to Tiger:

Yesterday, Brit Hume again reiterated that he stands by his statement that Tiger Woods should convert to Christianity if we wants "redemption," this time saying "I really hope he does. I don't know whether he will."
On The O'Reilly Factor, Hume said he will "reiterate" that he hopes Woods will see the light.

Hume said: "Boy I really hope he does. I don't know whether he will. He doesn't know me from a hat rack, I have no idea whether he heard, or heard about my words."

He continued: "But there are golf professionals who are Christians, who I'm sure may approach him, and if they do I hope he responds."

Oh yes, I can see it now:

Badds: Hey mate, glad to see you back. Say, you want to come to bible study next week? Bobby Clampett is doing a lecture on John 3:16.

Tiger: Who are you again and why don't you talk to me when you shave, get a haircut and we're paired together. Stevie, get him outta here.

The video of Hume's comments: