Finally, A Reason To Be GWAA President!**

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Nice job by Steve Elling who spells out how the Tiger statement-reading in front of three wire service writers and three pool reporters at the TPC Sawgrass came about.

Before the press conference was announced, Woods' publicist spoke with the president of the Golf Writers Association of America, who helped select which reporters would be allowed to attend. Woods' publicist said Woods mostly plans to explain himself and fall on his sword.

"That's it," said Vartan Kupelian, the GWAA president. "He just wants to come out and tell his side of the story. Not even so much that, but to mostly apologize and to see if he can start making amends."

Wow, the GWAA president knows more about the statement than the Commissioner of the PGA Tour.

So, I wonder who the GWAA president will pick? My phone didn't ring!

Reporters from three major wire services have been green-lighted to attend, and Kupelian said three other pool reporters will be granted access: Kupelian, formerly of the Detroit News; Bob Harig, a writer from ESPN.com; and a third reporter from a national golf magazine are expected to be admitted.

Right out of Dick Cheney's playbook! No good candidates, so I'll pick myself!

Good to see the president is looking out for his dues-paying constituents.

Kupelian invited Mark Soltau of Golf Digest to serve as the magazine representative, but hadn't heard whether he could attend. Golf Digest pays Woods a fee to write instructional articles for the magazine and Soltau, a member of the GWAA board, is employed by Woods to write stories for his website.

Now that's pretty funny, but this is really funny:

Steinberg issued a press release noting that other reporters excluded from the session would be allowed to watch from a nearby room ... located a mile away at the Sawgrass Marriott. It read: "As a courtesy, there will be a room made available at a nearby conference center for credentialed reporters."

The bolded type was supplied by Steinberg himself. In other words, TMZ, Radaronline, the National Enquirer and the other tabloids that have been breathing down Woods' neck since Thanksgiving needn't bother coming.