INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM

TO: STEVE RAQUEL

FROM: MEGAN ZAJAC
SUBJECT: ASSIGNMENT #5 – CRISIS MANAGEMENT
DATE: APRIL 3, 2019

Possible Scenarios
 Tiger yells at a fan – although Tiger is typically a man of few words and seems to control
his temper well, there is always a possibility of him losing his cool. There have been
several fans and spectators known to shout obnoxiously from the gallery during that
could impact swing or mind game. One incident could send the media into an obsession
with Tiger’s temper.
 On course competitor argument – there have been unspoken disagreements among
players, but Tiger has yet to get confrontational with an opponent on the course. If he
were to have an argument that created rivalry and animosity in the game, this could be
detrimental to his image and reputation. This could happen if a ball moved and he
thought an opponent was cheating.
 Life threatening injury or illness – this would be the worst possible case scenario that
could impact Tiger’s ability to continue playing golf. However, this is possible because
of the harm Tiger has previously done to his body. For example, a heart attack is not
unlikely considering the drugs and drinking problem Tiger had a few years back.

Crisis Communication Team

 Agent – Mark Steinberg
o Mark should be the first to know if something specifically happens with Tiger.
Kathryn Battaglia is more associated with TGR Ventures, so may not have first
wind of something that happens on the course. To be honest, this flow chart
would change depending on which scenario happens. Mark will play a role in
deciding what Tiger should say in the situation and how the story should be
framed.
 VP of TGR Ventures – Rob McNamara
o Rob is a close friend of Tiger’s and a key partner in TGR Ventures. He has the
authority to make major decisions for Tiger’s brand.
 VP of TGR Ventures (Public Affairs) – Kathryn Battaglia
o Kathryn is the Public Affairs expert and will be able to make the most logical
decisions on how to address whichever issue arises.
 Spokesperson – Glenn Greenspan
o Glenn will be the first to actually comment so he will need to be clear and
effective in his communication. He will serve a role in deciding what the plan is,
but he will also need to be media prepped.
 Attorney – Doug Duncan
 o Doug is crucial to the process when it comes to determining what information can
be released legally. He is very familiar with Tiger’s past incidents and therefore
serves as an expert in handling any future crises.
 Social Media Manager – Unknown
o Whoever it is that controls Tiger Woods’ social media accounts will need to be on
top of what is being said across multiple channels about the incident. Any social
media engagements will be analyzed by the public and this person serves as
protection from any Twitter rants or negativity that could come from Tiger
himself.
 Coach – Chris Como
o The coach should also be involved because there is a good chance he was at the
scene of the incident if it was on the golf course. He will be able to serve as a
witness and fully explain the story.
 Caddie – Joe LaCava
o If the coach isn’t close enough, Tiger’s caddie certainly is. He should be kept in
the loop of communication to attest to the truth of any statements being made.

Mark
Steinberg
Agent

Rob Kathryn
McNamara Battaglia
VP Public Affairs TGR
VP of TGR Ventures Ventures

Glenn Doug Social Media

Greenspan Duncan Manager
Spokesperson Attorney Unknown/PR Firm

Joe LaCava Chris Como

Caddie Coach
Yell at a Fan Incident
 First five steps
1. Contact the Crisis Communications Team.
2. Call a meeting to understand exactly what happened.
3. Monitor social media and understand what the public opinion of the incident is.
4. Issue an apology on Tiger Woods behalf.
5. Media prep Tiger, spokesperson and caddie for any possible questions to follow.
 The one thing I would definitely not do is deny what happened. Whether the fan deserved
the verbal attack or not, it is best to be honest about the situation.
 I do not think anyone should speak before Tiger. He should be issuing an apology and
everyone should move on from there.
 I think that an apology and a short conversation with the fan that was involved is all that
needs to happen. If it is present in the media that the two had this civil interaction after
the initial outburst, I think this can possibly paint Tiger in a more positive light showing
that he was able to apologize.
 3 key messages
1. This was out of Tiger’s character and he is embarrassed to have lost control of his
temper.
2. It was never Tiger’s intention to hurt anyone.
3. All fans are welcome to their opinion, but we hope everyone takes away how
important it is to be respectful on the golf course.

Insights
 The most recent issue that Tiger’s team has had to deal with was his DUI arrest in May
2017. This was several years after he started to come back from the mistress scandal and
divorce from his wife and certainly set him back. I think that this was handled well
considering this group had recently dealt with very similar incidents for Tiger. Being that
golf is a solo sport, I think it was appropriate that his agent did not comment and that
Tiger issued his own apologetic statement. I also think it was important that the statement
cleared up some facts about his prescribed medications that made this a little less worse
than your average DUI that usually involves alcohol.
 I think the NFL officiating crisis is having a larger impact than anticipated and needs to
regain control. I would recommend the NFL issues a statement that it is working with a
committee to establish better rules for how referees must be treated including fines and
suspensions. The support and trust needs to be reestablished so that youth sports and their
coaches have a better example to refer to. Youth sports should also implement stronger
rules on families and teams that take it too far.
 The NFL kneeling debate has been a huge disaster and honestly confusing how such a
large organization could have handled an issue so poorly. I think that the delay in
communication was the worst thing for the NFL to do in a situation like this that could
spiral out of control very quickly. I also believe that the policy freeze when a rule was
finally put in place just looked bad for the NFL; like putting their foot in their mouth. In
my opinion, this all could have been handled with quick and clear communication with
solid decisions. I understand this can cause personal opinions and issues to arise, but
making decisions with confidence is what the league needed. I also think that
Kaepernick’s treatment from other teams could have been avoided by some recognition
by the NFL that showed their disagreement, but still gave him a place. There are players
who have done far worse and remained in the league.