Tiger still burning bright - Woods is top celeb says Forbes
His reputation might have taken a mighty nosedive in the wake of his innumerable infidelities, but it seems like Tiger Woods is still a force to be reckoned with - at least when it comes to celebrity power.
Business news magazine Forbes has released its latest iteration of its Celebrity 100 list, and despite an onslaught of bad press since the fateful car crash that sparked his downfall, Woods still managed to take the No. 5 spot.
The 34-year-old is the only sportsman to make the top 10 in the list, which chronicles those celebrities with purportedly the greatest influence on society. Taking the No. 1 spot on the list was Oprah Winfrey, with Beyonce, James Cameron and Lady Gaga rounding out the top five; the highest-placed sports star after Woods on the list was NBA idol Kobe Bryant, who comes in at No. 14 on the list. And despite Phil Mickelson's new popularity and Woods' supposedly devastating fall from grace, Mick only figures at No. 45 on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list - that's lower than the Jonas Brothers, for pity's sake.
Perhaps the Forbes list has something in common with golf's world rankings, which uses a system that means even those players who are clearly no longer at the top of their game can nonetheless continue to hang onto the top spot. Woods has after all retained his No. 1 spot, despite some less than stellar performances.
True, Tiger has come close to surrendering his status as golf's chief big cheese to Mickelson, with many observers feeling Mick would seize Tiger's throne at the US Open earlier this month. But with the 40-year-old failing to shine at Pebble Beach, and Woods’ game seemingly improving, Lefty may have missed his chance.
Woods' game has been erratic since his comeback, with top five finishes in two majors, but the 34-year-old also crashed out of the Quail Hollow Championship after failing to make the cut, and withdrew from the Players. His performance at Pebble Beach on the Saturday indicated that Woods' game was improving, and this week the 14-time major winner takes on the AT&T National in Pennsylvania.
Maybe in the next few days the once and future king can take his first win of the season - and show corporate America why even with an eye for the ladies, he's still among the hottest of business propositions.
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