Golf columnist stands behind insinuation that Tiger Woods cheated

Golf commentator Brandel Chamblee is not backing down from his insinuation that Tiger Woods cheated on the PGA Tour this season.

In a recent column for Golf.com, Chamblee gave Woods an “F” for the 2013 season, writing that the world’s top-ranked player was “a little cavalier with the rules” and that “ethics matter more than athletics.”

Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg, quickly fired back with threats of legal action.

“There is nothing you can call a golfer worse than a cheater,” Steinberg told ESPN.com. “This is the most deplorable thing I’ve seen.”

On Tuesday, Chamblee responded in an email to the Associated Press, stating: “I’m paid to have and give an opinion, and I work hard to form those opinions based upon facts, not agenda.”

Chamblee, who does his television work for the Golf Channel, cited an incident at the BMW Championship where Woods tried to remove a small branch from beside his ball. The golfer insisted that the ball merely oscillated, but Tour officials -- after watching video -- issued a two-shot penalty.

There were other examples from last season, including penalties at the Masters and in Abu Dhabi, and a rules controversy at the Players Championship.

“I don’t feel I’m the one that needs to justify the ‘F,’” Chamblee said. “The BMW video does it for me, followed by Tiger’s silence -- until confronted -- and then by his denials in the face of incontestable evidence to the contrary of his petitions.”

Steinberg did not reply to an email from the Associated Press.

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