Tom Watson tells Tiger: ‘show some humility’

Just when the heat on Tiger Woods appeared to be fading, he has come under attack from one of his own. Veteran golfer Tom Watson has launched a broadside at Woods, warning him to "clean up his act" and face the public before he returns to the course.

The 60-year-old, who has won eight majors, rounded on Woods (pictured above with Watson at the 1998 US Open) on the eve of the Dubai Desert Classic tournament. He announced that Woods needed to "show some humility" and apologise for his behaviour before returning to golf. He then twisted the knife by criticising Woods' demeanour on the golf course and questioning his "respect for the game".
 
The timing of Watson's outburst could hardly be more unfortunate for Woods, who had finally been shoved off the front pages in January - first, in the States, by tales of actor Warren Beatty's 12,775 lovers, and then in Britain by the John Terry-Vanessa Perroncel scandal.

Watson's comments have thrust Woods back into the spotlight just when he is understood to be nearing the completion of his sex addiction therapy at a Mississippi clinic.
 
Talking about any possible comeback by the world number one, Watson said: "He has to show some humility to the public in the sense that if I were him, it wouldn't be at a golf tournament where I would first come out. I would come out and do an interview and say: 'I screwed up,' and admit it. And [say]: 'I'm going to change; I want my wife and family back; I have to earn her trust back.'
 
"He messed up. He knows he messed up. The world knows he messed up. And he has to take ownership of that."
 
Watson is not the first of Woods's golfing rivals to pass comment on his predicament, but his criticism of the player ranks among the strongest yet. And to make matters worse Watson also took aim at the way Woods has conducted himself on the course.
 
"I feel that he has not carried the same stature as the other great players that have come along like Jack [Nicklaus], Byron Nelson, [Ben] Hogan in the sense that there was bad language and club throwing on the golf course," he said.

"You can grant that to somebody, a young person, that has not been out there for a while, but I think he needs to clean up his act and show the respect for the game that the people before him have shown." ·