Say it isn't so, Tiger.

Golf is the most squeaky-clean sport we have these days. No steroid scandals, no beating up people in nightclubs, no fudging of SAT scores, no possession of concealed weapons or drugs. Why, there's even ponytail yank-downs in women's soccer.

So, it's somewhat dismaying to learn that Tiger Woods, golf's No. 1 player and the most recognized and wealthiest athlete, yesterday admitted that he's guilty of "transgressions," that he had not been true to his values and let his family down, although he did not specify his actions. After five days of stonewalling the details leading to the early morning auto accident outside his Isleworth estate in Florida, Woods finally revealed the cause, ending speculation that ran rampant by the media and bloggers.

Had he just come right out and explained the circumstances, particularly to the Florida Highway Patrol, the incident would have had little staying power. And, it would have shown that, like the rest of us, he's only human. It's unfair of us to hold him up to higher standards simply because he's the best in what he does.

But Tiger's silence had everyone lawyered up and when he decided to withdraw from this week's Chevron World Challenge, an event benefiting his own foundation, citing the injuries from the one-car crash as the reason, it only heightened the intrigue. That led many to believe that Woods withdrew to save himself from a distasteful press conference, which would have dealt more with questions about the accident than the tournament itself. He could have shown up and not play as he did last year when he was recovering from knee surgery.

The silence was a PR nightmare for Tiger and you couldn't blame him for laying low. But when will folks realize that in this day and Google age, you can't do a thing without somebody knowing about it, especially a celebrity who's the world's richest athlete. Privacy or not, he's a public figure subject to intense scrutiny (hello, Michelle Wie) and needed, as he finally did, to offer an explanation to shut people up. It wouldn't go away until he did. So, as his sponsor Nike would say, "Just Do It." And Tiger just did it.

Tiger's World Tour ended in Australia, allegedly where his transgressions began. The question now is, when is his first public appearance? Most likely at San Diego's Torrey Pines, one of his favorite golf courses and site of his 2008 U.S. Open victory when he won with one-leg figuratively tied behind his back, the week of Jan. 25.

However, I've got a humble suggestion for Tiger: Make it three weeks earlier in the SBS Championship at Kapalua. Maui. He hasn't played at Kapalua since 2005. It would be a good tune-up for his game on the Plantation Course and then in the press room, readying him for the media horde expected at Torrey Pines. His first public appearance since the incident will be a big deal. But there will be fewer media types at Kapalua.

That's the reason why the Los Angeles Lakers held their first training camp here in 1988. Even if they had to practice at University of Hawai'i's Klum Gym, mind you — even Kobe Bryant — until the Stan Sheriff Center opened in 1994. It was originally owner Jerry Buss' idea because he loved Hawai'i and its fans, who adopted the Lakers as their favorite team. Jerry West, then the Lakers general manager, said there was an added benefit, "One of the other goals of coming over here was to get away from the tremendous amount of media attention."

Got that, Tiger?

Of course, there are selfish reasons. Seoul Broadcasting System could use Tiger in the field as it starts a 10-year sponsorship of the event with the PGA Tour. And maybe Tiger can help bring back the PGA Grand Slam of Golf to Kaua'i. After all, I'm running out of tournaments to cover, the way Hawai'i's "Aloha Golf Season" has been dwindling.

There are more worrisome issues — like the future of the Sony Open in Hawai'i and the future of the LPGA here — to deal with than all the talk about Tiger on the grapevine these days.

Bill Kwon can be reached at billkwonrhs@aol.com