Tiger Missing His Daughter's Baptism Is Cast In New Light Now

After the birth of Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren's first child, Sam Alexis, just following the US Open at Oakmont, it seemed like things could not have been going better for the Woods as a family.  While Tiger came up a stroke shy against Angel Cabrera at Oakmont, the consolation prize was that he would become a father.

Woods told the Associated Press after the birth, "All I know is that Elin and I are excited, and that this is far more important than any game of golf.  This is an opportunity for us to raise our first child, and we're really looking forward to it."

Everything that has happened in the near two weeks since sheds new light on that quote.  After all, Jaimee Grubbs has claimed to Us Magazine that she and Woods engaged in a 31 month affair - including during Elin's first pregnancy.

Even more striking now is that less than four months after the birth of his first child, he failed to appear at her Christening in Sweden.  The Times of London reported that Woods was eerily missing from the ceremony.

"Everybody was very surprised over the fact that Tiger did not show up," a source told The Times.

Woods missed the baptism of his first child to attend his annual Tiger Woods Block Party gala that benefits his Learning Center in California.  The event usually raises seven figures for the center.

Attendees at that event included Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher and tennis great Lindsey Davenport.  Those two attendees are now indirectly related to Woods' purported transgressions and how Elin Nordegren has been portrayed - particularly in this weekend's Saturday Night Live sketch that characterizes Nordegren as physically abusive of Woods.

First, Davenport - having been a board member for Woods' charities - spoke out today about how Elin has been portrayed.  She told Entertainment Tonight that Elin is "very loving, very loyal" and "level-headed."

Those comments preceded the report from RadarOnline.com that Nordegren has left the home she shares with Woods in Isleworth.  Although there is no physical evidence to support that, would it be surprising?  There were other reports today that Woods may not be in Orlando.

The Hatcher connection is much more unfortunate.  Access Hollywood reported that Grubbs and Woods watched Hatcher's Desperate Housewives program together because "Hatcher is a friend" of his.

At the time of the missed Christening, the prior editor of Waggle Room made a case for why Woods' absence was no big deal.  Woods is reported to be practicing Buddhist meditation, so participating in a Christian ceremony would make no sense to him.

But now, it is tougher not to be more critical of him for missing this special event. 

For one, my future wife would be seriously angry if I told her I was missing my child's Christening.  I mean, "pack up your crap" angry.

Second, Tiger's Block Party event date was likely set in stone for months before Sam was born.  To inconveniently have the Christening on the same day as a crucial event for Tiger's philanthropic endeavors just seems odd.  Nevermind that the Christening was in Sweden - a whole world away from Woods' Block Party in California.

It was something that irked me then.  It's something that irks me more now.

What bothers me even more is what Tiger's caddie Steve Williams told the New Zealand Herald.  He told the paper that Woods did confide in him about his personal life.

"That's what friends are for," he said. "You support them through good and bad. It's like marriage, really."

The Williams quote seems so ironic.  Nordegren is being portrayed as having beaten Woods - either before the accident, or with a golf club (maybe two irons, based off of a Windemere Police Department report), or something like that.  Williams is negatively regarded by many fans and press because he roughs up cameramen and has a crass attitude toward spectators.  Yet it would seem clear that Woods' marriage to Williams is much stronger than to his real wife.

Perhaps that's the best way to explain how this tidal wave of bad news and alleged mistresses never got out in the first place.  Woods' caddie perceives marriage to be support through good and bad - even something so bad as these transgressions, whatever they may be.  It's realistic to think that Woods' close circle of friends and advisors could believe the same thing.  Woods chose their view of marriage.

Woods told the AP two-and-a-half years ago that he was looking forward to being a father.  He has two young, beautiful kids to tend to now.  After his dirty laundry is all finally aired, hopefully he can figure out a way to be a father to those two kids he is so excited to raise.

But fatherhood is something that guys like Williams and his inner circle can't deliver for him.  It might be time for Tiger to make a tough choice.