ESPN marks Tiger's tee shot live

NEW YORK (AP) - Tiger Woods' first tee shot from the Masters was considered important enough by ESPN to use an onscreen countdown clock to mark the seconds before his first swing.

But the network's announcers referred only obliquely to the sex scandal that made it such an event. They never used the words "sex" or "infidelity," with announcer Mike Tirico telling viewers that "I think you know the timeline" of Woods' hiatus from golf.

The network noted how in most tournaments the final shot on Sunday is considered the most important, but in this case, it was Woods' first shot on Thursday that overshadowed everything.

Nike's commercial with Woods' late father talking as his son's unsmiling face looks into the camera was aired 15 minutes before the first shot, then again shortly after.