After seeing Tiger on air Feb. 19, it seems he has taken a good first step toward mending relationships with those he disappointed the most.

As crisis communications consultants, we know the time and effort it takes to repair a damaged reputation. In a situation like this, we craft the strategy, write the plan and prepare the client to face the public. We also prepare the individual or company for the inevitable criticism and skepticism.

Tiger was on the right track when he took responsibility for his actions and apologized several times during his 14-minute talk in highly controlled conditions: three reporters, one camera, no questions. He provided answers to some of the things that the public was curious about. And he denied any spousal abuse by his wife Elin and said he was working to repair their relationship.

Today’s address was consistent with Tiger’s way of doing business. His apology came off heartfelt and genuine. He could have scored more points by seeming more spontaneous than rehearsed. But he and his handlers probably decided that ad-libbed remarks were too risky for a guy who has carefully crafted his image over the last decade.

Carefully chosen words are not enough to settle matters. The individual or company must demonstrate progress to overcome the negative publicity from doubters and cynics, the news media among them. Handicapping Tiger is the low esteem he has with the general public; in a Gallup taken in December 2009, Tiger’s unfavorable rating was 61 percent among women and 53 percent among men.

Can he change the views of both sexes? Some women who commented immediately after the statement said they believed he was sorry; others were much less sure.

To face the public in something other than a locked-down ballroom, Tiger must first make good on what promised at the press conference: he is a changed man. He needs to complete his private rehabilitation, repair his relationship with his family, and then get back on the golf course to show us why we had so much emotional capital invested in him in the first place.