PETA backs off as Woods threatens to sue

New York: A leading animal rights group has dropped its plan to use disgraced golf champion Tiger Woods' image on a billboard close to his residence after the organisation was contacted by the lawyers of the golfer.

PETA planned to erect a giant billboard near the house of the troubled sports star in Florida, which will read, "Too much sex can be a bad thing...for little tigers too. Help keep our cats (and dogs) out of trouble: Always spray or neuter!"

"We were contacted by Tiger's lawyers at IMG who kindly, but firmly, told us we were not authorised to use his image on the billboard, and would we desist. We agreed and have now turned the focus of our campaign to Mark Sanford," a PETA source was quoted by New York Post gossip section as saying.

Sanford is the governor of South Carolina who had an affair with an Argentinean woman.

While the PETA problem seems to have been averted, media personality, Howard Stern, is still organising a beauty pageant for those women who have been linked with Woods.

The winner will get 100,000 and four women have reportedly signed up.

The golfer disappeared from the public scene after the sex scandal revealing his extramarital affairs exploded following an accident on November 27 when Woods crashed his SUV outside his Florida mansion sustaining minor injuries.

Since then, 19 women have been linked with him. Many of them have come forward with revealing details about the multiple affairs. Woods is now in a sex-rehab in the US

Last week, speaking to a roomful of his friends and colleagues for 14 minutes, Woods apologised for his behaviour and also asked the media to back off from his private life.

The golfer spoke of a sense of "entitlement," which came from money and fame that allowed him to believe that the normal rules of conduct did not apply to him.

"I want to say to each one of you simply and directly I am deeply sorry for the irresponsible and selfish behaviour I engaged in," he said, adding "I am embarrassed I have put you in this position. For all that I have done I am so sorry."

Animal rights group PETA has dropped plans to feature Tiger Woods and his sex scandals in its latest ad campaign after the golfer threatened to sue them.

PETA had planned to erect a giant billboard near Woods' Florida home. Meanwhile the golfer who's fallen from grace has been dropped by another sponsor Gatorade.

The deal would have got him as much as $100 million over a period of five years.