The Tiger Woods story rolls on and on, always in new and astonishing directions, much like the career of the talented golfer himself.

In the latest twist, Tiger Wood's father has given his son a few lessons from the grave in a new Nike TV ad.

Nike Inc. is one of the few sponsors to stand by Woods during his troubles. Woods is the face of the company's golf line and will be using its products when he plays in Augusta, Ga. on Thursday.

"We support Tiger and his family. As he returns to competitive golf, the ad addresses his time away from the game using the powerful words of his father," Nike said in a statement.

Nike typically doesn't shy away from mentioning athletes' troubles in its ads, experts say. The company has stuck by other athletes with personal problems, such as basketball star Charles Barkley, who famously said in one ad he shouldn't' be a role model.

In the commercial, Woods stands outside, on what appears to be a golf course, with the trademark Nike "swoosh" visible on his dark hat and sweater vest. He barely blinks, while Earl Woods is heard saying in the background:

"Tiger, I am more prone to be inquisitive to promote discussion. I want to find out what your thinking was. I want to find out what your feelings are, and did you learn anything?" the elder Woods is heard saying while his son looks solemnly into the camera.

Nike, based in Beaverton, Ore., said the ad was created by Wieden+Kennedy, an advertising agency based in nearby Portland, that the company has partnered with for years.

Woods had been the sports world's biggest moneymaker and was the first $1 billion earner.

But as our sports news pages showed, he lost top endorsements from companies such as Accenture LLP and AT&T Inc. as the scandal unfolded. Other companies like Procter & Gamble Co.'s Gillette unit, didn't drop him outright, although it stopped featuring him in advertisements.

But companies more closely linked to his golf ability, such as Nike, memorabilia maker Upper Deck Co. and video game maker Electronic Arts Inc. stuck by him.

Experts say it will be a year or more before any major new companies sign Woods.

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