*This post is part of Bailey Gardiner’s Public Relations Tactics series, which highlights tools and best practices to ensure a successful public relations campaign. The series will run weekly.

By now, everyone knows about the drama surrounding Tiger Woods and his 10, wait, 11, alleged mistresses. Tiger made golf cool to play and be a fan of and his friendly, family-oriented persona made him a likeable celebrity. Will he be able to recover from all the bad publicity and tainted reputation? Will the PGA ever be the same now that it’s star athlete pulled the wool over millions of fans? Only time and a good crisis communications plan will tell.

In an article written for “Everything PR”, the author, Phil Butler, says, “Golf as a gentleman’s sport will surely cease to exist.” Whether you believe that or not, the PGA is definitely involved in a crisis. Their brand is threatened by the allegations against Tiger Woods. The PGA has an opportunity to step up and make a statement- the opposite of what its star didn’t do.

There are a few rules when communicating during a crisis:

1. Plan. Plan for every possible crisis that could be related to your brand BEFORE they happen.

2. Be flexible. A crisis, often times, doesn’t give a heads up. You may have a plan on your shelf, but be prepared to change it and roll with the punches.

3. Solid tactics. As PR professionals, we often look at the bigger picture with objectives and strategies. Sometimes you don’t have time to address those when faced with a crisis. The only objective you should have is to save your brand’s reputation. How you get there and what you do specific to the situation is what’s important.

4. Speed and transparency. Take action quickly and be as transparent as possible. The crisis will only get worse if you try to deceive the public.

5. Engage often and early. Don’t wait until the next day to address the public. The news will spin out of control and it’s our job as PR professionals to control the message. Keep the media up-to-date and set a high standard for your communications.

6. Measure. Measure your messages and how well you controlled those messages. Did your brand recover? How long did it take? What were the unintended outcomes?

By the time you finish reading this post, the number of alleged mistresses Tiger is associated with has probably increased. I really hope the PGA is all over this and comes back stronger and more respected for the actions they take. As for Tiger, I’m not so sure. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.