Tiger in the RAW

The February issue of Vanity Fair will feature the shirtless Tiger Woods on the cover - a never before seen photograph by famed photographer, Annie Leibovitz. In the upcoming issue, Pulitzer Prize winner, Buzz Bissinger, and author of Friday Night Lights "explores Tiger Woods's downfall."

A raw and pre-scandal Tiger Woods is Vanity Fair's February 2010 feature. The pro golfer who is caught in the middle of affair reports becomes the magazine's newest cover which was shot by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz before things started to fall apart around Woods.

"Tiger is an intensely competitive athlete - and quite serious about his sport. I wanted to reveal that in these photos. And to show his incredible focus and dedication," Leibovitz said about the photo. The accompanying article meanwhile, is the author's trace to Woods' controversial story and it excludes the golfer's contribution.

In the cover story titled "Tiger in the Rough", Buzz Bisinger recalled the infamous incident of Woods crashing into a tree that became the starting point of his marital problem exposure. The author also gave a comparison of Woods' affair to others by fellow athletes, naming some are David Beckham, Alex Rodriguez, and Kobe Bryant. The February edition will hit the newsstands in New York and L.A. this Wednesday, January 6 and the rest of the nation on Tuesday, January 12.