It was the press conference the sports media had been anticipating. Tiger Woods, discovered to be having affairs with multiple women, broke his silence Friday morning and apologized to the world in 20-minute statement.
He began the statement by saying, “I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behaviour.” He admitted he let down fans and sponsors, especially those involved in the Tiger Woods Foundation.
“It’s up to me to make amends,” he said in an unwavering clear voice. “And that starts by never repeating the mistakes I made, to live a life of integrity.”
He repeatedly stressed his culpability in the affair, noting how his wife Elin shouldn’t be the target of any domestic violence reports that arose after the Thanksgiving night incident. “Elin has shown enormous grace and poise throughout this ordeal. She deserve praise not blame.”
Woods mentioned golf three-quarters into the statement, and it was a vague reference to his possible return to the fairway. “I do plan to return to golf but I don’t know when that day will be. I don’t rule out it will be sometime this year.”
Woods mentioned his therapy treatment in the past 45 days, too. He emphasized he will return to therapy, as well as return to his Buddhist roots, which “teaches me to stop craving impulses and to learn restraint.”
In light of the paparazzi hounding Woods’ family these past few months, Woods made clear he wanted media to steer clear of his wife and children. “Despite the damage done, I still believe I need to shield my family from the public spotlight. They didn’t do these things, I did.”
So what caused Woods to seek those mistresses? He didn’t go into detail, but he hinted that money and fame wreaked havoc on his moral compass. “I stopped living the core values I was taught to believe in,” Woods said. “I knew my actions were wrong but I convinced myself normal rules didn’t apply to me.”
After the statement, Woods hugged his mother and they embraced for several moments. Woods’ wife Elin was not present for the statement.
