Friday, February 19, 2010

No date for comeback to golf ... 'it could be this year'

Tiger says he is 'deeply sorry' for his

'irresponsible and selfish behaviour'

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
By ANDY HOOPER
Tiger Woods has made his first public statement three months after he became enveloped in a sordid sex scandal, saying he is "deeply sorry" for his "irresponsible and selfish behaviour".
Delivering a televised statement to a group of invited guests that also included his mother, Woods admitted for the first time that he had been unfaithful repeatedly to his wife, Elin. "I was unfaithful, I had affairs, I cheated," he said. "What I did was unacceptable."
But the world No 1 vehemently denied that any violence had taken place between him and his wife.
"Some people have speculated that Elin somehow hurt or attacked me on Thanksgiving night.
It angers me that people would fabricate a story like that," said Woods, his voice rising. "Elin never hit me that night or any other night.
"There has never been an episode of domestic violence in our marriage, ever."
He said: "Many of you in this room are my friends, many know me. Many have cheered for me, worked with me or supported me. Now everyone of you has good reason to be critical.
"People want to find out how I could be so selfish and stupid, how I could have done these things to my wife and children."
Of his marriage, Woods said that he and his wife "have a lot to discuss ... but what we say will stay between the two of us. I understand people have questions. I understand people want to know if Elin and I will stay together. Every one of these questions and answers are between Elin and me.
"I am aware of the pain my behaviour has caused you in the room. I have let you down and let down my fans. To those who have worked for me I have let you down personally and professionally."
Woods would not put any date on his return to professional golf. "I do plan to return to golf one day. I just don't know what day that will be. I don't rule out that it could be this year."
In the meantime, Woods, who has been attending a sex therapy clinic, said he would continue to address his personal problems with the help of a Buddhist faith which he admitted having "lost track of."
He said: "I recognise I have brought this on myself and recognise that I am the one who needs to change. I have a lot of work to do and intend to dedicate myself to doing it. Part of this is Buddhism….
"Buddhism teaches me to stop following every impulse and to know restraint. Obviously I lost track of what I was taught."
Woods, in a longer-than-expected, 14min address, also issued a strong denial that he had ever used performance-enhancing drugs.
He said: "Some people have made up things that never happened. They said I used performance-enhancing drugs. That is completely and utterly false."
Having earlier spoken about continuing to promote the work of his charitable foundation, Woods pointedly sent a message of goodwill to Accenture, the first of his corporate backers to drop him after the scandal broke.
The company is the title sponsor of the World Match Play event in Arizona currently taking place, where a growing number of players has been critical of the timing of today's statement.
He signed off by saying: "I look forward to seeing my fellow players on the course. There are many people in this room and many people at home who believed in me. Today I want to ask for your help. I ask you to find room in your heart to one day believe in me again."
With that, he moved forward from a podium to embrace his mother, Kultida.
Earlier a leaked letter from PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem explained why Woods chose today to make his first public comments.
"As we understand it, Tiger Woods' therapy called for a week's break at this time during which he has spent a few days with his children and then will make his statement before returning," Finchem said in the letter to the US PGA Tour policy board and other officials. "Accordingly, there was very little flexibility in the date for the announcement."

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