Tiger Woods Spits on Green, Apologizes Via Twitter
VIRGINIA WATER, England — Tiger Woods has been fined an undisclosed sum by the European Tour for spitting on the green during Sunday's final round of the Dubai Desert Classic.
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Tiger Woods 'Excited' for Masters, Confirms Wife Elin Won't Attend
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods says he's "excited" to get back out on the golf course at the Masters after his admitted infidelity put his career on hold.
"A lot has happened in my life in the past five months," Woods said at his Monday press conference at Augusta National. "I'm here at the Masters to play and compete and I'm really excited about doing that."
Woods has not played since he won the Australian Masters in Melbourne in mid-November. His career nosedived soon thereafter when he crashed his SUV outside his Florida home on Nov. 27. The accident came shortly after the National Enquirer published a story alleging that he was having an affair with Rachel Uchitel. The allegation set off a chain reaction that included more than a dozen women claiming to have engaged in sexual trysts with Woods, leading to his break from the game and a stint in rehab.
When asked how he managed to fool the public with his double life for so long, Woods replied: "I fooled myself as well. I lied to a lot of people, deceived a lot of people, kept others in the dark, rationalized and even lied to myself. When I stripped all of that away and started realizing what I had done, the full magnitude of it, it's pretty brutal. I take full responsibility for what I've done."
Without going into details, Woods revealed that his wife, Elin Nordegren, won't be at Augusta this week. The four-time Masters champion also admitted to being nervous about his return, but said he was humbled by the support he's received so far during his practice rounds at Augusta.
"Coming into today, I didn't know what to respect with regards to reception. And I'll tell you what, the galleries couldn't be nicer," he said. "I mean, it was just incredible. The encouragement I got, it blew me away, to be honest with you, it really did. Today was just something that really touched my heart pretty good."
Woods is confident he can win the Masters despite his long break, but he said the most important thing is having his life back on track.
"Look at what I was engaged in," he said. "When you're living a life that is a lie, life isn't fun ... that's been stripped away. It feels fun again."
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Tiger Woods ESPN Interview: 'I've Done Some Pretty Bad Things'
ORLANDO, Fla. — Tiger Woods fielded questions Sunday for the first time in the wake of his affair scandal, telling ESPN: "I've done some pretty bad things in my life."
"I hurt a lot of people, not just my wife," the embattled golfer said of his admitted infidelity. "My friends, my colleagues, the public, kids who looked up to me. There were a lot of people that thought I was a different person and my actions were not according to that. That's why I had to apologize. I was so sorry for what I had done."
Tiger Woods Announces Return to Golf, Will Play Masters
ORLANDO, Fla. — Tiger Woods has announced his return to golf, revealing that his comeback will begin at next month's Masters at Augusta National Golf Club.
"The Masters is where I won my first major, and I view this tournament with great respect. After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I'm ready to start my season at Augusta," Woods said Tuesday in a statement on his official Web site.
"The major championships have always been a special focus in my career and, as a professional, I think Augusta is where I need to be, even though it's been awhile since I last played," he added.
Woods, 34, has not played since he won the Australian Masters in Melbourne in mid-November. His career nosedived soon thereafter when he crashed his SUV outside his Florida home on Nov. 27. The accident came shortly after the National Enquirer published a story alleging that he was having an affair with Rachel Uchitel, a New York nightclub manager. After the first affair allegation, more than a dozen women stepped forward claiming to have engaged in sexual trysts with Woods, including former VH1 Tool Academy contestant Jaimee Grubbs and porn star Holly Sampson.
A few weeks after the scandal broke, Woods admitted to cheating on his wife, Elin Nordegren, while also announcing plans to put his golf career on an "indefinite" hold in order to focus on his family.
The PGA star, who reportedly underwent sex addiction treatment at a Mississippi clinic, made his first public comments last month when he apologized for his "irresponsible and selfish behavior."
"I have undergone almost two months of inpatient therapy, and I am continuing my treatment," Woods said Tuesday. "Although I'm returning to competition, I still have a lot of work to do in my personal life."
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Tiger Woods Sex Addiction Targeted in 'South Park' Premiere
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Tiger Woods is the latest celebrity target of South Park co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
Caddie Steve Williams on Tiger's Affairs: 'I Knew Nothing'
LOS ANGELES — Tiger Woods' longtime caddie, Steve Williams, insists he was in the dark when it comes to the embattled golfer's extramarital affairs.
"I knew nothing, that's my answer. I don't have to clarify or extend that answer, I knew nothing." Williams told New Zealand TV3's 60 Minutes.
It's an answer that Williams has given before, but one the public has a hard time believing considering he's also one of Woods' closest friends off the course.
"If the shoe was on somebody else, I would say the same thing," Williams admitted. "It would be very difficult for the caddie not to know, but I'm 100 percent telling you, I knew nothing and that's that."
So would he have ended Woods' admitted infidelity had he known about it?
"I'm a straight-up sort of person. If I had known something was going on, the whistle would have been blown. He knows that," said Williams.
While Woods has seen his public image take a beating, Williams admitted that the scandal has also been challenging on him.
"It's been the most difficult time of my life, no two ways about it, because every single person believes that I should know, or did know, or had something to do with it," he explained.
Even Williams' wife, Kirsty, said it's been difficult watching the media frenzy surrounding the affair scandal.
"It is tough. It's hard seeing someone you love have that to deal with," she said of Woods, who was best man at her wedding. "Tiger and Elin are our good friends and it's hard to see them going through this and then to have the public and media [scrutiny]. You certainly learn a lot about people in these situations."
She also takes offense to the public scrutiny that has surrounded her own husband.
"He's just seen as a bad guy. He was always seen as a bad guy and now they think he's even worse," she said. "People are calling for him to be fired, it's just not fair."
Although the situation has been difficult, Williams said he'd "never think of walking away" from his close friend.
"Of course I'm mad at him, why would you not be?" Williams said. "I'm more disappointed that he's let his family down and let himself down. I'm close with his wife and he's got two lovely children and he's let them down."
Williams said he plans to discuss the affair scandal with Woods, but now is not the right time for that.
"When a guy's having a tough time, it's not up to me to beat him with a stick right now," he said. "He's getting enough grilling from everybody else. I'm a friend right now. There's a time and a place for everything. Obviously, at some point in time I'll have a conversation with him, but not right now. I'm fully supportive of him and I'd like to see him get back to playing on the PGA Tour. That's my role right now."
Woods is still in the midst of his indefinite leave from the game and Williams said it's still anyone's guess when he'll return. Whenever that day does come, Williams is confident Woods will bounce back strongly.
"I think he will," said Williams. "Tiger's biggest asset is his mental strength. He's going to need all of that mental strength to get out of this one, no question about it.
"I stand by Tiger as a friend. When I talk to him, I don't talk to him about what's happened. I talk to him about the future and about what we're going to try to accomplish and how we're going to get over it."
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Report: Tiger Woods Back Home From Rehab
ORLANDO, Fla. — Tiger Woods has returned home after a week of family and marriage counseling in Arizona with his wife, Elin Nordegren, a source familiar with the golfer's schedule tells The Associated Press.
Gatorade Drops Tiger Woods
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Gatorade is the latest brand to cut ties with Tiger Woods.
The sports drink, which is sold by PepsiCo Inc., has ended its endorsement deal with the embattled golfer.
Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren Apologize to Daughter Sam's Daycare School
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Tiger Woods and his wife Elin Nordegren have apologized to the parents whose children attend the same daycare facility as their 2-year-old daughter Sam.
Tiger Woods' Caddie Steve Williams: Heckling Won't Be Tolerated
ORLANDO, Fla. — Tiger Woods' caddie Steve Williams has a reputation for defending the world's No. 1 golfer and it won't be any different whenever the embattled star returns to the course.
"Nothing changes," Williams told Australia's Sun-Herald newspaper. ''My job is to give him the best information I can and get him around in the fewest possible strokes.
''And as I have always pointed out, it is to try and give him a level playing field. Nothing will change from that aspect. I won't do anything differently. I won't view him any differently. I will do the utmost best to be as professional as I can.''
Woods apologized on Friday for his "irresponsible and selfish behavior" as he broke his long silence. He has been under the microscope ever since he crashed his SUV outside his home on Nov. 27. The accident came shortly after the National Enquirer published a story alleging that he was having an affair with Rachel Uchitel, a New York nightclub manager. After the first affair allegation, several more women stepped forward claiming to have engaged in sexual trysts with Woods, including former VH1 Tool Academy contestant Jaimee Grubbs and porn star Holly Sampson.
While the affair scandal has been a blow to the golfer's image, Williams believes the PGA star will be greeted warmly upon his return.
"I think when Tiger gets back to playing, people will be appreciative of the fact he is going to play," said Williams. "There are some cases where other people, not necessarily sports people, who lead a high-profile life have been in similar situations … and they haven't returned to [their] profession.
"There are always going to be people who are going to knock you ... Being the No. 1 player in the world and being as successful as Tiger has been, there have been people who have knocked him anyway. I am sure there might be a few more, it goes with the territory."
Woods did not provide a timetable for his return during Friday's news conference. He was to begin a second counseling stint on Saturday, reportedly at a sex rehab facility in Hattiesburg, Miss.
"As he pointed out in his statement, he has one more visit to the place where he is receiving his counseling," said Williams. "Then I would imagine his focus might change a little bit from then. Hopefully [it will be] his final visit, to the place he is receiving treatment, then his focus might turn a little back to his professional life, which is playing golf.
"After this visit I will talk with him about what his intentions are with golf. While he is receiving treatment and going through the healing process, I am not bothering him. When he plays is when he plays. There are more important things right now.''
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Tiger Woods Speaks Out: 'Believe in Me Again'
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — An emotional Tiger Woods apologized repeatedly Friday for his "irresponsible and selfish behavior" in his first public statement since his affair scandal broke in November.
"I know I have bitterly disappointed all of you," said Woods in front of a select group of invites at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. "I am embarrassed that I have put you in this position. I have a lot to atone for."
While his wife, Elin Nordegren, was seemingly missing from the small crowd, Woods said the couple is attempting to repair their marriage.
"Elin and I have started the process of discussing the damage done by my behavior," he said. "My real apology will not come in words. It will come in my behavior over time."
The embattled 34-year-old golfer also sought to clear up rumors surrounding his bizarre Nov. 27 accident, in which he crashed his SUV outside his home.
"Some people have speculated that Elin somehow hurt or attacked me on Thanksgiving night," said Woods. "It angers me that people would fabricate a story like that: Elin never hit me that night or any other night. There has never been [any] domestic violence in our marriage. Ever."
Woods then stressed that all fingers should be pointed at him.
"I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated. What I did is not acceptable – and I am the only person to blame," he said. "I stopped living by the core values that I was taught to believe in. I knew my actions were wrong, but I convinced myself that normal rules didn’t apply. Instead, I thought only about myself. I ran straight through the boundaries a married couple should live by. I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me."
Woods also made it a point to deny that he ever used performance-enhancing drugs, saying those allegations are "completely and utterly false."
The PGA star also confirmed that he sought therapy for his "issues" for 45 days, beginning in mid-December. He said he was returning to treatment again on Saturday.
As for his golf career, Woods said his return to the game remains in doubt.
"I do plan to return to golf one day. I just don't know when that day will be," he said. "I don't rule out it will be this year."
At the end of his nearly 15-minute long speech, Woods pleaded for the world to give him a second chance.
"Today, I want to ask for your help," said Woods, fighting back tears. "I ask you to find room in your heart to one day believe in me again."
Woods has been under the microscope ever since he crashed his car. The accident came shortly after the National Enquirer published a story alleging that he was having an affair with Rachel Uchitel, a New York nightclub manager. After the first affair allegation, several more women stepped forward claiming to have engaged in sexual trysts with Woods, including former VH1 Tool Academy contestant Jaimee Grubbs and porn star Holly Sampson.
The former Stanford star later admitted to cheating on his wife, while also announcing plans to put his golf career on an indefinite hold in order to focus on his family.
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