Tiger Woods Apology: "I Regret Those Transgressions With All Of My Heart"

Tiger Woods has posted an apology to his web site. In the statement he says, "I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart." He also rejects rumors that his wife hit or scratched him before his car accident: "The stories in particular that physical violence played any role in the car accident were utterly false and malicious." Over the past week rumors of multiple affairs have trickled out, including the release of racy text messages and a voicemail that seems to implicate Woods.

(DON'T MISS: SEE THE WOMEN LINKED TO TIGER)

Woods has been linked to Rachel Uchitel, Jaimee Grubbs and Kalika Moquin.

See below for full statement.

I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone.

Although I am a well-known person and have made my career as a professional athlete, I have been dismayed to realize the full extent of what tabloid scrutiny really means. For the last week, my family and I have been hounded to expose intimate details of our personal lives. The stories in particular that physical violence played any role in the car accident were utterly false and malicious. Elin has always done more to support our family and shown more grace than anyone could possibly expect.

But no matter how intense curiosity about public figures can be, there is an important and deep principle at stake which is the right to some simple, human measure of privacy. I realize there are some who don't share my view on that. But for me, the virtue of privacy is one that must be protected in matters that are intimate and within one's own family. Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family shouldn't have to mean public confessions.

Whatever regrets I have about letting my family down have been shared with and felt by us alone. I have given this a lot of reflection and thought and I believe that there is a point at which I must stick to that principle even though it's difficult.

I will strive to be a better person and the husband and father that my family deserves. For all of those who have supported me over the years, I offer my profound apology.

Comments

[JPE33180]

12:11 PM on 02/19/2010

What has happened with Tiger and his family is a true tragedy for them all and will be hard for them to overcome since this society and the media seem to feel it's our right to pass judgement, condemn and ridicule in public as we see fit. Leave these people alone to work out their problems and find a result with which they can go on with their lives.
The only appropriate action for the "public" is to keep any ill-informed opinions to ourselves and make a personal decision about ever being able to hold Tiger in any esteem when/if he returns to public life.

[boardroom]

11:48 AM on 02/19/2010

1. People are never sorry for what they do, they are only sorry that they are caught.
2. Tiger is not sorry for what he did with all his heart, he is sorry he got caught doing
what he did with all his heart.
3. If he has the opportunity again, he will do it again. And then I suppose he will,
again, be sorry, with all his heart.
Who cares.

[zmorgan]

11:00 PM on 02/12/2010

If Mr. Woods want his privacy, he needs to start playing golf alone. He must stop playing golf on television and in a competitive manner. If no one knows who he is, no one will care about his personal shortcomings. I applaud the companies that have withdrawn their support for Mr. Woods.

I hope his poor wife and children have been thoroughly tested for STDs and AIDS.

[bullfinch]

08:21 PM on 02/12/2010

men cheat.
everyone knows that.
why is he apologizing...did nike make him??

[GuiltyUndertaker]

11:47 AM on 02/19/2010

Probably

[Neoffyte]

02:21 PM on 02/12/2010

Tiger owes an apology only to his family. The "other" women are just sorry it did not pay off for them. Everybody else..."guilt" blackmail and drama addicts.

[CLAHOW]

09:37 AM on 02/12/2010

Talk about political correctness. He should tip his speech writer. "Regret with all my heart..." is a nice lead. "Stay within my family..." is a good followup. "Privacy is something I must protect..." is a great close. Problem is he never regretted his sin and the pain it caused until he got caught. His family meant nothing and his actions have never revolved around his family's needs to any degree. Privacy is something he only exercised to cover his sin and disgusting lack of character. As I said, tip the speech writer, get a non-public job, move - hopefully without Elin and the kids, who need an entirely new life of hope, and stick to rehab; or as Hume said, give Christ Jesus a honest chance to help you. You will never ever change alone, but grace, which only God can offer. Then, see if there's hope for you and a restart with the family and golf. Oh, and as far as Grubbs asking for an apology that she felt "used" when Woods told her she was the only one; what a *****. How is Elin suppose to feel!!!

[bullfinch]

08:23 PM on 02/12/2010

please...let jesus sleep

[CR46]

11:30 PM on 12/09/2009

He sounds like Sanford, I wonder if one of his friends is his "soul mate"?

[Eres]

02:15 AM on 12/06/2009

And Michael Phelps lost his endorsements and throne because he posed with a bong?

This country is ridiculous.

[CR46]

11:28 PM on 12/09/2009

My thoughts exactly.

[Neoffyte]

03:07 PM on 02/12/2010

Using - not posing.

[GuiltyUndertaker]

11:50 AM on 02/19/2010

So what if he used. The guy won 8 gold medals at the 2008 Olympics. Let him have a few bong hits. He earned them. Geeeeeze.

Marijuana isn't a performance-inhancing drug. It's a Doritos and Hostess fruit pie scarfing-enhancing drug.

[Eres]

02:12 AM on 12/06/2009

They are always sorry when they get caught. While they're having a ball, they feel entitled.

I am a firm believer in working things out whenever possible, but if the rumors are true, Tiger has a serious and serial problem. Maybe Elin should just take the money and run while she is young enough to find peace and happiness with a man who understands the word "commitment."

[CR46]

11:31 PM on 12/09/2009

She bought a house outside of the country, I think she's done with him.

[SonyaInTx]

01:13 AM on 12/06/2009

His fellow golf players can now than Tiger fro bringing the ghetto to the game.

[Neoffyte]

02:53 PM on 02/12/2010

GHETTO is a term first used in Nazi Germany for the Jewish neighborhoods. Tiger is not Jewish and you weren't implying that - were you? He had a bunch of affairs and one-night-stands while he won practically EVERY golf tournament he played. His golf game is fine and so is the sport. The only thing that has changed is your perception and demand to attach some sort of "holier than thou" aura to his personage. Wonder how Clinton feels right now?

If Tiger has "disgusting character that brought the ghetto" then so does every man or woman that has cheated on his wife or husband. Frat parties should be outlawed. Congress and the White House, for centuries, should have been barricaded and declared a moral disaster zone. Don't forget the military that historically carries 2 shooters to every war. What about David of Christian & Jewish religious fame? He has his own star.

Do you really think Tiger is the only golfer or sports star that has cheated on his wife? The game of golf has always been intimately tied to corporate business. And while I'm not minimizing Tiger's actions, it should have only effected his immediate family. Why isn't the public isn't singing "stand by your man" to Elin, the same way they did to Hillary?

[SonyaInTx]

11:07 PM on 02/12/2010

Take a deep breath.

First off, this is America, and I'm talking about hte meaning of 'ghetto' in the sense of an African American's actions that are less than traditionally family oriented.

Second, no he isn't the first or the last to cheat. If you believe the invesitgative reporting by Gerald Posner, the whole of the PGA is filled with frat boy behaviour.

What I think outrages people about Tiger, is that he built his 'family friendly' 'clean cut' marketing image was based on a HUGE lie. If this were Charles Barkley, you can agree, that people wouldn't bat an eye at it.

[swtexas]

10:40 AM on 12/03/2009

Once again- steal millions and millions from poor people allow corporations to ruin our country and its no big deal. But if it has something to do with sex, its the end of the world as we know it. This is a screwed up stupid world we live in.

[skippypicasso]

11:24 AM on 12/03/2009

I'm sorry you think this has anything to do with sex. This has to do with lying, avoiding responsibility and generally not living up to the image you consented to have projected by your marketing team and your sponsors.

[LordByron13]

02:58 PM on 12/03/2009

Wait, Tiger had his wife in his promos?

[Carpool Kathleen]

07:44 PM on 12/22/2009

(Ooops, sorry....copying and pasting quotes doesn't work, I guess.)

Above was in response to >

[DeepsyRascal]

06:45 AM on 12/03/2009

He let himself down, he let his family down...and also let his trousers down...was it just bad four play?

[LordByron13]

02:58 PM on 12/03/2009

Ba-doom........ts!
Crappy pic...lol (j/k)

[cybolt]

03:57 AM on 12/03/2009

Good job by Tiger... comes clean about the adultery and in the same breath denies the domestic violence.

In this fashion, the public is lead to believe that since he's coming clean to the truth about the adultery, then what he says about the dv must be true also.

Sorry... aint buyin' it and neither would ANYONE if they saw his face.

[Neoffyte]

02:58 PM on 02/12/2010

His wife beat him up...aka domestic violence. Under the law, she should be charged AND THAT's the real reason why she left this country. No state does not requires the victim's consent to prosecute.

[postman66]

03:39 AM on 12/03/2009

"Personal failings", like learning how to lock your cell phone, and not to ever leave a voice message on the other woman' s phone. Simple stuff in chapter one of " How To Be A Player".

[thedudeabides]

05:09 PM on 12/03/2009

lol
i like to think i've been around the block once or twice, and here's what i know: one at a time, only one at at time...dear God, grant that i may never need to know the tricks to hide one woman from another...amen

[HC4BO]

03:25 AM on 12/03/2009

P00r Guy ...

People are behaving like it's an extraordinary phen0menon to hear that a guy che@ted on his wife ... !

[skippypicasso]

09:03 AM on 12/03/2009

You and all his other undying fans just don't get it.

[LordByron13]

03:19 PM on 12/03/2009

I agree that its wrong. But, I'm curious...I don't remember his wife in ANY of his promos(though I could definitely be wrong about that); don't remember any of his kids and don't even know his position on marriage and gay marriage. Unlike Sarah Palin, for instance, I've NEVER seen him parade his family around with him...

Sure, I read the Enquirer's 'report' against my better judgement. If one reads English, they'll see MANY holes in what they say. And they may have been left deliberately...as the Enquirer professes to have further evidence they'll release. Ok, sure whatever.

Bottom line...this is Tigers Wood* mess; and to all those who talk about his 'image'; the image cultivated, from what I've seen certainly does NOT rise to the level politicians take it to, putting family on public display. He hasn't been making appearances at marriage rallys, whether for the 'defense of marriage' or in favor of gay marriage rights...none of it. I've never heard him utter a word about it.

What I do hear is a lot of people disappointed because they THOUGHT that since he LOOKED wholesome, he was wholesome.

Completely forgetting that he is first and foremost HUMAN. We make mistakes people. Let's hope Tiger becomes one of those who overcomes this and continues to shine...

(*yes, that was my attempt at a pun)

[Carpool Kathleen]

07:49 PM on 12/22/2009