Text of the statement made by Tiger Woods Friday morning:
Good morning, and thank you for joining me. Many of you in
this room are my friends. Many of you in this room know me. Many of
you have cheered for me or you've worked with me or you've
supported me.
Now every one of you has good reason to be critical of me. I
want to say to each of you, simply and directly, I am deeply sorry
for my irresponsible and selfish behavior I engaged in.
I know people want to find out how I could be so selfish and
so foolish. People want to know how I could have done these things
to my wife Elin and to my children. And while I have always tried
to be a private person, there are some things I want to say.
Elin and I have started the process of discussing the damage
caused by my behavior. As Elin pointed out to me, my real apology
to her will not come in the form of words; it will come from my
behavior over time. We have a lot to discuss; however, what we say
to each other will remain between the two of us.
I am also aware of the pain my behavior has caused to those
of you in this room. I have let you down, and I have let down my
fans. For many of you, especially my friends, my behavior has been
a personal disappointment. To those of you who work for me, I have
let you down personally and professionally. My behavior has caused
considerable worry to my business partners.
To everyone involved in my foundation, including my staff,
board of directors, sponsors, and most importantly, the young
students we reach, our work is more important than ever. Thirteen
years ago, my dad and I envisioned helping young people achieve
their dreams through education. This work remains unchanged and
will continue to grow. From the Learning Center students in
Southern California to the Earl Woods scholars in Washington, D.C.,
millions of kids have changed their lives, and I am dedicated to
making sure that continues.
But still, I know I have bitterly disappointed all of you. I
have made you question who I am and how I could have done the
things I did. I am embarrassed that I have put you in this
position.
For all that I have done, I am so sorry.
I have a lot to atone for, but there is one issue I really
want to discuss. 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. Elin never hit me that night or
any other night. There has never been an episode of domestic
violence in our marriage, ever. Elin has shown enormous grace and
poise throughout this ordeal. Elin deserves praise, not blame.
The issue involved here was my repeated irresponsible
behavior. I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated. What I did is
not acceptable, and I am the only person to blame.
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. I never thought about who I was
hurting. Instead, I thought only about myself. I ran straight
through the boundaries that 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. I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and
fame, I didn't have to go far to find them.
I was wrong. I was foolish. I don't get to play by different
rules. The same boundaries that apply to everyone apply to me. I
brought this shame on myself. I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother,
my wife's family, my friends, my foundation, and kids all around
the world who admired me.
I've had a lot of time to think about what I've done. My
failures have made me look at myself in a way I never wanted to
before. It's now up to me to make amends, and that starts by never
repeating the mistakes I've made. It's up to me to start living a
life of integrity.
I once heard, and I believe it's true, it's not what you
achieve in life that matters; it's what you overcome. Achievements
on the golf course are only part of setting an example. Character
and decency are what really count.
Parents used to point to me as a role model for their kids.
I owe all those families a special apology. I want to say to them
that I am truly sorry.
It's hard to admit that I need help, but I do. For 45 days
from the end of December to early February, I was in inpatient
therapy receiving guidance for the issues I'm facing. I have a long
way to go. But I've taken my first steps in the right direction.
As I proceed, I understand people have questions. I
understand the press wants to ask me for the details and the times
I was unfaithful. I understand people want to know whether Elin and
I will remain together. Please know that as far as I'm concerned,
every one of these questions and answers is a matter between Elin
and me. These are issues between a husband and a wife.
Some people have made up things that never happened. They
said I used performance enhancing drugs. This is completely and
utterly false. Some have written things about my family. Despite
the damage I have done, I still believe it is right to shield my
family from the public spotlight. They did not do these things; I
did.
I have always tried to maintain a private space for my wife
and children. They have been kept separate from my sponsors, my
commercial endorsements. When my children were born, we only
released photographs so that the paparazzi could not chase them.
However, my behavior doesn't make it right for the media to follow
my two and a half year old daughter to school and report the
school's location. They staked out my wife and they pursued my mom.
Whatever my wrongdoings, for the sake of my family, please leave my
wife and kids alone.
I recognize I have brought this on myself, and I know above
all I am the one who needs to change. I owe it to my family to
become a better person. I owe it to those closest to me to become a
better man. That's where my focus will be.
I have a lot of work to do, and I intend to dedicate myself
to doing it. Part of following this path for me is Buddhism, which
my mother taught me at a young age. People probably don't realize
it, but I was raised a Buddhist, and I actively practiced my faith
from childhood until I drifted away from it in recent years.
Buddhism teaches that a craving for things outside ourselves causes
an unhappy and pointless search for security. It teaches me to stop
following every impulse and to learn restraint. Obviously I lost
track of what I was taught.
As I move forward, I will continue to receive help because
I've learned that's how people really do change. Starting tomorrow,
I will leave for more treatment and more therapy. I would like to
thank my friends at Accenture and the players in the field this
week for understanding why I'm making these remarks today.
In therapy I've learned the importance of looking at my
spiritual life and keeping in balance with my professional life. I
need to regain my balance and be centered so I can save the things
that are most important to me, my marriage and my children.
That also means relying on others for help. I've learned to
seek support from my peers in therapy, and I hope someday to return
that support to others who are seeking help. I do plan to return to
golf one day, I just don't know when that day will be.
I don't rule out that it will be this year. When I do return,
I need to make my behavior more respectful of the game. In recent
weeks I have received many thousands of emails, letters and phone
calls from people expressing good wishes. To everyone who has
reached out to me and my family, thank you. Your encouragement
means the world to Elin and me.
I want to thank the PGA TOUR, Commissioner Finchem, and the
players for their patience and understanding while I work on my
private life. I look forward to seeing my fellow players on the
course.
Finally, there are many people in this room, and there are
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.
Thank you.
