WNEG-TV

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. - It was in front of a controlled crowd of about 40 people. His wife Elin Nordegren was not at the conference, but his mother and a few close family members in the front row, that Tiger Woods finally broke his silence.

Woods has not been seen since his traffic accident on November 27, an accident that eventually led to the whirlwind of questions about his infidelity.

The press conference that began at 11am EST lasted about 13 minutes, where Woods read a prepared speech and took no questions from the media when he was done.

Woods admitted that he was solely responsible for his actions and has been in treatment for 45 days for his sexual addiction. He added that he would be returning for more therapy.

Among the apologies, a chocked up Woods talked about his relationship with his wife and his children, and how he can only hope for reconciliation in that area.

But he adamently said that he refused to go into detail about his family life at this time, saying "Please leave my wife and kids alone."

He also dispelled the rumors that his wife, Elin, hit him in anyway the night he ran his Escalade into a tree in front of their home.

Perhaps what everyone was waiting for was Tiger's timeline for his return. But those that were waiting on that answer are still left questioning when the world's number one golfer will make it back to the green.

"I do plan to return to golf one day, I just don't know when that will be," a tearful Woods explained.

TRANSCRIPT:

Good morning. And thank you for joining me.

Many of you in the room are my friends. Many of you in this room know me.

Many of you have cheered for me, or worked with me, or supported me, and 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 she 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. 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 severely disappointed all of you. I have made

you question who I am and how I 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. She 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 far

-- 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 have done. My failures have

made me look at myself in a way I never wanted to before. It is now up to me to

make amends. And that starts by never repeating the mistakes I have made. It is

up to me to start living a life of integrity.

I once heard -- and I believe it is true -- it's not what you achieve in

life that matters, it is 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 of those

families a special apology. I want to say to them that I am truly sorry.

It is 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 me to -- to ask me for the details of 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 they ... so that the paparazzi could not chase them.

However, my behavior doesn't make it right for the media to follow my

2½-year-old daughter to school and report the school's location. They staked

out my wife and 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 is 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 have learned

that is 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 am making this -- these remarks today.

In therapy, I have learned that looking at -- 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 have 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 e-mails, 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 [Tim] 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 hearts to one day believe in me again. Thank you.