Tiger Woods apologizes from his heart – VIDEO

A sincere, contrite and humble Tiger Woods apologized for his reckless actions in a 15-minute statement that was followed by emotional hug with his mother, Kultida, as the disgraced golfer took his first step in repairing his life Friday morning.

Woods at first read from his statement but several times, he looked around the room and into the camera and apologized to his family, friends and fellow competitors. His wife, Elin, was not in the room.

He left open the possibility that he will play golf again this year but have no indication when he might return. He said he will be returning to therapy “starting tomorrow” after 45 days that began in late December.

“For all that I have done, I am so sorry,” he said.

Woods admitted his string of extra-marital affairs were “my fault alone” and insisted that reports of his wife, Elin, striking him that fateful Thanksgiving night when he ran his SUV into a fire hydrant, were false.

“There wasn’t one Elin never hit me that night or any night,” he said, raising his voice for the first time. “There have never been an episode of domestic violence in our marriage.

“Elin deserves praise, not blame,” he added. “I was unfaithful, I had affairs, I cheated, What I did was not acceptable and I am the only person to blame.”

His deepest admission came when he said he felt he “entitled” to play by different rules and that, when he eventually returns to the golf course, he has top improve his “behavior” to be more respectful. Woods has often been criticized for using foul language and throwing clubs in frustration.

“I stopped living by the score values that I was taught to believe in,” he said. “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 thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I thought I deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me.”

Woods also strongly condemned the tabloid press for stalking his family.

“They did not do these things. I did,” he said. “My behavior does not make it right for the media to follow my 2 ½-year-old daughter to school and report the school’s location. They staked out my wife and they pursued my mom.

“Please leave my wife and kids alone.”

He also labeled as “completely and utterly false,” speculation that he had used performance enhancing drugs.

Woods said he had drifted away from his Buddhist faith in recent years.

“Obviously I lost track of what I was taught.”

Woods’ mother and close friends, including PGA Tour player Notah Begay, were seated in the front row along with PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem.

He closed his statement by saying, “I ask you to find room in your heart to one day believe in me again.”

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2010/02/19/2010-02-19_tiger_doesnt_say_when_hell_return_to_golf.html#ixzz0g0MjwTp3

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