February 19, 2010
Tiger Woods' apology:
Full transcript
(CNN) -- 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.
