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Golf star Tiger Woods has publicly apologised for his affairs in a televised address - but refused to name a date for his golf comeback.
The American, who cheated behind his wife Elin's back, read from a prepared statement in his odd appearance in Florida.
He said: 'I want to say that I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behaviour.
I was unfaithful, I had affairs, I cheated. What I did was unacceptable.
'I've made you question who I am and how I could have done the things I've done. I'm embarrassed that I put you in this position.
'I know my actions were wrong but I convinced myself that normal rules didn't apply (to me). I was wrong. I was foolish. I don't get to play by different rules. I brought this shame on myself.'
Woods added: '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 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 behaviour. We have a lot to discuss and what we say to each other will remain between the two of us.'
Addressing his personal issues, Woods said: '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've 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. 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 in-patient therapy receiving guidance for the issues I'm facing. I have a long way to go. I have taken my first steps in the right direction.'
Woods was injured on November 27 of last year when he crashed his car into a
fire hydrant and a tree near his Florida home after an argument with his wife.
Woods said he 'ran straight through the boundaries' that a married couple should observe.
He admitted: '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.'
Woods said his Buddhist faith would help him to 'be a better man' and 'stop following every impulse and to learn restraint'.
On the speculation that he had been attacked by his wife on the night of his crash, he said he was angered by the 'fabricated' accounts.There were claims that Elin hit him with a golf club.
He said: 'I have a lot to atone for but there's 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. Elin has shown enormous grace and poise throughout this ordeal. Elin deserves praise not blame.'
On his golf comeback, Woods revealed: 'I do plan to return to golf on day but I just don't know when that day will be. It may well be this year.'
Woods added that he would be returning for further therapy on Saturday.
After he spoke, Woods hugged his mother Kultida, who was in the front row of the specially selected audience. She whispered in his ear: 'I'm so proud of you. Never think you stand alone. Mom will always be there for you and I love you.'
The event was tightly controlled, with only a few journalists allowed to watch Woods live. He was dressed in a suit with an open collar shirt. There were no visible marks on him.
Woods spoke for 14 minutes from the clubhouse at the TPC Sawgrass, home of the US PGA Tour. About 40 people were in the room.
He added: '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 (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 heart to one day believe in me again.'
Tiger Woods would come up Trumps as a playboy - sound advice from American business magnate Donald Trump
American business magnate Donald Trump is recommending that Tiger Woods ends his marriage and becomes a playboy.
'Tiger's a friend of mine and I have a lot of respect for Tiger as an amazing athlete, but this whole thing has got totally out of hand,' said Trump in advance of the golfer's eagerly-awaited statement on Friday.
On the five-year marriage between Woods and Swedish ex-model Elin Nordegren - they have two small children - he added on the Fox television network: 'I have a whole question as to whether they should even get back together.
'It's so damaged and if the reports are just half true I would recommend Tiger just call it a bad experience, say bye-bye, go out and be a wonderful playboy and win tournaments and have a good life.
'I think the whole concept of them getting together is not in the best interest necessarily of either one.
'It's so badly damaged that every time they have a little argument she's going to look at him with blood pouring out of her eyes.
'I think the best thing he can do is go on his way, work hard on his game, win major championships and other championships and continue to be maybe the best golfer that ever lived.'
Trump, married three times, also believes the reaction to the sex scandal has not been handled well by the Woods camp, right up to today's announcement when no questions are to be permitted from the small number of reporters allowed in.
I would have rather seen him do this (returning to the public arena) a lot earlier,' he added.
'Just keep it open. To have such a controlled news conference where the golf writers association won't even attend ... I would just be advising Tiger much differently.
'The most important thing Tiger can do is get back on the golf course and win. This whole thing with sex rehabilitation, I'm not sure I'm a believer.
'I think the whole thing is crazy. Accenture have a tournament (in Tucson) and they were the first sponsor to drop Tiger.
'Look, Tiger will never again make the kind of money he was making because these great companies are probably never coming back no matter what happens.
'Tiger will hopefully be the greatest golfer ever again. I think the main thing is that he plays great golf and wins major championships. If he does that then not all of it is going to be forgotten, but a lot of it will be.'
Woods believes it will not be easy for Woods to close the gap on Jack Nicklaus's record 18 majors. He stands at 14.
'There's so much pressure on Tiger. The young kids coming up are phenomenal golfers,' he said. 'I think it's going to be very hard for Tiger to get back into that great, great group.'
Spotlight: Tiger enters the stage
Gaze: Tiger Woods talks to his mother Kultida after his statement
Watching on: The crowd gaze at Tiger Woods
Hand on heart: Woods admits his mistakes
Centre of attention: Tiger with his head bowed in speech
Apology: Tiger Woods in his televised address
Trump card: Donald Trump with his third wife, Melania.Advice Tiger woods to quit the marriage and be the world best golf player and continue to be a good playboy.
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