Tiger's News Conference Apology From PGA Headquarters

By: Kara Gilmour
Staff Writer
Published: Feb 18, 2010

Professional golfer Tiger Woods will speak at a news conference at PGA headquarters on Friday. The sport legend is trying to make amends with fans, friends, associates and colleagues.

Tiger Woods will speak to fans for the first time since the November car crash outside his Florida home. The crash also led to several rumors of extramarital affairs and an alleged mistress. Woods entered rehabilitation for sexual addiction at a clinic in Mississippi.

Woods will appear at the PGA headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. He will be making a public apology directly to friends, associates and colleagues on Friday. There will also be a press pool for live coverage.

"It's the first public appearance by Woods since he decided to take an indefinite leave of absence in December," a PGA statement said. In addition, a statement was also posted on Tiger's website, "While Tiger feels that what happened is fundamentally a matter between him and his wife, he also recognizes that he has hurt and let down a lot of other people who were close to him. He also let down his fans. He wants to begin the process of making amends, and that's what he's going to discuss," the statement said.

Woods' decision to break his silence coincides with the start of the Accenture Match Play Championships in Arizona. The first big golf tournament of 2010, it is sponsored by the consulting firm Accenture which dumped Woods as its advertiser after the scandal. It is not known when Woods will return to professional golf.

His agent, Mark Steinberg, says Tiger has taken some recovery steps. Woods realized that what he did is more than a matter between him and his wife. He hurt a lot of people including those around him and fans. The briefing is part of making amends, according to Steinberg.

No Questions From Press - Only Selected Media Invited

Steinberg also emphasized that the event will not be a press conference. This means that Woods will not take any questions. They also asked the Golf Writers Association of America to recommend pool reporters.

What was first announced as a press briefing has turned into a planned public relations meeting. In other words, only his friends, family, and colleagues are invited. The press will be given a live feed from the room where Woods will speak.

Woods will not be taking any questions from the press. If questions are asked, it will be from those close to him. The decision to keep the media out of the room comes with scrutiny.

However, one could understand why Tiger doesn't like the press right now. The professional golfer has been beaten up by the tabloids and the mainstream media for three months. It's a broken relationship with Woods, one that will probably take years to rebuild trust.

Professional Golfer Apologizes Again

Personally, I wonder if Woods will always have to keep apologizing. A few days after the November incident, he addressed everyone on his website and apologized for his "transgressions." After that, he entered rehabilitation and is trying to reconcile with his wife.

Even so, the tabloids and press are announcing that today he's "speaking for the first time" and "Tiger Woods' silence breaks." This is a man who plays a professional sport. He's not an ordained minister.

How quickly we forget all the other sports heroes that also let the public down. His main focus has been rehabilitation, and his wife and children. I feel that Tiger Woods and a public apology statement shouldn't be one to please people who know him in golf and shouldn't be targeted as the first human being to make a major mistake.