Published>Thu, Feb 18 10 09:17 AM
New York, Feb 18 (IANS) Finally, Tiger Woods will speak to the media Friday for the first time since the November car crash outside his Florida home led to revelations of serial infidelities by the world's highest-earning athlete.
To date, 19 women have claimed sexual relations with the world's number one golfer who has been undergoing rehabilitation from sexual addiction at a clinic in Mississippi.
Making this announcement in a press release Wednesday, the PGA Tour said Woods' media conference will be held at its headquarters at Palm Valley in Florida.
'It's the first public appearance by Woods since he decided to take an indefinite leave of absence in December,'' the PGA statement said.
Quoting Woods' agent Mark Steinberg, the statement said the world's number one golfer plans to 'discuss his past and his future and he intends to apologize for his behaviour.''
According to his agent, Woods will be speaking to 'friends, associates and colleagues'' Friday. Later, a statement on Tiger Woods' website also said that he 'will be speaking to a small group of friends, colleagues and close associates Friday at the PGA headquarters.
Terming it 'not a news conference,'' the statement said Tiger 'plans to discuss his past and his future, and he plans to apologize for his behaviour.'' However, his 'remarks will be open to a press pool for live coverage,'' the statement said.
'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 on Woods' website said.
Welcoming Woods' decision, PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said, 'I'm pleased that he's going to make some comments and do what the statement says he's going to do, so that's good news.''
Finchem added, 'I don't know what his plans are in terms of what he's going to say. I don't know what he's going to do after he finishes his rehab.''
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.
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