Woods takes indefinite break

Tiger Woods will take an indefinite break from golf to try to save his marriage, the biggest fallout yet from two shocking weeks filled with allegations of extramarital relations with several women.

“I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person,” Woods said on his website on Friday.

Woods and his wife, Elin, have been married for five years and have a two-year-old daughter and a 10-month-old son.

The announcement came a fortnight after Woods crashed his car outside his Florida home, setting in motion a stunning sequence of revelations that have now derailed the career of the world’s No. 1 player, who for 13 years rarely made news off the golf course.

Woods has not been seen in public since the accident.

He gave no indication when he might return. Woods is pursuing the record 18 Major championship titles won by Jack Nicklaus. Woods, who did not win a Major this year, has 14.

The Masters, where Woods has won four times, is from April 8 to 11. The U.S. Open is at Pebble Beach, where Woods won by a record 15 strokes in 2000, and the British Open returns to St. Andrews, where he has won twice by a combined 13 shots.

It will be the second straight year that a PGA Tour season begins without its star. A year ago, Woods was recovering from reconstructive knee surgery that kept him out a total of eight months.

Transcript

This is a transcript of the statement released on Friday by Woods on his website. It ran with the headline ‘Tiger Woods taking hiatus from golf.’

— I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children. I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness. It may not be possible to repair the damage I’ve done, but I want to do my best to try.

— I would like to ask everyone, including my fans, the good people at my foundation, business partners, the PGA Tour, and my fellow competitors, for their understanding. What’s most important now is that my family has the time, privacy, and safe haven we will need for personal healing.

— After much soul searching, I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional golf. I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person.

— Again, I ask for privacy for my family and I am especially grateful to all those who have offered compassion and concern during this difficult period.

Backing

The PGA Tour has supported the decision.

“His priorities are where they need to be, and we will continue to respect and honour his family’s request for privacy,” PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said in a statement, the tour’s first public comment on the issue. “We look forward to Tiger’s return to the PGA Tour when he determines the time is right for him.” Woods’s agent Mark Steinberg said it was the right decision for Woods and his family.

“The entirety of someone’s life is more important than just a professional career,” Steinberg said in an email. “What matters most is a young family that is trying to cope with difficult life issues in a secluded and caring way. Whenever Tiger may return to the game should be on the family’s terms alone.” — AP