Sorry was the easiest word for Tiger Woods today, as he time and again apologised to his wife, fans, and even his business partners for repeatedly indulging in extramarital affairs. The public apology was scarcely unexpected, if overdue, but more surprising was Woods' refusal to name a date for his comeback, saying only that he wouldn't rule out a return "this year".
Looking suitably sombre as he apologised for his misdeeds, the golfer admitted his wrongs while stopping short of offering the media full access - no questions were allowed. Speaking at the PGA headquarters at Sawgrass clubhouse, Florida, in front of a small crowd of hand-picked friends, family members and reporters, Woods admitted: "I was unfaithful, I had affairs, I cheated. What I did was not acceptable and I am the only person to blame." The appearance was Woods’ first since last November, when revelations about the golfer's affairs first emerged.
Wearing a suit jacket and shirt but no tie, Woods read from a statement as he took responsibility for his actions - but the 34-year-old also found time to put the media straight on a few things. Woods denied the story of his wife Elin attacking him with a golf club on the night of his infamous car crash, with a note of what sounded like genuine emotion entering his voice as he defended his wife - but to what end?
Woods had already released a statement denying his wife had committed "domestic violence" on his person. The repeated denial here seemed unnecessary, when there were so many other issues that he could have cleared up. And while Woods made a big show of telling us what Elin didn't do, the true details of what happened on the night of the crash remain as clear as mud.
Indeed, the appearance offered little hope of a change in Woods’ guarded dealings with the press. Once again, the player emphasised his belief that the many questions the media wanted to ask were matters for discussion strictly between himself and Elin. Answers, now and in the future, are unlikely to come from Woods' mouth, with the golfer set to return to therapy tomorrow.
Of course, the truth is that whatever Woods' words or actions these days, the golfer is sure to generate feverish coverage. Even in announcing the timing of today's public statement, he created headlines, controversy, and yes, even outrage. Even if Woods was attempting to make amends, the world No. 1 was clearly going to do it his way.
The way the Woods entourage has handled this return to the public eye suggests the golfer has lost none of his taste for control - a fact not lost on the Golf Writers Association of America. The GWAA boycotted today's event because of Woods' insistence on only certain members of the media being invited to cover the event, as well as his refusal to answer queries.
"I cannot stress how strongly our board felt that this should be open to all media and also for the opportunity to question Woods," said Vartan Kupelian, president of the 950-member group. "This is a major story of international scope. To limit the ability of journalists to attend, listen, see and question Woods goes against the grain of everything we believe in."
There have also been suggestions that the timing of the press event was deliberately scheduled to detract attention from the WGC Accenture Match Play Championships taking place in Arizona right now - Woods was released from a lucrative sponsorship contract with Accenture when the full scale of his infidelity came to light.
While Accenture themselves have denied they have a problem with the circumstances of the golfer's announcement, fellow professionals have been more outspoken. Ernie Els called the timing "selfish," while English player Oliver Wilson described the move as "very poor." However, Woods addressed this potential banana skin during his statement, thanking Accenture for their "understanding" of the timing of his announcement.
Still, the boycott and the condemnation from Woods' peers is all the more remarkable since, pretty much for the entirety of his career, media and players alike have sought to accommodate Woods, desperately striving not to displease the player with an ambiguous comment or query.
That speaks of Woods' power - prize money has quadrupled since he came to prominence, and golf itself owes the player a significant debt, with the sport making in-roads to new markets, and television ratings typically diving by 50% whenever the 34-year-old is absent from play. Such is Woods' importance, and it means that in the past, he's been able to treat the media with near-total contempt and comfortably get away with it.
It's worth noting that journalists have previously stood by Woods, even after the floodgate of revelations about extramarital affairs started last December. Woods was named 2009 player of the year by the GWAA, the tenth time he'd received the accolade. This boycott is proof that GWAA members are finally in revolt, though even they may be surprised by Woods' decision not to name a date for his return.
Meanwhile, PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem will surely be hoping that Woods can make it back to the fairways in 2010. Because without its star attraction, the tour could be in for tough times.
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