Tiger accepts blame for car crash

TIGER WOODS owned up last night, but not to much.

Three days after a minor car accident that, rightly or wrongly, has changed perceptions about one of the most successful athletes on the planet, speculation is still increasing rather than diminishing as to the events that led to the world’s number one golfer reversing out of his house at the exclusive Isleworth estate in Orlando, Florida and pranging his Cadillac Escalade into a fire hydrant before driving it forwards into a neighbour’s tree.

“As you all know, I had a single-car accident earlier this week, and sustained some injuries. I have some cuts, bruising and right now I’m pretty sore,” Woods’ said last night in a statement posted on his official website.

“This situation is my fault, and it’s obviously embarrassing to my family and me. I’m human and I’m not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

What should, however, have been a run of the mill traffic accident report, alas resulting in Woods needing hospital treatment for facial lacerations, has spiralled into a frenzy of speculation, rumour and near hysteria that will only cease when the man at the centre of the furore satisfies the curiosity of a celebrity-obsessed media culture.

Whether that will ever be satisfied, of course, remains to be seen, but the lack of a response by Woods and his usually well-oiled publicity machine to date has made the situation worse rather than better and for a man whose yacht is named ‘Privacy’, the events of the last few days will have hurt him far more than any cuts and bruises.

In his statement, Woods addressed the mounting speculation that has surfaced in regards to what prompted the accident.

“This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way,” the statement continued. “Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumours that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible.

“The only person responsible for the accident is me. My wife, Elin, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble. She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false.”

“THIS incident has been stressful and very difficult for Elin, our family and me. I appreciate all the concern and well wishes that we have received. But, I would also ask for some understanding that my family and I deserve some privacy no matter how intrusive some people can be.”

As Woods released his statement to break his silence about the accident, Florida Highway Patrol revealed the golfer had denied its troopers another opportunity to interview him and that the 14-time major winner had appointed lawyer Mark Nejame to represent him in the case.

The rumour mill quickly and alarmingly went into overdrive following the incident with his time of departure from the family home, in the early hours of Friday morning following the Thanksgiving Day holiday, of particular interest.

Everything from the state of his marriage to the current financial meltdown in Dubai, where Woods’ course design and property development has been put on hold, has been thrown into the internet blogosphere as a probable cause for his leaving the family home at a time most people are sleeping.

Of course, as a parent of two very young children he may have just been popping to 7-Eleven for some nappies and some formula milk.

Yet by continuing to keep investigators at bay, however innocently the reasons for that may be, Woods is perpetuating the mystery currently surrounding the accident and allowing the salacious rumours that began spreading on the internet before last Thursday to continue unabated.

However closely he guards the privacy he is entitled to, Woods must know that once the police are involved events can no longer be kept under control.

Woods has a perfect opportunity to put the rumours to bed tomorrow in California where he is scheduled to hold a press conference as host of the Chevron World Challenge event at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks near Los Angeles.

The event is his annual tournament to benefit the Tiger Woods Foundation and will attract a small, select field of the world’s best golfers.

It may be in Woods’ interests not to turn that press conference into another non-appearance and instead face the media in the familiar if not beloved surroundings of a tournament press room.