February 19 In History: Golfer Tiger Woods Admits His Affair To The Public
Tiger Woods (Sumber: Commons Wikimedia)

JAKARTA - On February 19, 2010, professional golfer Tiger Woods held a press conference that was broadcast on television. Woods apologized for the affair. Woods admits his behavior is selfish and stupid. Woods, then 34 years old, was one of the greatest players in golf history and one of the highest-paid athletes in the world.

"I was unfaithful and I was having an affair. What I did was unacceptable ... I hurt my wife, my children, my mother, my wife's family, my friends, my foundation, and children around the world. who admire me, "said Woods.

“I knew my actions were wrong but I convinced myself that the normal rules didn't apply. "I never thought about who I hurt, instead I only thought about myself ... I immediately crossed the boundaries that married couples have to obey," he added.

Photo illustration of TigerWoods (Source: Commons Wikimedia)

Citing Biography, Friday, February 19, Woods read his written confession at the PGA headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, United States (US). The press conference was attended by a pre-selected audience, including his mother. The media crew present were not allowed to ask questions.

Woods' remarks marked the first time he had spoken in public since he crashed his car into a fire hydrant and a tree near his home in Windermere, Florida, a suburb of Orlando, at around 2 a.m. on November 27, 2009. The car accident landed him in hospital.

Woods wife, Elin Nordegren, told police she heard of the accident from home. She then went outside and smashed the back window of Woods' Cadillac Escalade to get her husband out.

Tiger Woods car accident

Reports suggest that alcohol was not the cause of Woods' accident. But Woods is known to have taken the painkiller that was prescribed Vicodin, as Nordegren told police.

His injuries were described as serious in the police report, which also noted that he was unconscious for about six minutes after the accident. Woods ended up having to pay a $ 164 fine for careless driving.

After the accident, Woods refused to speak and made no immediate public statement. This sparked rumors and speculation about why he left his house that early morning.

Tiger Woods (Source: Commons Wikimedia)

At the time of the incident, a tabloid newspaper reported allegations that Woods had had an affair. In the days and weeks following the car accident, Woods saw his stellar reputation tarnished as many young women publicly claimed to be romantically involved with married golfers.

Woods and his wife first met in 2001. On April 8, 2010, less than two months after an apologetic press conference, Woods returned to his professional golf career by competing in the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia.

The event received wide coverage and Woods finished the tournament in fourth place. Since the affair scandal, Woods is no longer brilliant. He lost sponsorship of major brands, such as Accenture, AT&T, Gatorade and General Motors, although Nike remained standing by his side.

Some of the sponsors eventually returned. But her marriage to Nordegren eventually fell through, with the divorce announced in August 2010. Apart from the affair, over the years Woods had back problems and had to undergo several operations. In 2019, then US President Donald Trump announced he would award Woods the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

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