Los Angeles, December 12
In a stunning decision, golf superstar Tiger Woods announced he was putting his game on the backburner to try to save his marriage as he admitted for the first time being unfaithful.

Woods yesterday said he was taking an “indefinite break” from the PGA Tour and apologised, pleading for forgiveness in a statement posted on his website. “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,” he said.

Woods, who has not been seen in public for the past two weeks, has a two-year-old daughter and a 10-month-old son with his wife, Elin.

“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,” he added.

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said Friday they would not try to rush Wood into returning to the sport. “His priorities are where they need to be, and we will continue to respect and honor his family’s request for privacy,” Finchem said.

Woods, who was previously seen as a squeaky clean athletic role model, has been tainted by allegations of serial infidelities with as many as 10 women, including various waitresses, nightclub hostesses and porn stars.

Woods has been the focus of tabloid inquiry since he crashed his car outside his house on November 27 amid allegations of a massive fight between him and his wife, who apparently used a golf club to break the window of his car.

Since the accident, Woods has not been seen in public and he withdrew from his own tournament in Thousand Oaks, California, just days after the accident.Woods earned an estimated $118 million last year in prize money and endorsements.

According to reports, Woods had offered his wife a huge financial inducement, said to be as high as $80 million, if she agreed to stay married to him for several more years in a bid to rehabilitate his tainted image.

Woods has had a phenomenal career, earning more than $1 billion in his rapid 13-year rise, commanding huge fees for sports endorsements and revolutionising sports marketing. Earlier this week, there were signs the money flow could slow. Television ads featuring Woods have stopped, although none of his multi-million-dollar endorsement contracts have yet been cancelled by the likes of companies like Nike and Gillette, according to ABC news. Born in Cypress, California on December 30, 1975, Tiger Woods is the son of Earl Woods, a lieutenant-colonel in the US Army, and Thai-born Kultida. — Agencies