Tiger Woods apologises for his ‘transgressions’

Tiger Woods today all but admitted cheating on his wife. In a statement posted on his own website, the billionaire golfer said he had let down his wife and family and apologised for his "transgressions".

The statement came after a San Diego cocktail waitress, Jaimee Grubbs, claimed in Us Weekly magazine that she had enjoyed an affair with Tiger Woods lasting two-and-a-half years. As reported earlier by The First Post, the magazine today posted online a recording of a telephone message the golfer allegedly left on Grubbs's answer-machine, warning her that his wife, Elin Nordegren, would be calling.

"Hey, it's Tiger," he said on the voicemail. "I need you to do me a huge favour. Can you please take your name off your phone? My wife went through my phone and may be calling you. So if you can, please take your name off that. Just have it as a number on the voicemail. You got to do this for me. Huge. Quickly. Bye."

The world's number one golfer, who has cancelled his appearance this week at his annual Chevron Challenge charity event, said in his statement:

"I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behaviour my family deserves.

"I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behaviour and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone."

Woods went on to decry the behaviour of the media. "Although I am a well-known person and have made my career as a professional athlete, I have been dismayed to realise the full extent of what tabloid scrutiny really means... Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family shouldn't have to mean public confessions."

He also denied the rumour that his wife Elin had attacked him physically before he crashed his car outside his Florida home in the small hours of last Friday morning. "The stories ... that physical violence played any role in the car accident were utterly false and malicious," he said.

"Elin has always done more to support our family and shown more grace than anyone could possibly expect."

Woods concluded his statement by saying: "I will strive to be a better person and the husband and father that my family deserves. For all of those who have supported me over the years, I offer my profound apology."

Following the claim by Jaimee Grubbs, another woman was also named in the US media today as a possible mistress of the champion golfer. She is a Las Vegas club promoter, Kalika Moquin. She was identified by a friend who told Life & Style magazine that Moquin and Woods had "hooked up a bunch of times".

The New York party hostess Rachel Uchitel, whose name was the first to be mentioned as a possible mistress, has again denied having any sexual relationship with Woods and has offered to take a lie detector test to prove it. ·