Tiger Woods, the superstar golfer who took an indefinite break from the game in December after admitting marital infidelity, will make a public statement on Friday to discuss his playing future.
The world number one has been in hiding since the tawdry revelations about his personal life erupted after a minor car accident in the middle of the night outside his Florida home in November. It was a stunning fall from grace for the most marketable figure in sport and one of the world's most recognizable athletes.
American Woods, a 14-times major champion, will address a small gathering of reporters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, at 11 a.m. EST (1600 GMT) on Friday, his manager said.
"Tiger plans to discuss his past and his future and he plans to apologize for his behaviour," Mark Steinberg said in an email to Reuters.
"While Tiger feels that what happened is fundamentally a matter between he and his wife, he also recognizes that he has hurt and let down a lot of other people who were close to him.
"He also let down his fans. He wants to begin the process of making amends and that's what he's going to discuss."
Woods, the greatest player of his generation and arguably of all time, became engulfed in a media frenzy following the bizarre pre-dawn car crash on Nov. 27.
With his squeaky-clean image torn asunder by a series of allegations over his private life, he reportedly got treatment for sex addiction in Mississippi.
LIVING APART
Woods, 34, has since returned to his Orlando home where he and his Swedish wife, Elin, are believed to be living apart.
Woods has given no timetable for his likely return to competition.
Many pundits have predicted he will be back for the March 11-14 WGC-CA Championship in Miami, Florida while others are banking on him delaying his comeback until the U.S. Masters in April.
Augusta National, permanent home of the Masters, would provide him with the most tightly screened media contingent on the Tour, and golf fans are well aware that winning majors has been the driving force in his career.
Sponsors and organisers have been counting the days before his return. The absence of Woods from events where he usually plays generally drives down television ratings by 50 percent.
Woods, believed to be the world's wealthiest athlete, was estimated to earn about $100 million a year before his adultery scandal cost him corporate sponsors.
However Forbes said his remaining sponsor deals with Nike Inc, Electronic Arts Inc and Procter & Gamble Co's Gillette brand would allow him to remain the world's highest paid athlete this year.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Nike said: "Our position remains the same ... Nike fully supports Tiger and his family through this difficult time. We respect his privacy. We look forward to him returning to golf."
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