VIDEO: Tiger Woods' Televised Apology - Hear His Entire Statement

Tiger Woods finally broke his silence Friday about his now infamous cheating scandal and apologized to his wife, family, and fans -- and amid widespread speculation of “would she, or wouldn’t she?,”  his wife Elin Nordegren was not at his side, as RadarOnline was first to report.

Woods -- who took no questions during his highly-orchestrated media appearance -- spoke for more than ten minutes and expressed his extreme regret for the scandal that has forever tarnished the image of golf’s golden boy.

“I know people want to find out how I could be so selfish and so foolish, and people want to know  how I could have done these things to my wife, Elin, and to  my children.  And while I have always tried to  be a private person, there are some things I want to say.  Elin and I have started the process of discussing the damage caused by my behavior.  As Elin pointed out to me, my real apology to her will not come in the form of words.  It will come from my behavior over time. We have a lot to discuss.  However, what we say to each other will remain between the two of us.

“But there is one issue I've really wanted to discuss.  Some people speculated that Elin  hurt or attacked me on Thanksgiving night. It angers me that people would fabricate a story like that.   Elin never hit me that night or any other night. There has never been an episode of domestic violence in our marriage, ever.

“Elin has shown enormous grace and poise throughout this ordeal.  Elin deserves praise, not blame. The issue involved here was my repeated irresponsible behavior. I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated. What I did is not acceptable, and I am the only person to blame.   I stopped living by the core values that I was taught to believe in.  I knew my actions were wrong, but I convinced myself that normal rules did not apply.  I never thought about who I was   hurting.  Instead, I thought only about myself.  I ran straight through the boundaries that a married couple should live by, and I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me.  I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and fame, I didn't have far...I didn't have to go far too find them.  

“I was wrong and I was foolish. I don't get to play by different rules. The same boundaries that apply to everyone apply to me.  I brought this shame on myself. I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother, my wife's family, my friends, my foundation, and kids all around the world who admired me.  I have had a lot of time to think about what I have done.   My failures have made me look at myself in a way I never wanted to before.  It's now up to me to make amends, and that starts by never repeating the mistakes that I have made.  It's up to me to start living a  life of integrity.  I once heard, and I believe it's true, it's not what you achieve in life that matters, it's what you overcome.   Achievements on the golf course are only part of setting an example. Character and decency are what  really count. Parents used to point to me as a role model to their kids, and I owe all those families a special apology.  I want to say to them that I am   truly sorry.  It's hard to admit that I need help, but I do. For 45 days from the end of December to early February, I was  inpatient therapy receiving guidance for the issues that I am facing.  I have a long way to go.  But I am taking my first steps in the right direction.

“I recognize I have brought this on myself.  And I know, above all, I am the one who needs to change.  I owe it to my family to become a better person.  I owe it to those closest to me to become a better man. That's where my focus will be. I have a lot of work to do. I tend to dedicate myself to doing it. Part of following this path for me is Buddhism which my mother taught me at a young age.  People probably don't realize it but I was raised a Buddhist and practiced my faith until I  drifted away from it.  This teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint.  Obviously, I lost track of what I was taught.  

“As I move forward, I  will continue to receive help because I have learned that's how people really do change. Starting tomorrow, I will leave for more treatment and more therapy.  I would like to thank my friends at Accenture and the players in the field this week for understanding why I am making these remarks today.  In therapy, I have learned the importance of looking at my spiritual life and keeping in balance with my professional life.  I need to regain my balance and   be centered so I can save the   things most important to me, my   marriage and my children.   That also means relying on others for help. I have learned to seek support from my peers in therapy and someday hope to return that support to others who are seeking help.  

“I do plan to return to golf one day.  I just don't know when that day will be. I don't rule out that it will be this year.   When I do return, I need to make  my behavior more respectful of the game.  In recent weeks, I have received many thousands of e-mails, letters and phone calls from people expressing good wishes.   To every one who has reached out to me and my family, thank you.  Your encouragement means the  world to Elin and me.  I want to thank the PGA tour,  the commissioner and the players for their patience and understanding while I work on my private life.   I look forward to seeing my fellow players on the course.   Finally, there are many people in this room and there are many people at home who believed in me.