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Tiger Woods News Conference

Aired April 05, 2010 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Roland Martin is standing by. He's in New Orleans.

Roland, what do you think of all that? Do you think, Roland, that any of this is going to affect his golf game? And is Tiger going to come back strong, are fans going to take to him, and are sponsors going to go back into the business with Tiger Woods?

ROLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, obviously, beyond being a fan of golf and a fan of Tiger -- and I've covered golf, covered many other sports, as well. And so, look, this boils down to winning.

All of this nonsense about his character and him talking to fans and talking to players, Tiger Woods was a beloved figure because he won. Pure and simple. He was the best at what he did.

You know what? I didn't see anybody talking about, hey, did Michael Jordan really get buddy-buddy with other players? No, he was a winner.

And so if Tiger comes out, and if he's like Fred Funk or Peter Jacobsen, where he's laughing with the crowd and he's laughing with other players, things along those lines, and he doesn't win, do you know what these same sportswriters will be talking about? Hey, what has happened to Tiger?

What this is about this week is not really the scandal. It is about getting back to the issue of golf, getting back to what people know him best for. That's what it boils down to.

And so, for him, how does he handle mentally what he has gone through over the past several months? And golf is totally a mental game.

VELSHI: All right, Roland. Hold that thought. Here he is.

ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Here is Tiger Woods walking into the room at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, at the Masters, walking up to the podium. He is getting ready to sit down, where you're going to hear his press conference here. We've got our team ready to tell you what they think of it once he's done.

But for now, let's listen in to Tiger Woods.

CRAIG HEATLEY, CHAIRMAN, MASTERS MEDIA COMMITTEE: Ladies and Gentlemen, good afternoon. And a very warm welcome to you all. My name is Craig Heatley, and I'm the chairman of the Masters Media Committee.

It's my pleasure to welcome everyone to Augusta National Golf Club, and to the 2010 Masters Tournament.

I would also like to welcome Tiger Woods, our four-time Masters champion. This is Tiger's 16th Masters Tournament.

Tiger, we are delighted to have you here with us. And what a beautiful day out here to start Masters week.

Are there any comments that you would like to make before we invite questions from the floor?

TIGER WOODS, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: Sure.

Well, today I got a chance to play with Craig there -- I'm sorry -- Craig -- Freddie. And then Jim joined us on the 13th hole. And it was -- just what a great day today.

Coming into today, I didn't know what to respect with regards to reception. And I'll tell you what, the galleries couldn't be nicer. I mean, it was just incredible.

And the encouragement that I got, and -- it was just -- it blew me away, to be honest with you. It really did.

And, you know, the people here over the years have been extremely respectful. But today was just something that really touched my heart pretty good.

I would also like to, I guess, make another little comment before we start.

I know that the players over the past few months have been bombarded by questions by all of you and the public, as well. And I would like to tell all the players, hopefully, after today, after answering questions at this press conference, that the players can be left alone to focus on the Masters and focus on their game. Not only for this week, but going forward, as well. And I certainly apologize to all of them for having to endure what they've had to endure over the past few months.

A lot has happened in my life over the past five months. And I'm here at the Masters to play and compete. And just really excited about doing that.

And I missed the competition, I missed seeing the guys out here. A lot of my friends I haven't seen in a while.

It was great to play golf with Freddie and Jim, two of my best friends out here. And I played with Mark yesterday for nine holes, and I'm playing with him again tomorrow, as well as Steve Stricker. So it's been just an incredible experience so far here at the Masters.

HEATLEY: Doug (ph).

QUESTION: Tiger, you said in some recent TV interviews that everything was in the police report, but the police report didn't contain what was it about the injuries that sent you to the hospital.

Can you tell us what those were?

WOODS: Yes, I had a busted up lip and a pretty sore neck. And that was it.

QUESTION: And secondly, in the --

WOODS: It required five stitches in my lip.

QUESTION: In the five weeks from the accident, until you went into therapy, why didn't you speak to the police or any of your corporate sponsors, any of the media that have covered you year-round?

WOODS: Well, I did everything to the letter of the law. My lawyer said -- gave me the advice, and I followed that advice. And I -- again, I did everything to the letter of the law.

I did talk to my sponsors and people who I was close to, and the various companies. And -- but mainly I spent a lot of time with my family.

HEATLEY: Bob.

QUESTION: Tiger, what's been the most difficult thing for you to deal with these past few months? And how have you dealt with it?

WOODS: Well, probably two things.

I think one, being having to look at myself in a light that I never wanted to look at myself. That was difficult. How far astray I got from my core fundamentals and core morals that my mom and dad taught me. And having to break all that down and, as I said in the interview, with all the denial and rationalization, to cut through that and really take a hard look at myself. And that's when I started finding strength and peace.

And the other is -- the other difficult part, I think, over the past few months has just been the constant harassment to my family, my wife and kids being photographed everywhere they go, being badgered. And that's tough. That's tough on them, because it's really hard for us to heal as -- and then try and get through this as best we can.

HEATLEY: Scott (ph).

QUESTION: Tiger, you said in February that when you returned to the game, that you were going to -- wanted to show more respect for the game.

In what way are we going to see sort of differences out there between the ropes and outside the ropes?

WOODS: Yes, great question.

I am actually going to try and obviously not get as hot when I play. But then again, when I -- not as hot, I'm not going to be as exuberant, either.

You're not going to see -- I can't play one without the other. And so I've made a conscious decision to try and tone down my negative outbursts. And consequently, I'm sure that my positive outbursts will be calmed down, as well.

And that's -- just trying to be more respectful of the game, and acknowledge the fans, like I did today. That was just an incredible reception all day for all 18 holes. And show, you know, my appreciation for them.

I haven't done that in the past few years, and that was wrong of me. So many kids have looked up to me, and so many fans have supported me over the years, and I just want to say thank you to them. Especially going through all of this, over the past few months, it really put things into perspective for me, and into how much I -- you know, I have appreciated or actually underappreciated the fans in the game of golf.

HEATLEY: Robert.

QUESTION: Tiger, you know, you won a lot of golf tournaments over the last five years living a completely secret life. How were you able to do that?

And then, secondly, do you feel -- what kind of golfer do you feel you'll be now, going forward, without having this secret?

WOODS: Well, I think it's how I was early in my career. You know, I was at peace. And I've had had some great years.

And unfortunately, what I've done over the past years has been, you know, just terrible to my family. And the fact I won golf tournaments I think is irrelevant. It's the pain and the damage that I've caused.

You know, my wife, my mom, my wife's family, my kids, going forward, are going to have to -- I'm going have to explain all this to them. And, you know, that's my responsibility.

I did it, and I take full responsibility for it. And as I said, winning golf tournaments, I think through all of this, is irrelevant compared to all the damage I've caused.

HEATLEY: Christine (ph).

QUESTION: Yes, Tiger, you've been known as a great proponent of drug testing on the PGA Tour. As you probably know, Dr. Anthony Galea was arrested for performance-enhancing drugs in his possession. And as you also probably know, Dr. Galea has said he's been to your home at least four times.

Why did you feel, Tiger, it was necessary to have this particular doctor come to your home? And what did he specifically do for you?

WOODS: Well, Christine (ph), he did come to my house. He never gave me HGH or any PEDs. I've never taken that my entire life. I've never taken any illegal drug ever, for that matter

I had PRP, platelet rich plasma, treatments. And basically, what that is, is they draw blood from your arm, spin it in a centrifuge, and take the plasma out and insert it into the injuries.

Well, as you all know, in 2008, I blew out my ACL. And part of my reconstruction of my LCL wasn't reacting properly. It was a little bit stuck, and so I had the PRP injection into my LCL.

And then, in December, I started to train, started running again, and I tore my Achilles on my right leg. And I then had PRP injections throughout the year. I kept re-tearing it throughout the year and throughout the summer.

I used tape most of the year to play. And so -- I also went into hyperbaric chambers after the injections to help drive in -- it does help you heal faster. And did everything I possibly could to heal faster so I could get back on the golf course, you know, through the PRP injections.

HEATLEY: Steve.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What were you hoping today to be like for you? And how nervous are you sitting here?

WOODS: Sitting here, not that nervous, no. As far as getting out there, I was definitely more nervous.

That first tee, I didn't know what to expect. I really didn't, Steve. It's one of those things where I've never been in this position before, to be out there and in front of the people where I have -- I've done some things that are just, you know, horrible.

And, you know, for the fans to really want to see me play golf again, that felt great. That really did.

You know, usually I kind of focus on, you know, placements of shots and getting ready, but today was a little bit different. I kind of took it in a little bit more. Sort of more than I think I have in a long time. And it felt really good.

QUESTION: You touched on it with Scott (ph) a little bit, usually you have tunnel vision. Saw you out there today engaging with the fans.

Will you be able to keep your competitive edge as high as it was and also be able to be more engaging with the fans?

WOODS: Well, I think come game time, it might be a little bit different. I'm going to try and obviously get the ball in the holes as best I can. But in the practice rounds, I think just acknowledging the fans and their support for me, especially what has transpired in my life, for them to still cheer for me is just incredible. It really is.

HEATLEY: Tom (ph).

QUESTION: Tiger, you and the rest of us discovered a lot of media we didn't know existed until the accident. I just wonder your response to the mainstream media, which was a lot more critical, obviously, than it had been.

Were you surprised in how nicely the group in here treated you, the golf writers, normal sportswriters, or did you sort of expect that?

WOODS: Well, I was surprised at mainstream media. I mean, I think it's also the times have changed, as well.

You know, it's -- with 24-hour news, it's -- you're looking for any kind of news to get out there. And I know a lot of my friends are in here, and you know, I haven't seen them, I haven't talked to them, but I've read their articles. And of course they're being critical of me.

They should, because, you know, what I have done was wrong. But then again, I know a lot of them -- a lot of you in here are my friends and will always be my friends.

HEATLEY: Alex.

QUESTION: Tiger, it's been reported that you took prescription drugs, Ambien and Vicodin. Can you speak to when you started taking those, how you need them for tournament golf, if you did, and if you ever became addicted to either one of them or received treatment?

WOODS: I have taken them, yes. I've had some, as everyone knows, pretty interesting knee situations over the years.

I've had, what, four operations now on my left knee? And last year, with my torn Achilles, it hurt quite a bit at times. And, yes, I did take that.

And I took -- most of the time I was on the Ambien was when my dad was sick. When my dad died, that was a tough time in my life. And, you know, so that's when, yes, I was taking that, some of those things, to help me sleep. And that's about it.

QUESTION: Have you ever received treatment for it?

WOODS: No.

HEATLEY: The gentleman here in the white shirt.

QUESTION: Tiger, how is your knee? And is it still giving you pain on a daily, weekly, monthly basis?

WOODS: My knee feels great. The only time it doesn't feel good is when a front comes through. That's when most people realize that. Arthritis in there, and you get a little older. But other than that, it feels great. It's strong. It's explosive again, which is great. And now my Achilles is good now. So I'm training like I used to years ago.

HEATLEY: Mark (ph).

QUESTION: Tiger, if I could just follow up on Chris' (ph) question.

There are a lot of doctors who do blood-spinning. And what was it that prompted you to go to or have Dr. Galea come and see you?

WOODS: Well, he's worked with so many athletes. And that's also one of the reasons why I went and saw Dr. Wooden (ph) for my eyes. He's done a lot of different athletes, and there's a certain comfort level to that, when a person has worked with athletes.

HEATLEY: The gentleman down in the back.

QUESTION: Yes, Tiger, you had said earlier that you were in some form of a rehab. Can you talk about, are you still in rehab, and what that rehab was for?

WOODS: You know, yes, I was in there for 45 days. And it was to take a hard look at myself, and I did. And I've come out better, certainly a much of better person for it than I was going in.

And does that mean I'm ever going to stop doing that? No. I've got to still continue with my treatment, and that's going forward. That's not going to stop in the near future, for sure.

QUESTION: What was it for?

WOODS: That's personal. Thank you.

QUESTION: Tiger, federal investigators have contacted some of the other athletes who have worked with Dr. Galea. Have they contacted you as part of that investigation?

WOODS: Yes, they have actually contacted Steiny (ph). And we'll have full cooperation whenever they need me, but as of right now, they haven't asked, you know, for my time.

HEATLEY: The gentleman in the black shirt.

QUESTION: Tiger, you said in your statement that you felt entitled over the years. How are you able to -- I assume that wasn't the first time you thought that, but how are you able to rationalize that while you were engaging in that behavior and still playing such winning golf?

WOODS: Explain that again?

QUESTION: You said you were entitled, ,you felt entitled to what you were doing before. And at the same time, I'm wondering how you were able to rationalize that in your mind while it was going on. WOODS: Well, that's part of, you know, the problem I had, is that, you know, the way I was thinking was not correct. And as part of, you know, where I was at, I was rationalizing, I was denying, in total denial at times.

Whatever I did was -- I lied to myself, I lied to others. And just because I was winning golf tournaments doesn't mean a thing. The way I was thinking caused so much harm with the people that I love and care about the most on this planet.

QUESTION: Did you only realize that after it became public?

WOODS: After I started going to treatment, that's when they started stripping all that away from you.

HEATLEY: The gentleman behind.

QUESTION: Tiger, your behavior, personal life, before Thanksgiving, do you think it negatively impacted your play on the course at all? Could you have been playing better had you had more discipline in your personal life?

WOODS: I would like to say yes. I would be -- certainly would have had -- I would be more centered, more balanced. And that's where I'm headed towards. That's what I'm working towards, each and every day.

I meditate religiously again, like I used to. I've gone back to my roots and Buddhism with my mom.

You know, I need to do these things the way I used to do it. And unfortunately, I got away from that. And I just lost that. And unfortunately, also lost, you know, my life in the process.

HEATLEY: Bob.

QUESTION: Tiger, let's talk about the doctor you've been working with that's been out there for several months. And it led to some assumptions that you just denied, obviously, people writing or speculating that you might have been doing performance-enhancing drugs.

Why not talk about that sooner than now to get that put aside?

And also, you referenced your Achilles. Was that two months before you actually came back to golf last year?

WOODS: OK. Why didn't I come out? Because I haven't done any interviews, first of all. And, you know, when I did, Kelly (ph) and Tom, I don't believe, asked me those questions.

But as far as the injury, yes, it was in -- it was a week before the Chevron Tournament. And, yes, so it was a couple months prior.

And it's also one of the reasons why when I did come back and I did start playing, I was hitting the ball so short. I couldn't push off on my right side. And as I said, as I said to Christine (ph), I tore it a couple more times throughout the year and needed the injections to try and heal the wound.

HEATLEY: The gentleman here.

QUESTION: Tiger, when you made that statement in February, you gave the impression that you might not even come back this year, that you might not for a long time. Did you generally believe that at the time? And coming back, is that entirely your decision? Did you do it with the blessing of your family and your wife?

WOODS: Well, when I gave my speech in February, I had no intentions of playing golf in the near future at all. And I just had barely started practicing two days prior to that. That was the first time I hit balls.

And then I started hitting more balls and more balls. And I started getting the itch again to start playing again.

And Hank came down, and we started working again, and that felt great again. It felt like old times. You know?

So much has transpired, it felt like old times to have Hank out there, working on my game, and for hours and hours and hours and hours on end. And that's why I made the decision to come back and play.

And the reason why I didn't come back and play earlier than that, whether it was Tavistock Cup or Bay Hill, is because I wasn't ready for it. I wasn't even near physically ready to play at this level, and I needed more time.

And Hank has come down quite a bit. We've worked quite a bit. We have come up here on two different occasions, the last two Mondays and Tuesdays we have come up here to do some work on the golf course. And here we are.

QUESTION: So was it solely your decision, or was there support from your family for that decision?

WOODS: I've had a lot of support, and that's been the great thing about it.

QUESTION: Tiger, there was a four-week lapse between the accident and when you entered therapy. When did you make that decision, that this was something you were going to have to deal with rather than just push it into the background?

WOODS: Well, probably just prior to Christmas, I made the decision to enter rehab. And having spent Christmas Day with my family was just incredible. And then having to go off from there into treatment, that was a very difficult time, because, you know, what people probably don't realize is that because of the time frame of it, I missed my son's first birthday. And that hurts, and that hurts a lot, and I vowed I would never miss another one after that.

I can't go back to where I was. I want to be a part of my son's life and my daughter's life going forward. And I missed his first birthday.

I mean, that's -- that was very hard that day and something I regret. And I probably will for the rest of my life.

QUESTION: Tiger, will Elin and the kids be joining you this week at the Masters? And if not, is that a sign that she is not ready to support you yet? And should you be making this return to the game?

(CROSSTALK)

WOODS: Elin is not coming this week, no.

QUESTION: But should you be returning to the game so soon, with that time spent repairing your relationship?

WOODS: I decided (ph) to play this week.

HEATLEY: Anne (ph).

QUESTION: Tiger, will you keep your team, the management team, intact? And how much do they actually know about everything that was going on in your personal life?

WOODS: Yes, I'll certainly have everyone around me. I've lied and deceived a lot of people, and a lot of people didn't know what I was doing, either.

So, you know, I've had just, again, a tremendous amount of support as well from others on the outside, and it's been a difficult time. But also, I'm actually surprised of how much support I've gotten, as well.

HEATLEY: Mac (ph).

QUESTION: Tiger, we've come to know you as a guy that controls things around you pretty tightly around you, whether it's this or everywhere around your life. And with all of the reports that have come out with seemingly a lot of loose ends with the things that you did, whether it be text messages or whatever those things be, it leads to wonder why you would leave so many loose ends. And is there almost some element of you that wanted to get caught?

WOODS: I don't know. All I know is, I acted just terribly, poorly, made just incredibly bad decisions, and decisions that I've hurt so many people close to me. And that's enough.

HEATLEY: Tom.

QUESTION: Tiger, how did you fool so many people for so long?

WOODS: You know, Tom, I fooled myself as well. You know, as I said, I lied to a lot of people, deceived a lot of people, kept others in the dark, rationalized. You know, and even lied to myself.

And now that's -- when you strip all that away, you start realizing what -- you know, when I stripped all that away and started realizing what I had done, the full magnitude of it, it's pretty brutal. And I take full responsibility for what I've done. And it's -- and I don't take that lightly.

HEATLEY: John (ph).

QUESTION: Tiger, what does that do to your legacy?

WOODS: Well, you know, my dad -- it's amazing how he says things that comes back. In order to help people, you have to first learn how to help yourself. That's what he always used to say, and I never understood that.

When I was in treatment, I wrote that down and I looked at it every day. And to learn how to help myself, I can therefore -- I can help more people going forward, infinitely more than I did prior to all this.

HEATLEY: Phillip (ph)?

QUESTION: Tiger, in light of the off-course pressure that you've been experiencing, how important is the support you'll have on the first tee when it's just you and your caddie, Steve Williams? And what influence will he have on your four days at the Masters?

WOODS: Well, to have Steve back, it's just -- it's tremendous. And -- it really is.

He's a great friend, always has been and always will be. We are honest with one another, and we've had a long talk. And, you know, it was a great talk, as well. And it's great to have him on the bag (ph).

He's excited to get back and compete again. He's been doing really well racing-wise. He won the New Zealand championships.

But he also -- this is another part of his life that he loves to do. And he loves to be back here at Augusta. And for us to go back out there as a team together, it feels good.

HEATLEY: The gentlemen two back.

QUESTION: Tiger, do you feel the same way about your pursuit of Jack Nicklaus' record about winning golf tournaments, or does that have to take a different perspective now considering what happened on November 26th?

WOODS: You know, when I -- when I had -- when I went through that period when my father was sick and my father passed away, it put things in perspective real quick. And when my kids were born, again, it put it in perspective. And then what I've done here, it puts it in perspective.

It's that it's not about the championships. It's about how you live your life.

And I hadn't done that the right way for a while, and I needed to change that. And going forward, I need to be a better man going forward than I was before. And just because I've gone through treatment doesn't mean it stops.

I'm trying as hard as I possibly can each and every day to get my life better and better and stronger. And if I win championships along the way, so be it. But along the way, I want to help more people that are -- haven't quite learned how to help themselves, just like how I was.

HEATLEY: Steve.

QUESTION: Tiger, did Ambien play a role in the car crash? You were described by the witnesses as mumbling, snoring. Obviously sockless. And according to a leaked hospital report, were admitted as a possible OD.

WOODS: Well, the police investigated the accident and they cited me 166 bucks. And it's a closed case.

HEATLEY: Mike (ph).

QUESTION: Tiger, obviously the treatment is about improving yourself, getting back to the Masters and golf. But from Tiger Woods' perspective, you have built an industry around yourself, and a lot of companies got behind you.

When they dropped you -- and some of them pretty quickly, others took a while -- what was your thought about them dropping you? And as you approach (INAUDIBLE) what do you tell those sponsors who may want to support you about why they should get behind you?

WOODS: OK. You want me to answer the first part or second part?

(LAUGHTER)

WOODS: That's a longwinded one there, bro.

The first part is do I understand why they dropped me? Of course. You know, I made a lot of mistakes in my life, and I totally understand why they would do that.

And then going forward, you know, hopefully I can prove to the other companies going forward that I am a worthy investment. That I can help their company, help their company grow and represent them well. I felt like I was representing companies well in the past, but then again, I wasn't doing it the right way, because of what I was engaged in.

QUESTION: Tiger, golf-wise, what are your expectations this week?

WOODS: Nothing has changed, Salty (ph). I'm going to try to out there and win this thing.

QUESTION: Tiger, I think you would agree that putting has cost you a couple green jackets in recent years. After playing here all these practice rounds, are you more concerned with putting this week, or are there other parts of your game?

WOODS: Well, the fact that I haven't really played at all, you know, that's -- that's a little bit concerning. I -- I'm hoping I get my feel back quickly. You know, feel for the game, feel for shots, feel for how my body is reacting, what my distances are going to be. I hope I get that back relatively quickly. You know, maybe hopefully the first hole. But if not, please hope it's the second hole.

But, you know, that's what I'm looking forward to. I'm looking forward to getting out there and doing that.

QUESTION: I was curious. You were talking about your nerves a little bit. How do you expect that will be Thursday? A little different, obviously, since it matters (ph).

And then, you talk about the fans being so supportive. When you met with your peers, could you tell us who was supportive and how that -- ?

WOODS: The fans were incredible. I'm looking forward to the first tee and teeing off. And you know, that's getting out there and doing what I've done for a very long time. I'm looking forward to that.

As far as my peers, everyone has been great. It's amazing how many hugs I've gotten from the guys. You know, this -- I mean, this is only a Monday. So I've seen the guys here on yesterday and today, and then a couple times that I've been up here prior to this, some of the other players have been up here, I've been up here, as well. And I'm actually surprised by that, how well-received I've been.

QUESTION: Tiger, why did you not feel the need to do what you were doing now a few months ago?

WOODS: Because I was -- what do you mean, a few months ago? When was a few months ago, exactly? Sorry.

QUESTION: This year. January.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: December.

QUESTION: All right, December.

WOODS: Well, which month?

QUESTION: Let's say December.

WOODS: December? Because I wasn't in the right place for it. And in January, I was in rehab.

QUESTION: Tiger, you have talked about the importance of your therapy and the rehab and that process. Was there a time prior to that that you thought you needed therapy? You gave it some consideration of --

WOODS: No. QUESTION: -- going to rehab, or did you ever try to quit whatever (OFF-MIKE)?

QUESTION: No, I was not in that position. I was not in that frame of mind. I was not in a place for -- I hadn't hit far enough on the bottom to make myself look at what I've done and what I was engaged in. And not until then and once that happened, then I went to rehab.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to take three more questions.

QUESTION: Tiger, do you intend to play the in Ryder Cup this year?

WOODS: Well, as of right now, I'm not on the team, am I?

(LAUGHTER)

WOODS: I'm not an a team, point-wise, so I've got a long way to go.

QUESTION: Well, would you like to play in it?

WOODS: Would I like to play in it? If I qualify.

QUESTION: Tiger, after what you've been trough in the last five months, what do you think some of your (OFF-MIKE) are going to be Thursday on that tee and how are you going to deal with those? (OFF- MIKE) come back from a torn ACL?

WOODS: You know, Rosy (ph), that first tee, I'm looking forward to it. I haven't looked forward to that tee shot in a long time, not like this. It feels fun again, you know? That's something that has been missing.

Have I been winning, have I been competing, have I been doing well? Yes, I have. And I won numerous tournaments over the last few years, but I wasn't having anywhere near the amount of fun. And why? Because look at what I was engaged in. When you're living a life where you're lying all the time, it's -- life is not fun. It's -- and that's where I was. Now, that's been stripped all away and here I am, and it feels fun again.

QUESTION: Can you answer the follow-up too? (OFF-MIKE) about the ACL?

WOODS: I would have to say this emotionally, and the ACL physically by far.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Last question, gentleman four back.

QUESTION: Tiger, what are your thoughts on your playing partners this week during the week and the kind of pressure they might be under?

WOODS: You know, I think of all tournaments, I think this is the one tournament where it's no t as bad. You know, the media is not allowed inside the ropes. You don't have -- like at the U.S. Open or British Open, we have over 100 people inside the ropes that are moving around. That's going to be a lot more at ease this week than most weeks. So I think that most of the guys -- there's one week that you would rather have a pairing with me, considering the circumstances, it would probably be this week.

HEATLEY: Tiger, as I said earlier, we are delighted to have you back. Good luck.

WOODS: That's great. Thanks, Craig. Thanks, guys.

VELSHI: Just watched Tiger Woods walking right out of the room, no chitchat there at the Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club where he took questions from reporters.

Let's go to our panel. I've got Steve Eubanks with me here, I've got Eamon Lynch in New York, we got Roland Martin in New Orleans, we got Samantha Hayes at Augusta National right now. Let's start with Steve right next to me.

Steve, your impressions of Tiger Woods and his stature, his comments, and what this does for him.

STEVE EUBANKS, AUTHOR, "TO WIN AND DIE IN DIXIE": You know, I think he went a long way today, especially because he was likeable, something we haven't seen from him in a number of months. He seemed humble, he seemed likeable. He was a lot more relaxed and at ease than he was in his press conference in February where it was incredibly stilted.

VELSHI: Right, you couldn't be more unrelaxed (ph) and ill at ease than that February press conference.

EUBANKS: Absolutely.

VELSHI: Here he looked a little -- he laughed a few times, made a few jokes, made everybody laugh a little bit.

EUBANKS: He did. And he actually, genuinely seemed humble, which is not in his nature, but it is something that I think he was able to pull off today.

VELSHI: Eamon, you know him as well as Steve Eubanks does, what do you think?

EAMON LYNCH, EDITOR, "GOLF" MAGAZINE: I think he was a little more subdued, certainly a little more humble, less defensive than I expected. But at the end of the day, he was still sounded as though he was reciting Deepak Chopra's talking points. He talks in generalities, he does not talking specifics. For instance, when he was asked if he was under the influence of prescription drugs when he crashed the car, his answer is, case closed. That's not dealing with issues. It's perhaps a tacit acknowledgment that perhaps he was and got away with a careless driving instead of a DUI charge, but I guess that's water under the bridge now. For the most part, I thought he handled himself pretty well. Didn't get defensive, except on that case and when he was asked about whether he was putting the Masters ahead of his marriage, and whether or not his wife supported him being there.

VELSHI: On the drug issue, he was asked if he was -- if Ambien played a role in the crash, and he said he was given a $166 ticket and police investigated and case closed.

Let's go to Roland. What do you think, Roland?

MARTIN: Well, I think that, look, the questions were asked, he answered them. But he also made perfectly clear, like he said in the previous news conference, that some things were going to remain personal between him and his wife. And so I think even as journalists, we have the right to ask the questions, but he has the right to also keep a number of things private. I think it is wrong for us to somehow think he should reveal everything.

Also, this was about golf. A lot of his questions dealt with his putting, the gallery, things on those line. I'll tell you one thing that I'm bothered by is the whole notion that he needs to change how he performs on the course. We know him from winning, and so I would hate the Tiger fist pump disappears and he loses that emotion, because what made him special was he brought emotion to the golf course where so many golfers are like robots and they're boring.

VELSHI: All right, let's stay there. Eamon, Steve, Roland, Samantha, all of you stay there. We'll come back on the other side of the break. We're going to talk about his golf game, we're going to talk about whether this saves his sponsorships and whether the fans are going to respond to this press conference in a positive way, because he did say that he is going to start acknowledging the fans and show his appreciation for them after what he has gone through.

We'll talk about that on the other side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELSHI: Tiger says he got a good welcome. He called it a great day, the response he got on all 18 holes from spectators and fans. I'm here with my panel of folks. I want to start with Steve Eubanks, he is the author of a new book, "To Win and Die in Dixie," a bio of gold legend J. Douglas Edgar who invented the modern golf swing.

Steve, you're jumping out of your chair every time Roland says that this isn't about anything to do with Tiger, it's only about the game of golf.

EUBANKS: Yes, I strongly disagree with that, and one of the reasons is golf, unlike any other sport, does reveal a lot of character and it is about the character that someone puts forth.

Look, Arnold Palmer hadn't won a golf tournament since 1973 and yet, with the exception of Tiger, he is still the spokesman for our sport. You see him on advertisements all of the time, and he is going to be striking the first shot at Augusta National on Thursday to a cheering crowd.

VELSHI: So your point is character has as much to do with this as your ability, once you're at that level.

EUBANKS: Absolutely. At that level, especially in golf, where it is a sport where people do look up to you, and where that -- those kinds of things do matter.

MARTIN: Wait a minute. If Arnold Palmer was not a great golfer during his hay day, he wouldn't be doing this stuff now. The reality is this here, he is a winner. You show me a lot of golfers who are great guys, who are great with the fans and they didn't win, they're not striking the first ball. I'm simply making the point that people love him because he is a winner.

EUBANKS: Absolutely, Roland. If he hadn't won a golf tournament, we wouldn't be talking about him.

MARTIN: Absolutely.

EUBANKS: But the fact that he has won this many majors, if he walked away from the game today, this would be his legacy. Now, he has an opportunity to turn that around, but he hasn't --

MARTIN: By winning.

EUBANKS: I'm not sure winning is all of it. I think he's got to do a lot more than that.

MARTIN: Oh, please. No, if he wins, he's back. If he loses, you know what we're going to be saying? What happened to Tiger? What's going on? This boils down to simply winning, not how great he is with the galleries.

VELSHI: Eamon, Eamon, where do you stand on this whole thing?

LYNCH: I think Roland has a point, but he's totally wrong. Winning is not going to resolve this. This is going to haunt Tiger Woods for a long time to come. And if he wins by 12 shots on Sunday as he did 12, 13 years ago, that's not going to end this.

VELSHI: Well, there's going to be big headlines --

MARTIN: Kobe Bryant, Ali.

VELSHI: -- that say he's back and all these things. Samantha, let me ask you something. What was it like? What's the buzz around there right now?

HAYES: I think that the question everybody wanted to hear from Tiger was how exactly did he manage to win all these tournaments and sort of compartmentalize this other part of his life. And he was able to answer that in a way that I think satisfied the journalists in the room, and for many, many people watching when he said, yes, I won all those tournaments, but looking back now, that doesn't matter, it's the harm and the hurt that I caused my family. And this gets back to what we're talking about before. Is it enough for him to come back and be the world's number one golfer? To continue to be a great golfer if he remains a little bit arrogant, a little bit evasive, a little bit standoffish? That might have been OK before, but it's not OK now, because everybody has 20/20 vision and saying hey you're not the guy you portrayed yourself to be.

I think he did a good job today in a humble manner saying, I can't go back to that guy, I'm not going back to that guy. And now that I've been through therapy and I've really had some time to be introspective and I have been able to shed some of those layers, I'm back golfing and I'm actually having fun again.

VELSHI: All right.

MARTIN: Ali -- Ali -- Ali -- Ali, can I remind our sports people of three great sports figures?

Muhammad Ali many people say split the nation when he refused to go to Vietnam. Came back, was a winner, is one of the most beloved sports figures in history.

Kobe Bryant was on trial for rape. Comes back -- comes back, wins championships, has a number-one jersey selling in the world in the NBA.

Ray Lewis, on trial for murder. Comes out of that, what happens? Wins the MVP of the Super Bowl, considered one of the greatest linebackers in history.

I'm simply making the point, we cannot act as if what happens on the field does not matter. It's not just about, hey, how nice and great of a guy he is. In sports, people like winners, whether we want to accept that or not. So you guys can sit here and say it's all about speaking and not being arrogant, but if he doesn't win, forget about it.

VELSHI: All right. We're going to take a break on that thought. When we come back -- by the way, my panel is going to come back.

But when we come back, Ed Henry is going to join us. I don't know what, if anything, this guy knows about golf, but we're going to talk to Ed in a moment, because that's what we always do.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELSHI: Let's get a check of our top stories.

Waves of water sloshing out of swimming pools in Southern California, evidence of yesterday's 7.2 magnitude quake just across the border in Mexico. And the earth kept moving along the border with several aftershocks reported on either side of the line.

In Peshawar, Pakistan, at least eight people are dead after a terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate. Two of the victims, consulate security guards. Authorities say militants unleashed a car bomb and a grenade attack as they tried to force their way into the consulate. All Americans have been accounted for.

In Los Angeles, a courtroom hearing today for Conrad Murray, the doctor who has pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson. It is a procedural event to determine who will try the case. Also at issue, a medical board request to revoke Murray's license to practice while he fights the charges.

All right, it's that time again. It's a little later than that time again, but he's back. He has been on vacation and I missed him. Ed Henry, our senior White House correspondent who you see all over the network, but you get a special version of him right here. And we're so glad to have you back.

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I can't believe you're playing this music. Do you know how many e-mails I got last week saying that you were like begging for me on the air to come back? I was sort of worried about you. People were e-mailing. Bromance was basically one word in there, and it wasn't just Roland Martin sending that by the way. He sent that before, but other people are sending it. Yes, so we got to keep it, you know --

VELSHI: What have you got in your hand there?

HENRY: Well, I wanted to throw this on for you. The Nats. You know, the president just threw out the first pitch. He just came back to the White House and he wore a Nationals -- Washington Nationals' jacket for the first pitch, but he wore a White Sox cap which kind of upset some people around here. He's at least loyal to his hometown teams, so that's cool.

But some of the reporters who were in the press pool -- I was not -- they got these caps to bring home as souvenirs and this little button, 44 is for the 44th president, of course, and it says 100th anniversary of a president throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. So you can see this button, some of the folks who are in the press pool got to go got this, as well.

VELSHI: Nice.

HENRY: So it's kind of one of those fun days, opening day. And, you know, you were just talking about golf, a lot of people around here talking about baseball.

VELSHI: All right. Tell me about the Easter Egg Roll at the White House. I saw some pictures of this.

HENRY: It's pandemonium. You know, when I was coming in earlier, all of -- you know, sort of the Starbucks and the delis, you try to get lunch or you're trying to get a cup coffee, it's impossible, because it's overrun with families coming out of the Easter Egg Roll. There's thousands of kids running around. A lot of fun, of course, but it's a pretty hot day in Washington. Every year, this is the day when kids are running around on the South Lawn and then they come out here with their parents, and you can't move outside the White House gates some days, because there are so many people running around. But it's a fun day for the kids. They actually get to do the Easter Egg Roll. You saw the president playing basketball a little basketball. You saw him reading "Green Eggs and Ham" for the kids.

So this is fun, but then he goes to business. In fact, I'm boarding a flight in just a few hours to Prague, cause we're going to try and get ahead of the president. I'll be coming to you, doing this segment tomorrow from Prague. The president signing the new START treaty with the Russian president. Big deal, especially coming off the health care victory on the domestic front, now the president turns to foreign affairs, Ali.

VELSHI: Prague is a good city. I know you've been there many times. I really like it. I'm glad that you're not going to miss our show, cause I miss you too much when you're not there.

Ed Henry, you look remarkably silly in that cap, but enjoy -- you're not going to the game, you're going to the airport.

HENRY: I'm not going to the game, I'm going to the airport. Yes, but I'll see you tomorrow from Prague, how cool is that?

VELSHI: Very good. I like that. You have a good time in Prague.

Ed Henry, our senior White House correspondent. "The Ed Henry Segment."

Let's go over to Christine Brennan, she is a reporter with "USA Today" who is inside the Tiger Woods' news conference, actually asked him a question.

I believe, Christine, if I'm not mistaken, you were asking him a question about the doctor who has gone to his house, and you wanted to know whether he was taking any performance-enhancing drugs.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, SPORTS COLUMNIST, "USA TODAY": That's right, Ali, and I did ask that question and then he answered it kind of. And then Larry Dorman of "The New York Times" came back and followed up with why this particular doctor. And of course, you know, there's a lot of doctors that can treat knees. Tiger answered it big saying that he wanted to go to the best doctor. That's the answer I actually expected him to give. We also found out that he was more injured than we thought heading into that 2008-2009 period.

But, you know, I wasn't expecting to get the blockbuster answer, but I thought the question, Ali, had to be asked. Performance- enhancing drugs are a big issue in sports.

VELSHI: Well, Eamon Lynch, who is with us in this panel, was saying that was the one question he was hoping would get asked because we weren't expecting a lot of surprises on a lot of other fronts. Christine, did you get any surprises on any fronts in that press conference?

BRENNAN: You know, his shortest answer, Ali, was about Elin. The question was, is Elin going to be here? And he said no, she's not. And is this a sign -- the follow-up was -- I guess the two-part question, the second part was, well what does that mean? And he said I'm just glad to be here playing golf and that was over. And that was the old Tiger. That answer is done. So, not a surprise.

You know, I think overall the feeling was, this was my first time to see him. I've talked about him a lot, written about him a lot, we all have, since Thanksgiving. And, Ali, what struck me, once again, as I saw on TV on February 19th and then the two interviews he did a few weeks ago, I felt that we saw a changed man.

But I think it's going to be his actions. I think it's going to be over time. If he throws a club this week, as he said he going to try not to do that, but if he does, then what has he changed? And I hate to have this same refrain over and over, but I hope for his sake and his family's sake that he is a different person, but I don't know that the words by themselves will convince of us anything.

VELSHI: Tony Harris, who, like you, as watched Tiger a lot over the years says this looked like his post-round demeanor. He's a little more curt when he has played poorly, he's a little more upbeat when he's played well, but he felt that this, though it was a little subdued, was Tiger post-round.

BRENNAN: I thought this was a more subdued Tiger Woods. Now, I have been in many, many press conferences with Tiger Woods, and to me, he was different. Absolutely.

In fact, it started off by -- when he said, hello, and he said he played a practice round, and he misspoke. It was Fred Couples, but he said I played with Craig -- or Fred. I've got to tell you, the Tiger Woods that I've covered from '97 to 2009 never would have even had that kind of little mistake. That kind of hiccup.

So, again, I, as a journalist am someone who is trying to look at the big picture, a lot of us are doing that, Ali, you don't know. There's no way we can know what's going to happen the next few months. But Tiger looked more humble and more human, and I emphasize that he looked and sounded more humble and human. I'm not sure if all that is true or if it was an act. I hope it wasn't an act.

VELSHI: All right, I've got 30 seconds from the rest of you. And Roland, I mean that -- 30 seconds. Tell me what your closing comments are.

MARTIN: Yes, all this changed man nonsense, the bottom line is what he must change deals with him and his wife and cheating. The rest of the stuff, he keeps winning, that's what it boils down to. But the issue is him cheating on his wife, not the rest of this stuff.

VELSHI: Eamon Lynch.

LYNCH: I think the final takeaway is this is not going to play outside the gates of Augusta National. Wait until he gets to the Ryder Cup, gets out there in front of normal fans who aren't in fear of losing tickets for the rest of life to the biggest event in the game and then we'll see how it all plays out.

VELSHI: Samantha Hayes? Oh, Samantha's gone.

All right, Steve Eubanks?

EUBANKS: Tiger Woods will win again, but it's not all about that. I think it's how he conducts himself with the fans and on the course and whether or not he is able to rehabilitate himself in the public eye.

VELSHI: All right. Well, thank you all for being with us. We're trying to make sense of this to us all. Tiger Woods in his first real press conference before he starts play on Thursday. We seem to have some agreement, it's generally a subdued Tiger, but that is Tiger Woods.

So that is it for us. We're going to hand it over now to "RICK'S LIST." T.J. Holmes sitting in for Rick today. He's going to come back right after the break.

Stay with us.