Tiger Woods fought back tears on Friday as he issued a full and frank apology for cheating on his wife.

The world number one, speaking for the first time in public about his affairs, gave a lengthy statement to an invited audience of friends, family and colleagues at the US PGA Tour headquarters in Florida.

Woods, who confirmed he has been in therapy since December, said: “I want to say to each of you simply and directly, I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behaviour.”

The 34-year-old also confirmed he has not set a timescale for his return to golf, saying: “I do plan to return to golf one day, I just don’t know when that day will be.”

Woods was injured on November 27 of last year when he crashed his car into a fire hydrant and a tree near his Florida home.

Two days later he released a statement in which he said the issue involved was “private … and I want to keep it that way”.

After missing his own tournament, the Chevron World Challenge, he released a statement amid persistent allegations over extra-marital affairs.

A statement to his website at the time read: “I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart.”

Amid continued allegations of affairs, Woods saw several high-profile sponsors announce they were ending their links with him.

A further statement in which admitted his “infidelity” followed but this month speculation of his return to golf heightened ahead of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona.

On Tuesday it was announced Woods would make a statement today but the timing – during a tournament backed by one of his former sponsors – was criticised by several leading figures in the game.

Woods said he and his wife were attempting to work through their problems and made an appeal for privacy.

He continued: “I know people want to find out how I could be so selfish and so foolish.

“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 behaviour. We have a lot to discuss and what we say to each other will remain between the two of us.”

Woods also vehemently denied allegations his car crash was caused after Elin attempted to attack him with a golf club following revelations about his affairs.

He continued: “I have a lot to atone for but there’s one issue I really want to discuss. Some people have speculated that Elin somehow 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.

“Elin has shown enormous grace and poise throughout this ordeal. Elin deserves praise not blame.”

Woods admitted he was unsure when he would return to golf. “I do plan to return to golf one day,” he said. “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 behaviour more respectful to the game.”

Woods’ statements on his website when the speculation about his private life first became public were somewhat cryptic but he was explicit about his failings on Friday.

“I was unfaithful, I had affairs, I cheated,” he said. “What I did is not acceptable and I am the only person to blame. I stopped living by the core values I was taught to believe in.

“I knew my actions were wrong but I convinced myself that normal rules didn’t apply. I never thought about who I was hurting, instead I thought only about myself. I ran straight through the boundaries a married couple should live by.

“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 to go far to find them. I was wrong and I was foolish.”

The 14-time major winner claimed therapy had helped him start to deal with his problems and vowed there would be no repeat of his infidelities.

“I’ve had a lot of time to think about what I’ve done,” he continued. “My failures have made me look at myself in a way I’ve never wanted to before. It’s now up to me to make amends. And that starts by never repeating the mistakes I’ve made.

“It’s up to me to start living a life of integrity. 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 in in-patient therapy receiving guidance for the issues I’m facing. I have a long way to go. I have taken my first steps in the right direction.”

Rory McIlroy is prepared to take the race to be Europe’s number one right to the wire after being overhauled at the top of the standings by Lee Westwood.

The Englishman claimed a dramatic victory at the Portugal Masters on Sunday to move 200,000 Euros ahead of McIlroy in the Race to Dubai.

But there is still plenty of money to play for in a lucrative end-of-season swing and the Northern Irishman is confident Westwood can be pegged back.

McIlroy’s bid for the Harry Vardon Trophy continues at next week’s World Matchplay before he takes part in the HSBC Champions in Shanghai, the Hong Kong Open and the season-ending Dubai World Championship.

“Lee overtook me at the weekend and I think we are playing the same tournaments in the run in,” McIlroy said.

“It will be good to chase him all the way to the finish and I will have to play some really good golf to try and overtake him.

“But there are lots of other guys still in with chance like Martin Kaymer and Paul Casey and there are a few others just outside but can make big moves. I will be trying my best to get back on top.”

McIlroy, meanwhile, suggested that he is set to remain on the European Tour next season.

The 20-year-old had been considering a switch to the PGA Tour but said: “I am still thinking about it but I am leaning towards playing in Europe. I’ll obviously play 12 or 13 events in America if I don’t take my card anyway.

“With the flying back and forth, I have seen a few guys in the past that haven’t really done that too well and I just feel that I have a lot of time on my hands, so if I don’t do it next year I can always do it the year after.”

Argentina’s Angel Cabrera said his experience of winning the US Open in 2007 proved an invaluable aid as he won a play-off to win this year’s Masters.

Beating Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell by parring both extra holes, Cabrera said: “The US Open got me by surprise.

“But this win I’m more prepared. I know more how things happened. I was happy with my game. I was confident, just enjoying the moments.”

Cabrera was the best of the leading contenders over the closing holes.

Although he had started the day tied with Perry for the lead on 11 under – and reached 12 under following a birdie at the third – three bogeys between the fourth and 10th left him three shots behind his American playing partner at the 13th.

However, his length off the tee helped him birdie that par five, where Perry three-putted for par, and more birdies at 15 and 16 – where he sank an awkward left-to-right putt – kept him in the mix.

“After the 10th hole I started to hit the ball good and things started to roll,” Cabrera said.

At the 18th, he nailed a tricky downhill putt to get into the play-off with Perry and Campbell, and went to the second extra hole with Perry alone following Campbell’s bogey exit – and a slice of fortune for the South American.

With the players playing the 18th again, Cabrera’s second hit a tree but ricocheted back into play. His third, a pitch from more than 100 yards was hit to about nine feet and another nerveless putt kept the 39-year-old Argentine in the race.

A solid par at the second extra hole, the 10th, was good enough for the title after Perry pulled his second shot into the rough.

The only other South American to win a major was Cabrera’s countryman Roberto de Vicenzo, who won The Open in 1967 but signed an incorrect scorecard at the 1968 Masters to hand Bob Goalby a win without a play-off