Tiger Woods gave his first interview since news of his scandal broke, and there was plenty of drama behind-the-scenes. At one point the interview was suddenly stopped when a reporter asked a question that Woods didn't want to discuss. INSIDE EDITION ha
Tiger Woods is speaking out for the first time in interviews with ESPN's Tom Rinaldi and Golf Channel's Kelly Tilghman.
"It was disgusting behavior," said Woods.
Tilghman asked, "Were there moments you thought you should stop, but didn't?"
"Yes, I tried to stop and I just couldn't stop, and it was just horrific," said Woods.
But there was drama behind the scenes that you haven't seen on TV. It happened as Tilghman asked him about his days in rehab.
"Being there for 45 days you learn a lot. You strip away the denial and the rationalization and you come to the truth, and the truth is very painful at times," Woods explained.
The interview was abruptly halted because Tiger did not want to reveal the details of his treatment in rehab, reportedly for sex addiction.
Tilghman said, "The conversation was broken and he does not want to reveal what kind of therapy he is in."
And Tiger put other restrictions on the interviews. They were limited to just 5 minutes and took place outdoors, standing on a veranda at a country club in Orlando that is his home base. CBS was also offered a similar five minute interview but declined because of the restrictions.
"I've had a lot of low points. Just when I didn't think I could get lower, it got lower," said Woods in his ESPN interview.
So where was wife Elin while he was giving his interviews? On his yacht called "Privacy." People.com quotes a source close to Elin who says she is now his wife in name only, saying, "Elin is going through the motions of family life only to keep the children well grounded. The trust is gone."
Tiger talked about the moment he confessed to Elin the details of his affairs with so many women.
"To say the things that I have done truthfully to them, was very painful," said Woods
"What was your wife's reaction when you sat down and had that first conversation?"
"She was hurt. Very hurt, shocked, angry and she had every right to be," said Woods.
Some experts say Tiger's decision to speak for just 5 minutes could backfire.
Mike Paul of MGP Public Relations said, "He has a history of being a controlling person in these interviews, and that's a bad thing when you're trying to rehabilitate your reputation. It's not showing us that you're open. It's not showing us that you're truly sharing everything with us, and that's a problem."
And the New York Daily News dismissed Tiger's remarks as "Baloney."
Tiger wore a Buddhist bracelet during the interviews and said his troubles began when he strayed from his faith.
"Will you be wearing it during the Masters?" asked Tilghman.
"Absolutely," said Woods.
Tilghman asked, "For the rest of your life?"
Woods confirmed, "Absolutely."
As for his return to golf next month at the Masters, Tiger says he's hoping the fans will forgive him, saying, "It would be nice to hear a couple of claps here and there."
