Tiger - apologise

Tiger Woods has had to apologise to his family after the release of a story in US Weekly magazine.

The magazine reported that Woods had been linked to a Los Angeles cocktail waitress, who had claimed a 31-month affair with the world's number one golfer.

On Wednesday, Woods released a statement to say he had "transgressed" but would deal with his personal life behind closed doors.

On his Web site, Woods said: "I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone. I will strive to be a better person and the husband and father that my family deserves. For all of those who have supported me over the years, I offer my profound apology."

While Woods did not offer details of any alleged relationship, cocktail waitress, Jaimee Grubbs, told US Weekly she had met Woods at a Las Vegas nightclub two months before Woods' wife, Elin, had their first child.

As proof of the affair, the magazine published a voicemail, supposedly recorded only days before Woods' car crash in Florida.

Purported to be of Woods, the voicemail said: "Hey, it's Tiger. I need you to do me a huge favor. Um, can you please take your name off your phone. My wife went through my phone and may be calling you. If you can, please take your name off and just have it as a number on the voicemail, just have it as your telephone number. That's it, OK. You gotta do this for me. Huge. Quickly. All right. Bye."

On Tuesday, the Florida Highway Patrol closed its investigation into a car accident in which Tiger Woods whipsawed out of his driveway, hitting a fire hydrant.

He has been charged with careless driving and told to pay a $164 fine.