Feb 19 (Reuters) - Golf superstar Tiger Woods made hisfirst public statement on Friday since taking an indefinitebreak from the game in December after admitting he cheated onhis wife. Here is some reaction to his remarks:
"As a human being everyone has faults, makes mistakes andsins. We all do. But, we move on when we make a mistake andlearn from it," said Woods" mother, Kultida. "He will come outstronger, a better person."
"We look forward to seeing Tiger back on the golf coursewhen the time is right for him and his family," said one of hismajor sponsors, Electronic Arts Inc (ERTS.O), adding that itsrelationship with Woods "remains unchanged."
"We look forward to him returning to golf," said Nike Inc(NKE.N), another major sponsor. Nike said it "fully supportshim and his family."
"Trading was already quiet, but when Tiger came oneverybody was looking at the TV screens," said Peter Adams,livestock trader at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. "They weremocking him," Adams said of the Chicago traders. "Only richguys go to therapy for sex addiction, everybody else gets hitin the head with a frying pan."
"It"s tough to get any man in America just to go tomarriage counseling let alone go into a 45-day rehabilitation.Plus he"s going back tomorrow, and that tells me that he"strying to learn about the issues ... to learn about the thoughtprocesses that caused the actions, so that he can cut them offnext time," said Notah Begay, PGA golfer and a friend of Tigerfrom Stanford University days.
"We"re supportive of whenever he comes back, whether it"sthree weeks from now, or three months from now, that"s lessimportant than when he comes back, he"s prepared to play toresume his career in a positive way so that he"s there for thelong haul," said PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem, who calledWoods" public address "a good step."
"We wish Tiger well as he works through these privatematters," said a spokesman for sponsor Gatorade, which is partof PepsiCo Inc (PEP.N).
"Tiger spoke today and addressed the issues he felt weremost important. His words stand on their own. We wish him andhis family the best," said a spokesman for Procter Gamble"s(PG.N) Gillette brand, adding that its sponsor relationshipwith Woods remained unchanged.
"It sounded heartfelt to me. It sounds like it was a reallydifficult thing for him to do. From a guy that"s done a lot oftough things in golf over the years, it was probably one of themost difficult things he"s ever had to do," said British Openchampion Stewart Cink of the United States. "You have to makeamends to the people you"ve hurt and you have to start thebridge to the other side. And I think that"s where Tiger is."
"I think it was a sincere apology. He made it very clearthat he wants media to leave his family alone, which I kind ofagree with," said British golfer Luke Donald.
"He cut to the bottom line -- it"s not about words, it"sabout actions. But he still left the big question mark of whenhe would return (to golf). We"ve had an apology but as golferswe"re almost still back at square one," said six-time majortournament winner Nick Faldo of Britain.
"Today Tiger took a step in the right direction -- one ofmany he"ll have to take toward the long-term repair of hisreputation," said communications specialist Michael Gordon,chief executive of Group Gordon Strategic Communications in NewYork. But Woods seemed "rehearsed and scripted" and"unfortunately, by not answering any questions today, he"sinvited more questions."
"He lacked the passion and conviction that are essential toa sincere apology. ... People don"t listen with the ears butwith their stomachs and I"m not sure he struck the right chordwith that presentation," said Michael Cherenson, immediate pastchairman of the Public Relations Society of America. "He wasprobably more persuasive with his mistresses." (Reporting by Tim Gaynor, Jackie Frank, Phil Wahba, JerryBeiszk, Mark Lamport-Stokes and Jane Sutton; Editing by PeterCooney)
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