While acknowledging he made some “incredibly poor decisions” in his personal life, Tiger Woods still thinks he can win the Masters - even coming back from a five-month layoff. “Nothing's changed,” Woods said Monday during an extraordinary 35-minute news conference at Augusta National. “I'm going to go out there and try to win this thing.” In his first full-fledged session with the media since his life fell apart, Woods entered the interview room with a smile on his face and stopped to hug one of the green-jacketed club members, Ron Townsend. Woods again took full blame for his personal failings, but stopped short of providing many new details. He wouldn't say why he entered rehab for 45 days nor would he go into specifics about his infamous November night car crash, other than to say it took five stitches to close a lip wound. “All I know is I acted just terribly,” said Woods, sporting the makings of a goatee. “I just made some incredibly bad decisions, decisions that hurt so many people close to me.” He said his wife, Elin, would not be at Augusta. The couple's marriage has been in limbo since revelations that he had multiple extramarital affairs during their 5½-year marriage. Woods thanked his fellow golfers for the support he's received since announcing his return to the PGA Tour and said he was pleasantly surprised how well the fans treated him during a practice round Monday. The outing was his first before a gallery since the sex scandal made him a tawdry tabloid fixture. He even flashed a bit of uncharacteristic charm, stopping to sign autographs - something he rarely does - while heading to the practice range to get in a few extra swings. “The encouragement I got, it blew me away,” he said. “It really did. The people here over the years, I know they've been extremely respectful. But today is just something that touched my heart pretty good.” During the news conference, Woods said: - He never used human growth hormone to recover from knee surgery, never took any illegal drug and hasn't undergone treatment for addiction to prescription drugs. - He plans to tone down his reactions - good and bad - on the course, and hopes to interact more with his fans during practice rounds. - He “followed the letter of the law” after slamming his car into a fire hydrant and a tree outside his home, including not talking to police investigators. In New York, Joslyn James, one of more than a dozen women who claims to have had an affair with Woods, watched the golfer's news conference with her attorney, Gloria Allred, and a room full of reporters at the Friar's Club. James has asked for an apology from Woods, saying he had not been truthful to her during their three-year relationship. “I think he's still a big, fat liar,” she said. Woods has won 82 times around the world, including 14 major titles, but he speculated that he might have been even more successful if he had shown more control in his personal life. “I would like to say yes,” Woods said. “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.” Woods acknowledged reports that he was prescribed two drugs: the sleep aid Ambien and the painkiller Vicodin, the latter to deal with four knee operations and an Achilles' injury. During his practice round, Woods heard shouts such as “Welcome back, Tiger!” and “Go get ‘em, Tiger!” There were no boos, though the applause when he approached each green was a bit more tepid than he received in previous appearances at Augusta National. Still, it was a solid start in the process of restoring his image with fans and sponsors. Woods clearly was intent on mingling more with the fans than he did before the scandal. First, he putted a couple of balls to some kids watching alongside the 18th green. Then, a real surprise: Woods stopped to sign autographs while heading to the practice range. Ashley Hawkins was beaming as she showed off an Augusta National flag that Woods signed. The golfer can only hope that most fans feel the way she does. “I'm excited that he's here,” Hawkins said. “I'm really rooting for him to win. His personal life is his personal life. I still think he's a great golfer. That's all that matters.”
