Rat Tiger: I've missed my son's first birthday. That was very, very hard

LOVE rat Tiger Woods last night told of his heartbreak at missing his baby's first birthday in the wake of his cheating. 

 

The golf superstar - undergoing rehab for sex addiction when son Charlie turned one - said the worst of his shame was "having to look at myself like I never want to look at myself".

But he vowed to make himself a "better man" as he faced his first press conference since being linked to more than a dozen women. Woods said: "I missed my son's first birthday.

Betrayed ... Elin and Sam

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"I vowed I would never miss another one again. That was very, very hard."

The world No1 tried to appear relaxed for the cameras. He was able to flash a smile at times.

But he also squirmed - the pained expressions on his face betraying his feelings as he bared his soul before his return to golf after five months of self-imposed exile.

Woods, 34, was surrounded by minders as he was grilled in Augusta, Georgia - where he will play in the US Masters on Thursday.

He confirmed his Swedish wife Elin, 30, will NOT be there cheering him on - and neither will Charlie or the couple's two-year-old daughter Sam.

Rough and smooth ... Tiger wipes away sweat as grilling takes toll yesterday but manages to smile and also look downcast and pained

His affairs emerged after a row in November which led to a bizarre car crash outside his Florida home.

Yesterday he was grilled about ploughing into a fire hydrant and a tree, then being taken to hospital.

The world's richest sportsman said: "I had a busted up lip and pretty sore neck and that was it.

"I did everything to the letter of the law. My lawyer gave me advice and I followed that."

Woods spent 45 days in a sex clinic in a battle to save his marriage.

He is still only half-way through an 18-week sex ban as part of his addiction therapy.

He confessed to having "lied" and "acted terribly". Woods said: "I made bad decisions and decisions that have hurt so many people close to me."

Woods added candidly: "What I have done over the past years has been just terrible to my family."