Woods I want to be defined by my character

SHAMED: Woods with wife Elin and daughter Sam in his last appearance before his sex scandal story broke
CNN releases footage of world No.1 talking about his golf, his family and his reputation
CNN International has released footage of a series of interviews conducted by its international correspondent Don Riddell with world No.1 Tiger Woods. The discussions were filmed between 2006 and 2008 and they show the shamed golfer – who last week announced and indefinite hiatus from the game following revelations about his infidelties – extolling the virtues of married life.
The transcripts from the interviews can be seen after the jump with the recorded footage also below…
February 21, 2006
Don: Just tell me what it’s like to be the world number one – to be a champion. Do you feel like a winner every time you wake up in the morning?
Tiger: I feel like my life is pretty special. To wake up, to have the life as i have, can’t wait to go to work, and the things we are doing with the foundation. To have a beautiful great wife, you know my parents are doing great, so… you don’t… you hope that one day your life might be like this and I’m very lucky to have it like this.
February 21, 2006
Don: You know my wife thinks that one of the reasons that you came good after the 2004 year was that you got married and that helped you out. Is that fair and how much credit do you give to Mrs Woods?
Tiger: Ah without a doubt! Ever since she’s moved in, in 2002, we’ve been a great team, inseparable team and I think a lot of the success that I’ve had is certainly due to her. There are so many things and distractions that go on in my life that I have to deal and things that the public doesn’t know and doesn’t see so… she has to help me with all of that and she’s certainly brought balance to my life and I’m very lucky to have that.
February 5, 2008
Don: Do you find you’re already putting into practice the things you learned from your father, in your role as a father?
Tiger: hum
Don: Maybe too early?
Tiger: Not necessarily but I want to earn my child’s trust and respect and that’s something my father always stressed with me is that, he says ‘a father-son or any parent-child relationship should always have love, that’s a given.’ But as I said earlier trust and respect are earned. That takes time, that takes years and that’s the type of relationship I want to have with Sam
February 21, 2006
In 2006, Don joked with Tiger that he wasn’t superhuman …
Tiger: No, no. Not at all
Don: That’s just shattered the illusion for everyone…
Tiger: No, no, no, no – I’m just like you and me… we’re all the same, we’re all human.
And he ended that interview with a thought on how he would like to be remembered … after all the majors have been won, the records been broken, and the clubs put away ….
February 21, 2006
Tiger: It’s never about ‘all golf’. Golf is what I do, it’s not who I am. I don’t ever want to be defined as a golfer. I want to be defined by my character as a person.

Video and interview transcript © CNN International

Bryce Ritchie is the Editor of bunkered and, in addition to leading on content and strategy, oversees all aspects of the brand. The first full-time journalist employed by bunkered, he joined the company in 2001 and has been editor since 2009. A member of Balfron Golfing Society, he currently plays off nine and once got a lesson from Justin Thomas’ dad.

Editor of bunkered