Tiger Woods reacts during the British Open Golf Championship at the Turnberry Golf Club in Scotland, in this July 16, 2009 file photo. Woods said on December 11 he would take an "indefinite break" from professional golf, acknowledging the disappointment and hurt his "infidelity" had caused his family.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The scandal-tainted golf superstar Tiger Woods said on Friday that he will take an "indefinite" leave from professional golf to spend more time to save his family.

    "I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children. I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness. It may not be possible to repair the damage I've done, but I want to do my best to try," Woods said in a statement posted on his website.

    The golfer asked everyone, including his fans, for understanding and respect to his family's privacy so that he and his family have "the time, privacy, and safe haven" needed for personal healing.

    "After much soul searching, I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional golf. I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person," he said.

    Woods did not specify how long the planned break would be.

    The golf superstar has been entangled in a number of infidelity scandals after a recent car accident.

Golfer Tiger Woods, his daughter Sam, his mother Kultida and his wife Elin Nordegren pose in front of a bronze statue bearing the likeness of Tiger with his late father Earl during its unveiling inside the Tiger Woods Learning Center in Anaheim, California in this January 21, 2008 file photo.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

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