Woods set to speak Friday; PGATOUR.COM has it live

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Tiger Woods was photographed during a practice session Thursday near his home in Windermere, Fla.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Tiger Woods will make a statement Friday at 11 a.m. ET from the PGA TOUR's headquarters. The statement will be streamed live on PGATOUR.COM and the PGA TOUR iPhone App..

It's the first public appearance by Woods since his car accident Nov. 27 outside his Windermere, Fla., home.

According to Woods' agent Mark Steinberg, the world's No. 1 golfer plans to "discuss his past and his future and he intends to apologize for his behavior."

Woods will be speaking to "friends, associates and colleagues" at the TPC Sawgrass clubhouse, according to Steinberg.

PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem said Wednesday, "I'm pleased that he's going to make some comments and do what the statement says he's going to do, so that's good news.

Finchem, speaking from the press room at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, said he will be in attendance when Woods reads his statement.

"I don't know what his plans are in terms of what he's going to say," the commissioner said. "I don't know what he's going to do after he finishes his rehab."

Players participating at the Accenture Match Play Championship were asked about the impending Woods statement.

"It's encouraging that he's coming back to at least be seen by the public and the rest of us, too," Stewart Cink said. "I consider myself the public when we're talking about this matter. So it's good that we're going to see Tiger Woods. ...

"I think this is maybe the beginning of the comeback process for him."

Added Sergio Garcia: "I guess everybody is going to get their answers."

"He's got to come out at some point," said Rory McIlroy. "I mean, it's just went on for so long."

Along with familiar faces, Woods' management team invited limited media to attend Woods' announcement.

"This is not a press conference," Steinberg said on Wednesday.

Three wire services -- the AP, Reuters and Bloomberg -- were invited. The Golf Writers Association of America was offered a pool of three reporters, negotiated for six reporters, then its board of directors voted overwhelmingly not to participate.

"I cannot stress how strongly our board felt that this should be open to all media and also for the opportunity to question Woods," said Vartan Kupelian, president of the 950-member group. "The position, simply put, is all or none. This is a major story of international scope. To limit the ability of journalists to attend, listen, see and question Woods goes against the grain of everything we believe."

The public hasn't had a clean look at Woods' face since photos Wednesday of him jogging in his neighborhood outside Orlando.

More pool photos were released on Thursday showing him hitting balls on the practice range (see photo above).