Tiger Woods' One Regret in Life IS NOT What You Would Assume

Tiger Woods told Charlie Rose in an interview on PBS that he only has one regret in life; not staying at Stanford one more year.

Yes, you read that correctly. The 14-time major champion, who still believes he can surpass Jack Nicklaus’ 18 majors record, said that his only regret is leaving Stanford early and left Rose stunned.

The obvious reason for Rose to be stunned is that Tiger’s extra-marital affairs seemed to be huge moment in not only his own history, but a turning point in his career and the start of his declining play – minus the 2013 season – in the sport he had dominated for so long.

"Rose: Some have said to be Tiger Woods was both a gift and a burden. How was it a burden? Woods: Well, it’s a burden in the sense that it — the amount of obligations that I have at a tournament. The anonymity that was lost that, you know, one — the — you know, if you look back, the only regret I have in life is not spending another year at Stanford, and I wish I would’ve had one more year. Rose: That’s the only regret? Woods: That’s the only regret, I wish I had. Rose: Of all the things that’s happened to you? Woods: All the things and that’s all — Rose: Everything? Woods: All the things I’ve been through are tough, yes. They’ve been tough, but they’ve been great for me, but I wish I would’ve gone one more year at Stanford."

That is quite shocking. No, actually it is very shocking and won’t exactly help with his public perception regarding that whole incident that involved Elin chasing him with a golf club.

Rose, seemingly realizing he had an opportunity later in the interview to press Woods on the issue again, asked about his divorce from Elin Nordegren.

"Woods: My mother was so supportive and so loyal, and so great as a mother that there’s no way. Rose: She was also supportive after Thanksgiving 2009 when you had a public humiliation. Woods: [Nodding] Rose: Some would suggest, obviously, that that humiliation you went through publicly — your private life, exposed, has a lingering effect on your mind and your game. Woods: I’ve heard that, too. I look at the fact that, yeah, I’ve — I made a bunch of mistakes. But in the end, Elin is my ex-wife. She’s one of my best friends. We’ve had two beautiful kids. Rose: How do you tell your kids why mama and daddy are not together? Woods: It’s because daddy made some mistakes. Daddy made some mistakes. And I’d much rather hear — have them hear it from me. And so — Rose: So, you’ve sat down and said, “I regret what I did and” — Woods: No. No. I don’t. I haven’t said that. I said everybody makes mistakes, and the reason why mommy’s living in her house and daddy’s living in his house is because daddy made mistakes, and it’s okay."

Well, that’s something.

Woods hasn’t played on the PGA Tour in over a year and just delayed his comeback after withdrawing from the Safeway Open and Turkish Airlines Open. He isn’t expected to play until the Hero World Challenge, which has a limited field of 32 golfers and everyone makes the cut so it’ll be less embarrassing for him if he turns in a few bad numbers, on December 1st.

[CBS]