Nearly a year ago, Tiger Woods' world came crashing down on him -- literally. It was, in Woods' own words Thursday during an interview on ESPN radio, "The best thing that could've happened to me."That was perhaps the most revealing, or at least telling, statement from Woods in the 25-minute interview, which Woods said he gave -- along with launching a Twitter account and writing a first-person account for Newsweek magazine -- in an effort to connect with the fans.
"That's been the biggest surprise of all is how supportive the fans have been," said Woods, who echoed similar words when he returned to golf at the Masters earlier this year.
"The only way [to rebuild my image] is to come to grips with who I am," he added. "I wasn't happy with who I was. I was doing things morally that inside I knew I shouldn't be doing."
Asked what about what he thinks he learned about himself in the past year, Woods added that he wasn't the person he used to be.
Asked if he's happier now, Woods said, "Infinitely so. I'm more clear about who I am and where I want to go."
Where Woods goes on the golf course in terms of whether or not he breaks Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major championships remains to be seen.
Woods, who has 14 career major championships, will play one more event this season, his upcoming Chevron World Challenge. If he doesn't win, it will mark the first year since 1995 that he has gone without a victory.
"Bits and pieces" is how Woods described how the swing changes he's been working on with new coach Sean Foley have been coming along.
"The fixes for the misses are a little different than the past," Woods added.
The main priority in Woods' life, however, appear to be his children.
In the Newsweek article, for example, he talked about the joy of bathing his son over hitting another bucket of golf balls in practice.
He wrote: "Slowly, I'm regaining the balance that I'd lost. My healing process is far from complete, but I am beginning to appreciate things I had overlooked before. I'm learning that some victories can mean smiles, not trophies, and that life's most ordinary events can bring joy."
Thursday, Woods re-iterated that, saying his kids are his No. 1 priority and that every day he tries to teach them something, much the way his own late father, Earl, did with him.
Woods added that he'll also tell his children the "absolute truth" when it comes time to explaining the events of the past year.
Said Woods: "My dad always said that love is a given, but trust and respect are earned."
That's exactly what Woods is hoping to continue to earn himself.
