Tiger Woods has been blessed with one of the more idyllic lives — a gorgeous wife, two adorable children, multiple millions in the bank, and an image of purity and excellence that transcends the sport he dominates. But the image was under threat on Sunday as the mystery surrounding his car accident on Friday deepened and as he refused to talk to authorities.

Woods, 33, broke a third day of silence on Sunday with a statement on his website, in which he called the accident “embarrassing to my family and me” and pleaded for privacy. “I’m human and I’m not perfect,” he said. But, he added, “this is a private matter and I want to keep it that way.”

His five-paragraph statement didn’t answer many of the questions being raised about the accident. Florida Highway Patrol troopers hoping to question Woods and his wife Elin Nordegren were told by Mark NeJame, a prominent Orlando criminal defence attorney, that neither would be available to be interviewed at the couple’s $2.4-million home on Sunday. The accident that touched off the pressure on professional golf’s No. 1 player began at 2.25 am on Friday, when Woods backed his black Cadillac Escalade out of his driveway and then ran over a fire hydrant before hitting a tree on a neighbour’s property. The car was badly damaged and, according to police, Woods’ wife said she used a golf club to break through a back window to remove him from the vehicle.

The transcript of a 911 call, made by an unidentified neighbour, said Woods was on the ground, unconscious. An ambulance arrived and took him to a hospital, he was released later. His injuries included cuts on his face, and alcohol was not a factor. It remains unclear where Woods was going at that hour and why he declined to speak with state troopers for three days.

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