Tiger Woods is approaching 40 years of age and the golfer said he has addressed his past mistakes with his two young children and views ex-wife Elin Nordegren as a close friend.
Woods opened up about his high-profile failures and also discussed his uncertain future in an extensive interview with Time magazine.
The former top player in the world is currently sidelined after back surgery and isn't sure when he will return. He admitted to deep fear that his career could be over.
"Put it this way: It's not what I want to have happen, and it's not what I'm planning on having happen," Woods said. "But if it does, it does. I've reconciled myself to it."
Woods was still near the top of his game when his personal life began falling apart six years ago.
He was exposed for having a string of extramarital affairs in late 2009. Nordegren filed for divorce and the marriage was ended in Aug. 2010.
There was no way to entirely move past the scandal due to Woods' notoriety. But in Woods' eyes, it was even harder to set aside because of his two children - 8-year-old daughter, Sam and 6-year-old son, Charlie.
So he addressed with the kids why their parents live in two different houses.
"Guys, the reason why we're not in the same house, why we don't live under the same roof, Mommy and Daddy, is because Daddy made some mistakes," Woods told the magazine.
"I just want them to understand before they get to the Internet age and they log on to something or have their friends tell them something. I want it to come from me so that when they come of age, I'll just tell them the real story.
"And so, that's part of the initiative - 'Hey, it was my fault, too. I was to blame' - and so I'm taking initiative with the kids. I'd rather have it come from me as the source. And I can tell them absolutely everything so they hear it from me."
Woods regrets his actions before and after the scandal. He said he wishes he would have been more honest with Nordegren.
"Having the relationship that I have now with her is fantastic," Woods said. "She's one of my best friends. We're able to pick up the phone, and we talk to each other all the time. We both know that the most important things in our lives are our kids. I wish I would have known that back then."
Woods turns 40 on Dec. 30 and understands the physical challenges may prevent him from again being a consistent star on the PGA Tour.
He underwent back surgery in the spring of 2014 and has undergone two additional procedures in the past three months. Woods said the latest procedures aren't purely related to golf.
"One, I don't want to have another procedure," Woods said. ''And two, even if I don't come back and I don't play again, I still want to have a quality of life with my kids. I started to lose that with the other surgeries."
Woods doesn't seem close to returning to golf. He said he can only "walk about 10 minutes on the beach" before he has to come back home and lie down.
Woods has won 14 majors but the last one was more than seven years ago - the memorable 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines when he prevailed over Rocco Mediate in a 19-hole playoff while dealing with two stress fractures in his left leg and a knee that would be surgically reconstructed later that month.
His 79 total PGA victories rank second to Sam Snead's 82 and Woods sounds satisfied with his accomplishments.
"I've done a lot more in the game than I ever thought I could," Woods said. "And to be in my 30s, and to have done this much? I never would have foreseen that."
