Tiger Woods has praised his wife Elin for her role in helping him recover from a car accident outside his Florida home on Friday (November 27th).

The world number one has taken full responsibility for the incident, in which he crashed his Cadillac into a fire hydrant and then a tree, leaving him with cuts and bruises.

Woods was admitted to hospital after the accident but was released in a "good condition".

Some rumours have suggested that the crash occurred on the back of a domestic argument, but Woods has been quick to deny these claims and wants to be given some privacy as an investigation takes place.

An official statement on the 14-time golf major winner's official website read: "This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way. The many false, unfounded and malicious rumours that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible.

"The only person responsible for the accident is me. My wife, Elin, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble. She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false."

Tiger Woods has a reputation of being not only golf's but one of sport's most private figures, with little known about his personal life.

However, some rumours have intimated that he has been having an affair with nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel.

The 33-year-old dedicated his victory at the 2006 British Open to his father Earl, who was also his golf mentor, after he died following a lengthy battle with prostate cancer.