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Tiger Woods wins PGA award despite personal woes

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Woods in his own words: 1998
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Tiger Woods voted PGA Player of the Year by his peers
  • Woods won six tournaments in 2009
  • Woods recently announced he would take golf hiatus to focus on family after admitting infidelity

(CNN) -- Despite his personal problems, golfer Tiger Woods received another accolade as he was voted PGA player of the year.

Wood was chosen for the award by a vote from other professional golfers.

"The recognition by [his] peers is one of the highest compliments a PGA Tour member can receive," PGA Commissioner Timothy Finchem said in a press statement Friday.

The statement mentioned the six tournaments Woods won in 2009 but made no mention of the infamous car accident and infidelity scandal that pushed the golfer to take an indefinite hiatus from pro golf.

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Earlier this week, Woods was also voted "Athlete of the Decade" by the Associated Press.

Woods' woes started late in November when he crashed his car outside his Florida mansion. Authorities issued a citation for careless driving, and he was given a $164 fine.

Woods was not required to talk to police about the wreck and declined to talk with investigators on several occasions.

In the week following the crash, Woods apologized for "transgressions" that let his family down. The same day, US Weekly published a report alleging that Woods had an affair with Jaimee Grubbs, a 24-year-old cocktail waitress.

US Weekly's report followed a National Enquirer article before the crash that the athlete was having an affair with New York nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel, an assertion she vigorously denied, according to The New York Post.

After that several other women came forward alleging to have had liaisons with Woods.

Last week on his Web site, Woods admitted to infidelity and said he was taking a break from golf to focus on his family.