Nov. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Tiger Woods made it to a news conference at his Chevron World Challenge last year as he recovered from knee surgery. Whether he shows up for tomorrow’s media session amid questions about a car crash that hospitalized him and has buffeted his privacy isn’t a sure thing.

Woods, 33, has played host to the tournament, an invitation-only exhibition that benefits his charitable foundation, since 1999.

While Woods is scheduled to speak at a tournament-preview news conference at the Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California, his appearance remains in question, a foundation representative said.

“I don’t have any updates,” Emily Taylor, a spokeswoman for the Tiger Woods Foundation, said in an e-mail.

Glenn Greenspan, Woods’s personal spokesman, didn’t immediately return an e-mail seeking comment.

The tournament is scheduled for Dec. 3-6, with early rounds televised on the Golf Channel cable network and weekend play on General Electric Co.’s NBC.

It features a field of 18 players competing for $5.75 million, including a winner’s share of $1.35 million. The last- place finisher receives $150,000. Competitors receive World Golf Ranking points for the first time this year.

Woods took the blame yesterday for what he called an “embarrassing” one-car crash outside his Florida home. The world’s No. 1-ranked golfer said the accident created a stressful situation for him and his family.

‘Private Matter’

“This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way,” Woods said in a statement on his Web site, his only comments about the accident so far. “Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible.”

Woods declined to meet with investigators for the third time yesterday to discuss the Nov. 27 accident in which his Cadillac sport-utility vehicle struck a fire hydrant and a tree as he was leaving his Windermere, Florida, house about 2:20 a.m. local time.

Police said that Woods’s wife, Elin, told them she heard the crash, ran from the house and used a golf club to smash a window in the vehicle and get her husband out. Woods was released from a local hospital after being treated for facial cuts.

“This situation is my fault and it’s obviously embarrassing to my family and me,” said Woods, a 14-time major champion who’s topped golf’s Official World Ranking since 2005. “I’m human and I’m not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Last Tournament

In addition to his cuts, Woods said he has bruising and is “pretty sore,” making his playing status unknown. He last played two weeks ago, winning the Australian Masters in his first appearance in that country since 1998.

Those invited to this year’s Chevron tournament at the Jack Nicklaus-designed course include defending champion Vijay Singh, U.S. Open winner Lucas Glover, British Open winner Stewart Cink, PGA Championship winner Y.E. Yang, Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, England’s Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter, and Americans Anthony Kim, Kenny Perry and Jim Furyk.

While daily tickets to the four-day event, which also includes a Pro-Am round on Dec. 2, cost $30 for the first two rounds and $40 for weekend rounds, the prices go as high as $4,250 for a 20-pass “Executive Club” package. There are no refunds, according to the tournament’s Web site, whether Woods plays or not.

To contact the reporter on this story: Michael Buteau in Atlanta at mbuteau@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: November 30, 2009 12:36 EST