Ernie Els has moved to try and clarify his description of Tiger Woods as being "selfish", but admits the media circus sparked by the world number one's extra-marital infidelities has proved a real burden for his fellow professionals.

Els, who competes at the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week, hit out at Woods last month for his decision to make a televised public apology during the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

"It's selfish," Els told a reporter at the time. "You can write that."

However, the South African has now softened his stance and insists he was more irked by the timing of the statement rather than by the 14-time major champion himself.

"I just felt the Friday was not the right place for that," Els declared. "We had to play a tournament and it was maybe selfish from my point of view that all I wanted to do was play golf instead of talking about his personal life.

"I felt that the Monday would have been great. Friday wasn't great for us. So maybe I was selfish. Call me selfish. That's maybe where I'm coming from."

Els, though, was forthright in his views about how the Woods scandal has affected other players.

He claimed the relentless media questioning about the world number one's private life had been off-putting and added he was looking forward to the focus returning to Woods' talents as a golfer.

"It's hard for us to talk about Tiger, especially in this situation," Els added. "Ask me about his tournament victories and how we are going to stop some kind of a streak - and we are still trying to do that, by the way.

"But it's very difficult to talk about Tiger Woods as I know him as a golfer and a pretty good friend. Just all the things that happened, it has basically affected a lot of lives on tour as well.

"Tour players' lives have also been affected by this because of the constant questioning that we have to answer about a fellow player's private life.

"It's hard enough to make pars and birdies out there than with this whole situation hanging on the tour and everything else.

"I try not to go there but the questions keep coming. Obviously (reporters) have to do a job, as well, so you're trying to get some insight. We cannot give you insight because we don't know.

"I'd love everybody to stop asking questions about Tiger and his personal life. That's his life. We don't have any insight on it and basically we just want to get onto our basic tour lives."

Woods, who will make his eagerly-awaited comeback at The Masters, will not be at Bay Hill this week to defend the title he won for a sixth time 12 months ago and Els admits the tournament will suffer as a result.

"He's missed here," he continued. "He lives down the road. I know they would love him to play and I know he would love to have everything just back to normal like it should be. But it's not. So it's very difficult for him."