‘I Made A Mistake’ Cori Rist Says of Alleged Tiger Woods Affair

Cori Rist, the latest woman allegedly connected to Tiger Woods, says she made a mistake when she had an affair with the golf pro, and feels sorry for his wife.

"I'm sorry for her pain. I hate that I'm a part of it," the 31-year-old mother told "Today" show correspondent Natalie Morales on Monday. "I had no idea it would be like this. I can only imagine the pain she's feeling now, and I'm sorry."

She claims she is only telling her story to clear reports that she was paid to be Tiger's lover. "I felt it was necessary to defend myself because I'm hearing negative reports; they're not true," she said on the program. "I'm not an escort, he has not paid me, I'm a mother. At the end of the day, I made a mistake, but I'm not what they're claiming that I am. So I will defend myself because I have no other choice."