By EARL OFARI HUTCHINSON

Tiger Woods probably broke a Guinness World Record for the number of times he said in his public statement that he was wrong, sorry and will change.

This should have been enough to knock off the Tiger bashing. His behavior, though disgraceful and hypocritical, does not rise to the level of a state crime or an impeachable offense.

The hurt he inflicted was to his wife, children and his image. That’s personal, private and a family matter — period. Woods could have simply shrugged off the criticism and thumbed his nose at the fans and the golf world, but he didn’t. He realized he needed help.

He checked into a rehabilitation center, and for all intents and purposes, is still there, and will continue to stay. Woods dropped golf, and in the process, lost millions of dollars in winnings. He did not conduct an orchestrated media blitz campaign to duck, deny and dodge responsibility for his behavior.

Woods did not respond to the vicious attacks from pundits, his golf pals, and the alleged mistresses and their attorneys who came out in droves to claim a piece of the Tiger action.

The world-famous golfer knows that the road back won’t be easy. He said as much in his statement. When he does eventually return to the circuit, Woods will still hear the whispers, snickers and digs — and maybe even some boos.

That’s the price he’ll continue to pay for behavior many still self-righteously judge as unbecoming of a sports idol. Despite Woods’ heart-felt apology and plea for forgiveness, there will still be those who will carp and furiously shake their heads in disbelief that Woods really meant what he said about change.

They will claim that it’s just a cheap public-relations ploy (complete with the teary eyes) to regain public sympathy and get back on the course with as little fanfare and controversy as possible. This is, of course, the crass and cynical view. But that view will be spewed by many.

The most compelling thing about Woods’ public apology is that he made one at all — and not just an apology, but that he truly bared his soul and heart to the world.

As he said, this is a huge first step for him, but it’s a necessary step on the path to recovery.

Woods’ ability to rise above the fray and the criticisms has long been an asset. He continually and graciously shrugged off the inanities, racial knocks, quips and wisecracks from commentators and his fellow golf pros during his decade run at every tournament championship around. It didn’t stop the gossip mongers. Woods is simply too big, too good and too rich for the tastes of a wide swath of the public and the celebrity-crazed media.

When he tore up the greens, he became the gatekeeper for the storehouse of fantasies and delusions of a sports-crazed public, as well as advertisers, sportswriters and TV executives in desperate need of vicarious excitement and profits. He was the ultimate sports hero who fulfilled that need.

He was expected to move in the rarified air above the fray of human problems while raising society’s expectation of what’s good and wholesome. Woods has been handsomely rewarded for fulfilling that fantasy even though, as he admitted in his statement about the accident on his Web site, tigerwoods.com, he is only human. He reminded the world of the obvious. He has the same flaws and foibles as anyone else.

The Woods beatdown has been especially ferocious because of his surreal fame and fortune. Black superstars (although Woods identifies as multiracial) cause much media and public hurt when they supposedly betray the collective self-delusion of sport as pure and pristine.

That stirs even greater jealousy and resentment. That was evident in the constant fan and sportswriter carping about how spoiled, pampered and overpaid Woods and black athletes supposedly are. The first hint of any bad behavior by them ignites a torrent of moral, high-horse columns and commentaries on the supposedly arrogant, above-the-law black athlete.

Woods made direct reference to that in his statement when he noted that he thought his status, celebrity and wealth entitled him to act differently than anyone else. He received a rude awakening about that.

Woods has had his day, many days, in the court of public opinion. Many have judged him irrevocably guilty, and they will not change that view. But for those with an ounce of forgiveness in their hearts, Woods’ bare-his-soul apology will be the spur to knock off the Tiger beatdown.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His new book is “How Obama Governed: The Year of Crisis and Challenge” (Middle Passage Press).