Tiger Woods fell into a deep depression and didn't sleep for three days following his public breakup with longtime girlfriend Lindsey Vonn.

"Obviously it does affect me," Woods told the New York Post on Tuesday as he prepared to compete at the Players Championship later this week. "It is tough. There's no doubt. I'm not going to lie about that."

The former top-ranked golfer and the Olympic gold medal skier were last seen in public together early last month when he competed at the Masters as Augusta National, finishing in 17th place.

They formally announced their split last week by releasing similarly worded prepared statements. 

"Lindsey and I have mutually decided to stop dating," Woods posted on his website. "I have great admiration and respect for Lindsey and I'll always cherish our time together."

Woods later added their hectic schedules made it difficult for them to spend much time together. In her statement, Vonn seemed to concur, adding that she too will "cherish the memories" they created.

Woods said balancing his personal life and all the distractions created by his celebrity never really seem to get easier.

"That's kind of always how it's been," he said. "I've always had to deal with circumstances on both, deal with stuff outside the ropes, and once you're inside the ropes, it's time to tee it up and time to play."

Woods indicated his strategy has always been to "get into my little world, my little zone" and grind things out.

The 39-year-old Woods was previously married to Elin Nordegren and the two have two children together. They infamously split in 2009 after more than a dozen women  stepped forward to claim they had engaged in affairs with Woods.