Tiger Woods turned pro in 1996, and the golf sensation has remained in the spotlight ever since. However, in the past years, he made headlines for the wrong reason – his numerous affairs. It must have been hard for his then-wife, Elin Nordegren, seeing as the scandal in 2009 blew up massively, with the eyes of the world not only on the golf star but also on their family. Fortunately, it seems that both Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren have since moved on and now lead their own separate lives. Let’s take a look at their relationship over the years.
The Truth Behind Tiger Woods And His Ex-Wife’s Relationship
When Elin First Caught The Public’s Attention
The public first noticed Elin Nordegren when they found out that she and Tiger Woods were in a relationship. Since then, the public has been dazzled by the couple, though they seemed more interested in the pair’s lives after the break up. The media had a field day when news of them splitting up surfaced and thousands of articles came out detailing the reasons behind their split. Elin managed to keep quiet through it all, but years later, she finally breaks her silence and discusses the tragic events.
When Elin First Caught The Public’s Attention
A Marriage Falling Apart
By the time Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren’s marriage was nearing its end, the golf sensation had turned into a notorious figure. Woods had gotten in trouble with the police, went into rehab, and had slept with several women. The looming end of his marriage and hiatus from golf activities did not help things either. Nearly every coverage focused on Woods’ background, but Elin continued to be a mystery. Did she also have her share of unsavory secrets?
A Marriage Falling Apart
Elin Nordegren Is Born
On January 1, 1980, Elin Nordegren was born in Stockholm, Sweden. A few minutes after she came out, her twin, Josefin, was born. They had an older brother named Axel. Unfortunately, when Elin was just two years old, her parents got a divorce. This tore their family into two.
Elin Nordegren Is Born
Elin’s Younger Years
Elin’s world did not stop turning because of her parents’ divorce. She grew up curious and energetic, especially about the next big thing. She did well in school and even demonstrated good skills on the soccer field. Still, in the late 90’s, Elin left her successful life behind to move to Berlin together with her father. Elin moved back to Sweden a few years later, though, and that’s when she got discovered by a famous photographer.
Elin’s Younger Years
A Successful Modeling Gig
Elin worked with photographer Bingo Rimer and it ended up becoming a success. She had since been approached by several famous companies and was even featured in a famous Swedish magazine as a swimsuit model. However, Elin felt she could do more than just modeling. She aspired to become a child psychologist and she eventually left modeling to do various side jobs in order to fund her college education.
A Successful Modeling Gig
A New Start
The road to college had been long and hard for Elin, who needed to work part-time yet was hardly making it. Her luck quickly changed, however, when during one of her shifts at a Stockholm store, Elin met a lady looking for a nanny. The lady was actually the wife of famous golf player Jesper Parnevik. Since Elin did not want to miss the opportunity presented to her, she decided to drop out of college and leave her family and work in Sweden behind.
A New Start
Life In America
Elin knew very well what moving to a different country would mean – she would be leaving behind not only her family but also her long time boyfriend. Still, she was really excited to live in America. Sadly, the distance eventually led to Elin and her boyfriend breaking up and she was now single. However, this did not last long as the Parneviks soon introduced her to their friend.
Life In America
Hesitant To Date A Star
Elin was fine with the Parneviks’ attempts to find a new boyfriend for her, but she did not expect them to introduce her to golf superstar Tiger Woods. She was pretty happy with her life and didn’t really want all the attention that comes with dating such a big star. At first, Elin was not that receptive to Tiger’s advances. However, after some time, she eventually said yes to going on a date with the golf star. They had chemistry and within two years, they got engaged.
Hesitant To Date A Star
An Incredible Wedding
Even though Elin wasn’t initially convinced about dating him, Tiger Woods made her change her mind. Their wedding was one most people could only dream about, the entire celebration lasted more than a week. The two lovebirds and their family and friends flew to the island of Barbados in the Caribbean. Tiger booked an entire hotel in order to accommodate all of their guests, which reportedly cost him $2 million.
An Incredible Wedding
Security Was Air-Tight
Tiger went all out in making sure their wedding became a once-in-a-century affair. Reserving the entire Sandy Lane Resort was only the first step. He had 500 roses flown in to Barbados because the flower was not readily available on the island. Tiger made sure the wedding’s security was air-tight and in fact, there have been no wedding photos released to the public, even unofficial ones that are taken by the paparazzi. Actually, there has been debate regarding the authenticity of photos like this.
Security Was Air-Tight
Living The High Life
It is safe to assume that Tiger and Elin led a luxurious life while they were married. During those years, Tiger was at the height of his career, meaning he had enough money to purchase some great properties. Aside from their impressive waterfront mansion, they also had other properties all over the country. For example, they owned homes in California, Jacksonville, Wyoming, and even in Sweden.
Living The High Life
Baseless Allegations
In 2006, Elin got embroiled in a scandal and she felt the hardship and struggle that came with worldwide attention and fame. An Irish magazine released nude pictures of a woman who was allegedly Elin even though the magazine did not have any evidence that back their allegations. Needless to say, Elin refuted claims that she was the woman in the pictures, but this was actually just the beginnings of the scandal which swallowed the couple in later years.
Baseless Allegations
Elin Successfully Clears Her Name
Elin knew the truth – she was not the woman in the scandalous photos, so she started her quest to debunk the magazine’s theories and of course, clear her name. She consulted with attorneys and private eyes, and they were able to trace the origins of the photos, which turned out to be pictures of a former Playboy model. Now that they had evidence, the couple sued the magazine and won. The court ordered the Irish magazine to pay Elin nearly $200,000 and issue a public apology.
Elin Successfully Clears Her Name
First Time Parents
Once all the bad rumors were laid to rest, Tiger and Elin prioritized their family life. In 2007, they became welcomed their first child, a girl they named Sam Alexis Woods. Looking at this picture, you would probably not think of anything except that Tiger is a great father who loves his child above all else. This is far from the image of notoriety that befell him in later years.
First Time Parents
The DNA Of A Golf Legend
After two years, Tiger an Elin were blessed with another child and they named him Charlie Axel Woods. They seemed like a happy family with an ideal father, mother, daughter, and son. In 2015, Charlie competed in a golf tournament for children and finished second, so the golf genes are there. However, these day, the children appear to be more interested in soccer, according to their golf superstar father. Perhaps it is just a short detour.
The DNA Of A Golf Legend
Early Signs of Relationship Trouble
Signs of relationship trouble first appeared on Thanksgiving in 2009. A few days earlier, Elin stumbled across an online article that alleged Tiger cheated on her with Rachel Uchitel while he was on a trip in New York. Needless to say, Tiger denied all the allegations, but Elin was still doubtful of her husband. She decided to look at Tiger’s phone and discovered some damning evidence of his infidelity.
Early Signs of Relationship Trouble
In A Rage
Now sure of Tiger’s infidelity, Elin couldn’t control herself and was in a rage. There are reports even suggesting that she came at her husband with a golf club in her hand. Fortunately, Tiger was able to get out, run inside his car and drive off. Unfortunately, he had taken some sleeping pills a few hours prior to the incident, which made him so groggy that he got into a car accident. The golf sensation was found unconscious next to a fire hydrant. Miraculously, he had only minor injuries.
In A Rage
Their Own Share Of Troubles
By that time, the couple was facing their own share of problems. Elin might have thought her reaction was a bit too much, but she had proven once again that cheating on a woman is never wise. While it was possible Tiger could have ended up in a condition much worse, he should not have fled from his wife in the first place. He should have faced the situation like a man and said what had to be said, or was he waiting for another person to tell the world everything?
Their Own Share Of Troubles
Money Helps In Keeping Secrets
As soon as news of the incident broke, Rachel Uchitel wanted to come clean and give her own side of the story. However, one day prior to her scheduled media appearance, she dropped the entire thing. It was eventually revealed that in exchange for keeping her lips sealed, Rachel got $10,000 from Tiger. Unfortunately, he failed to do the same thing for his other affairs and over 15 women later made claims that they slept with Tiger Woods in exchange for money.
Money Helps In Keeping Secrets
Proof Of Husband’s Infidelity
This photo shows some of the women Tiger had taken to bed, at least the ones who claimed to have been with him. Included here are Kalika Moquin, Holly Sampson, Mindy Lawton, Cori Rist and Jamie Jungers. However, there were many other ladies. It would have been heart breaking for Elin to watch the women, one after the other, go on talk shows and prove her husband’s infidelity.
Proof Of Husband’s Infidelity
Another Mistress
This woman is Jaimee Grubs and she claims to have been Tiger’s mistress. She says they were quietly together for more than two years. Jaimee was a cocktail waitress and was once a contestant On VH1’s Tool Academy. She claims she had no idea that Tiger was already married, but considering how big of a celebrity Tiger is, she is not convincing anyone with her claim.
Another Mistress
The Third Mistress
Yet another mistress and yet another Jamie. Jamie Jungers worked in Las Vegas as a lingerie model. She went to the press and told her story, even saying that she used Tiger’s money for her liposuction. Jamie claims she and Tiger had a relationship for roughly one year and three months. She later made headlines once more after she got caught in California for drunk driving.
The Third Mistress
Yet Another Mistress
This self-proclaimed “cougar” is among Tiger’s countless women. Theresa Rogers is number 11 of the women who revealed their affair with the golf sensation, but that’s not all. According to Theresa, the father of her child was in fact Tiger. Supposedly, their affair lasted for five years. There were reports suggesting they were together before Tiger tied the knot with Elin.
Yet Another Mistress
Keeping A Low Profile
It was not surprising that Elin chose to keep a low profile while everything was going on. For one, the whole thing was shocking and mortifying, and considering the incident with the golf club, she was likely seething with rage. The world was curious about what she was thinking during the whole ordeal. The wanted to know if Tiger ever tried to convince her otherwise and if she thought about staying with him in spite of everything. There were a lot of questions but one thing’s for sure, she found a lot of reasons to be strong.
Keeping A Low Profile
Someone To Turn To
With everything that had happening, Elin grew more and more alone. Fortunately, she could turn to her twin sister, Josefin. To get far from the trouble, the two ladies went on a trip to the French Alps, which was also their way of celebrating their 30th birthday together. Elin’s troublesome husband had an upcoming tournament and she left him to take care of it by himself. She did not feel a particular need to be there for him to support him.
Someone To Turn To
Always Twin Sisters
Elin and Josefin tend to do things together and they are really close to each other, probably because they’re twins. They even continue to share their secrets. Actually, both ladies worked at the same store where Elin got the opportunity from Mrs. Parnevik. Both Elin and Josefin got the job and moved together to America.
Always Twin Sisters
Adjusting To Life In America
The twins got used to taking care of the Parneviks’ children, and at the same time, the ladies were getting ready to secure citizenship. As for Elin, she was a natural and got used to living in the U.S., even getting hitched to a golf legend. Josefin, on the other hand, had trouble adjusting to living in the country. She eventually moved to England, where she took a job at a legal office which later proved to be important.
Adjusting To Life In America
Help From A Sister
Josefin proved to be great help to Elin during the divorce proceedings. Josefin helped both in the personal and professional sense and Elin hired the legal office where her twin worked to take care of both her businesses and divorce. In the beginning, Josefin did not really agree with Elin getting a divorce because she thought her sister could still make things work with Tiger. However, Elin was adamant and asked Josefin to continue working on the divorce proceedings, so Josefin eventually gave in.
Help From A Sister
How Much Did Elin Get?
Many fans were saddened by the news that a dream marriage was coming to an end. However, some couldn’t help but wonder how much Elin was going to get from the divorce. She wasn’t leaving just anyone, after all – she was getting a divorce from a millionaire cheater. Would she become a millionaire herself after going through all that trouble?
How Much Did Elin Get?
Ending Up A Millionaire Herself
Their prenup agreement states that Elin would be getting $20 million, but after all the things that happened, the amount did not seem enough. The media reported different things in terms of how much she would be getting, with the least being $750,000 and the most being $1 billion. Elin got an astounding $110 million in the end, which was only around a sixth of the total worth of her husband. However, it was like getting $20 million for every year that she spent with him, which was quite hefty even for the rates of celebrities.
Ending Up A Millionaire Herself
Keeping The Divorce Proceeding Inaccessible To The Public
The divorce proceeding was inaccessible to the public, with the press being barred from entering by the court. For Elin, this was great since she did not want things to become public knowledge. The oath of silence was likely due to Tiger Woods, who paid for it. Some assume that the parties involved were requested to keep things quiet. It was effective, for a while,.
Keeping The Divorce Proceeding Inaccessible To The Public
Custody Of The Kids
While it’s true that only concerned parties had access to the hearing, needless to say, people couldn’t help but wonder – would Elin have sole custody of their children, or would Tiger? Actually, Elin did not deny Tiger partial custody to their kids. He may be a bad husband but perhaps he wasn’t really a bad father. Elin might have felt this, though we don’t know for sure.
Custody Of The Kids
How Much Infidelity Costs
Some people have been curious about the amount of money paid in the divorce. It is not really known why Elin got $100 million, which is much more than what was stated in their prenup. We think Tiger might either been given a hint or specifically told by the court to give Elin more. It could have been compensation for the suffering that he brought her.
How Much Infidelity Costs
Having Lingering Feelings
Elin may have gone through a lot while they were married, but she admitted she still had some lingering feelings. After all, Tiger was still the father of her children and she remained faithful to him through their troubles. In addition, she owned up to the incident with the golf club and the rage that consumed her. For Elin, the repeated lies of her husband just got to her.
Having Lingering Feelings
Emotional And Physical Effects
For months, Elin had suffered, but when it finally became clear that Tiger was in fact cheating on her, she just felt worse. She even felt silly that she did not find out sooner. The whole affair actually affected both her emotional and physical health. All she wanted was to be out of the public eye.
Emotional And Physical Effects
Elin Breaks Her Silence
When news of the incident with the golf club broke, the media did nothing but paint Elin as the antagonist. This is what prompted her to go on screen and clarify the story. That night, after their heated argument, Tiger left, but after a while, she heard a loud noise coming from outside. She went out and saw that her husband had gotten into an accident. Actually, Elin used the golf club in order to break his car’s windshield and help him out.
Elin Breaks Her Silence
The Doubters
Elin thought that the media’s stories were unbelievable, so she came out to set things straight. All she wanted was to clear her name then go back to her quiet life. Some of her husband’s more rabid fans, however, thought she was telling an implausible story. They were saying that if she really wanted to save him, why did she use golf clubs? For them, the media’s story made much more sense.
The Doubters
Taking Control Over Her Life
Letting go of her past was not easy for Elin, but she needed to make an effort to start anew. She now had to face a couple of truths, the first one being the fact that Tiger had lied to her the majority of the time that they were married. The other one was that taking care of their two kids was now something she would have to do mostly on her own. Elin knew it would take some time to heal, so she decided to write in a journal. It helped with the process of wrestling control over her life.
Taking Control Over Her Life
Any Regrets?
Both Tiger and Elin have gone past the issues of their marriage, but it seems only Elin has succeeded in clearing her name. If you are wondering whether Tiger had any regrets about the things that have happened, it appeared he didn’t. In an interview in 2016, Tiger revealed that he regretted not staying at Stanford for one more year. Other than that, there wasn’t anything else he mentioned.
Any Regrets?
They Still Talk
In spite of everything that has happened, Elin has let bygones be bygones since she wants what’s best for their kids. When she meets Tiger, she still talks with him and is friendly. Elin still believes Tiger is a great dad to their kids, though she had one important condition. Unless Tiger gets married to one of his girlfriends, they can’t meet his children.
They Still Talk
Tiger Has Found A New Love
Tiger seems to have moved on and has found love in Erica Herman, his new girlfriend. Until Erica and Tiger get hitched, however, she cannot meet the children standing by Elin’s conditions. Some think Erica got a raw deal. In part, it’s difficult to know for sure how well Tiger’s girlfriend will get along with his children until they meet, but for some people, Elin just naturally did what was best to keep her children safe.
Tiger Has Found A New Love
No Trouble Finding New Love
It does seem like Elin knew her ex-husband all too well because only a couple of months before, Tiger had found love in the stylist Kristin Smith. Back then, people were abuzz over this new development. They followed the two closely and the photos of the pair on a boat grabbed headlines but then, a few months later, Tiger was spotted arm-in-arm with Erica. Kristin became old news.
No Trouble Finding New Love
More Of The Same Classic Story
People may have wondered how it was possible for Tiger to move from Kristin to Erica so quickly, but actually, this is a classic Wood’s story. Tiger and Kristin reportedly broke up because the golf sensation was seeing her and at the same time dating Erica. Kristin suspected Tiger was cheating on her, though as usual, he denied it and even went as far as to badmouth his soon-to-be steady, Erica. Commonly in these cases, either of the ladies would have given up, but here, Erica came out the winner and is now by Tiger’s side.
More Of The Same Classic Story
The Need For Change
As it turns out, there was another person aside from Elin who came to a realization that a change in lifestyle is something he needed. The press soon found out that Tiger had slept with at least 100 women when he was still married. With nobody else to turn to, the golf legend thought the time has come for him to get himself into rehab. He had to do it for his kids and now, he had to tread his own path to healing.
The Need For Change
Starting A New Life
Even though life was hard, Elin was committed to getting over her own trauma and starting a new life with the children. With the $100 million she got, she bought a new home for her family, but not just any home – she found a pretty old mansion near the beach that she had rebuilt from scratch. Elin is a practical woman, so any item that she could save from the place was given to charitable institutions as donations.
Starting A New Life
A New Space For A New Beginning
The new living space that Elin found cost her $12 million, but it was not that difficult to purchase considering the money that she had gotten from the divorce. There are 6 bedrooms in the house and it measures a massive 9,000 square feet. But that’s not all – it boasts a staggering 8 bathrooms and a private beach! It was located just a couple of miles from Tiger’s own residence, which made it easy for the golf star to see their children. Still, Elin felt something was missing, so she did something to fix it.
A New Space For A New Beginning
Rebuilding From Scratch
Elin thought the time was right to do a bit of rehab of her own, so she used her energy and time in fully renovating her $12 million property. She went a step further and had the old house demolished in order to rebuild it from scratch – after all, she had the money. The place surrounding the house was great, but the house itself was actually starting to show its age. While helping herself, Elin still found some way to help others.
Rebuilding From Scratch
A Generous And Practical Move
Elin got in touch with the charity ‘Habitat for Humanity’ to help her with some of the old items. She thought that this way, the things she no longer needed would still be useful, which was a generous and practical move on Elin’s part. She let the group work freely as they looked for items around the house which could be auctioned to help them in their efforts. Habitat for Humanity managed to collect thousands of dollars for the items, money they used to build houses for the world’s needy.
A Generous And Practical Move
Another Beach Mansion
Actually, Elin owned another beach mansion, a two-bedroom townhouse located in Juno beach in San Remo. She bought the property for $1 million in 2011. She then invested some money to have it remodeled so that she could sell it. In October 2011, she sold the townhouse for $2.2 million. Not bad for someone who has not done this before.
Another Beach Mansion
Elin Finds A New Love
Elin didn’t only find a new home but she found a new love as well. Months after she moved into her newly renovated house, she had the chance to get to know her neighbor Chris Cline, a coal mining industry powerhouse reportedly worth over $1 billion. While one could say that they were perfect for each other in terms of their net worth, things unfortunately did not last. They did share a few sweet months together, but Chris was definitely a busy man and when it came to choosing between love and business, he opted to go with the latter.
Elin Finds A New Love
A Huge Age Gap
People immediately judged their relationship since 53-year-old Chris was more than two decades older than Elin. In people’s eyes, he was less of a hubby material and more of a sugar daddy. Still, no matter how loaded Chris was, Elin was also plenty rich, so her being a gold digger seemed more like baseless claims.
A Huge Age Gap
She Was Not Heartbroken
Even after her split with Chris Cline, Elin had learned that she shouldn’t let heartbreak overcome her. In 2015, she even spent her time having fun at the beach with some of her friends. Take a look at the stunning beauty Tiger chose to let go. People have called him an idiot for doing so and they are definitely right. Had he stayed faithful to her, things would have not gotten so bad for him.
She Was Not Heartbroken
One More Chance
Perhaps she just saw which way the wind was blowing but sometime later, Elin and Chris were spotted by the press hiking at St. Moritz. The two seemed very much in love and in this picture, they can be seen surrounded by snowy mountains. They look like they’re having fun in the presence of each other. Both have kids from previous marriages. Chris is a father to two sons and two daughters.
One More Chance
Rumors Are Flying Around
The couple doesn’t seem to mind the press making their own assumptions about their relationship. The two were living in paradise they have created for themselves and they didn’t care about what others thought. While details of their relationship status are not known, that’s actually to be expected since Elin tries to keep out of the spotlight, which is in contrast to her ex-husband. However, it is public knowledge that Elin and Chris reside in the same property in Palm Beach.
Rumors Are Flying Around
Finding Love Half A World Away
For some, finding their perfect match could take a significant amount of travel. In this photo, Elin was snapped at LAX and at the time, there were rumors that she had a thing with Jamie Dingham, who lived in Sweden. However, matters of the heart are always like that. It could flutter for your next-door billionaire neighbor such as Chris Cline, but it was also possible to find your match half a world away!
Finding Love Half A World Away
Rumors With A Musician
While not much is known about the relationship status of Chris and Elin, it seems that one didn’t last either. In 2016, Elin was spotted with another famous person, but this time, it was a celebrity, the frontman of the well-known Brit band Bush, Gavin Rossdale. However, Gavin was still married to Gwen Stefani around this time and reportedly cheated on his wife with their nanny. It’s possible that history could repeat itself.
Rumors With A Musician
A Similar Path
Why would Elin think of going down a path similar to the one her ex-husband took? Would she be okay with Gwen going through a similar ordeal that she went through? Would Elin be okay being in the position that her ex’s former women had been in? Perhaps during those years, Elin had some irreparable damage, something money could never bring back.
A Similar Path
Yet Another New Love
When Elin and Chris first got together, Tiger also dated someone, and the four of them even had a double date! During this time, Tiger was getting cozy with Lindsey Vonn and to his credit, they were actually together for three years. However, history repeats itself again and Tiger slept with yet another woman. Needless to say, he and Lindsey split up, but the question is, when will he change?
Yet Another New Love
A Different Type Of Scandal
These kinds of scandals comes with the territory of being famous, so perhaps the break up wasn’t entirely a bad idea. The world was shocked when nude pictures of Tiger and Lindsey were shared online in 2017, as she became one of the victims of celebrity scandal hackers. Tiger promised he would make the person who did it pay, but people find it strange that Lindsey kept copies of their intimate photos since they weren’t really together anymore. Perhaps she wanted to keep some memento or perhaps she hasn’t gotten over him?
A Different Type Of Scandal
Returning To Her One Love
After all the things that happened, the chances for Tiger and Elin getting back together again were probably zero, but she had one love that she kept going back to ever since she moved to the US. Even prior to leaving Sweden, Elin had already struggled with her studies. After she moved, she got busy with so many things, such as the scandals and the press that was hounding her steps. However, in 2014, she managed to finish her course in child psychology and Elin finally graduated.
Returning To Her One Love
Hard To Break Away From Scandals
Since Tiger and Elin got divorced, life has not exactly been easy for her. Once you get involved in scandals, it’s pretty hard to break away and for Elin, she had another scandal in 2017, when she got caught for speeding. The road’s established speed limit is 35mph but she went almost double at 60mph. Coincidentally, some time ago, Tiger was also caught speeding on the same road. Elin had to pay $281 in fines and was ordered to take lessons in driving awareness.
Hard To Break Away From Scandals
Getting Away
Even though so much trouble had been hurled in Elin’s way, the good thing about it is that she learned many good lessons. She continues to live in the US with gratefulness in her heart and more appreciation for love and life. Needless to say, she will always remember what happened between Tiger and her, but at least, they are still friends. That was definitely good news for their children and maybe she would get to use her degree someday.
Getting Away
Their Treasure
Taking everything into consideration, Tiger and Elin have seen through their share of troubles, yet they managed to pull through, starting their lives anew. They have even reconciled with each other and have become friends. That’s thanks to their treasure: their daughter and son. Always thinking of their welfare, Tiger and Elin have found a way in order to make things work.
Their Treasure
A Friendship Based On Love
In an interview, Tiger was asked about how he and Elin maintain their friendship. He made sure that no misunderstandings would arise this time by saying: “It becomes two simple things, OK? We have Sam and we have Charlie. And we love them so much that we are going to do whatever it takes to make that work. That’s how it happened.” However, no one knows how long this would last seeing as Elin put her property along the beach on the market.
A Friendship Based On Love
Keep Going Under The Radar
Elin could expect the press would follow her around, but nothing much can be done about that. If you were the former wife of one of the celebrated legends in golf who had a high profile divorce, you can expect to get a lot of interest. However, Elin did not pay attention to the press and the insinuations about her. She wants to carry on under the radar, focus on her kids and provide them the best that she can.
Keep Going Under The Radar
Claiming Responsibility
Clearly, Tiger Woods has no regrets about what happened with him and Elin, but there were two other people who had regrets, the Parneviks. Famous among golfing circles, the Parneviks have stayed with Elin through everything. They even claimed responsibility for everything that Elin went through, and they were right in a way. If they never introduced the two, things would have been different, but Elin believes that all the blame should go to her ex-husband.
Claiming Responsibility
“Best Friends”
In the meantime, other scandals have grabbed the public’s attention and Elin and Tiger are not the primary focus anymore. However, some things about them still continue to bewilder people. In an episode of Stephen Colbert’s show, Tiger was asked about how things were with him, Elin, and their kids and he said they were “best friends”. While it might seem a little complicated, they appear perfectly fine with it, so who are we to question that.
“Best Friends”
The Real Tiger Woods
Many wonder how Tiger Woods turned into the man that he is today – both the brilliance and the cunningness. While some attribute it to his father, others believe that it was the course of his life that brought him to where is now. So who is Eldrick Tont Woods?
His Real Name
Like Father, Like Son
Before he was even two years old, Tiger’s dad introduced him to golf as he was amateur in the sport himself. Earl Woods quickly saw the potential his son had and heck, Tiger even went on to become a child prodigy. How little did either of them know just how much that introduction would change Tiger’s life.
Like Father Like Son
Bob Hope
In 1978, Tiger Woods made his first television appearance. I suppose we should mention that he was just two when he appeared on the television show! What an amazing accomplishment. He appeared on The Mike Douglas Show and putted against the comedian Bob Hope.
Bob Hope
Star In The Making
By the time Tiger was three years old, he shot a 48 over nine holes over the Cypress Navy course. At age five, he even appeared in Golf Digest and on ABC’s “That’s Incredible”. Things were looking beyond incredible for the young star. No one could fully grasp just how amazing of a golfer Tiger Woods would grow up to become.
Star In The Making
Not Even 7
He wasn’t even seven years old when he made yet another major impression on the public. Tiger took first place at the Under Age 10 section of the “Drive, Pitch, and Putt” competition at the Cypress Navy course, California. This kid was a whiz!
Not Even 7
Not Again
Earl, Tiger’s dad, wrote that his son first defeated him when he was 11 years old, and Earl was really trying his best. From that moment on, Earl lost to Tiger every single time. By then, Woods had won the Junior World Championships six times and that includes four consecutive wins from 1988 to 1991. At 15, he was the youngest U.S. Junior Amateur champion ever. This record stood until 2010, Jim Liu was the one to break it finally.
Not Again
Growing Fast
Tiger Woods was growing so fast that he couldn’t even keep the same size set of clubs. Between the ages of 16 and 17, he changed the length of his clubs on two separate occasions!
Growing Fast
Stanford
In 1994, Tiger Woods enrolled at Stanford University under a golf scholarship. The college lad chose economics as his major and wound up with the nickname of “Urkel” by his college teammate Notah Begay III. However, after two years at Stanford, Woods dropped out so that he could focus on his professional golfing career. We’re not saying that was the smartest decision, but he did accomplish incredible feats after that.
Stanford
Video Games
When it comes to his hand and finger control, Tiger Woods must have a secret for that success. And as it turns out, he does credit such skill to a particular thing – video games. Yup, Woods’ fine hand and finger control is all due to playing video games when he was young. Woods also said that the games taught him to overcome his fear of failure.
Video Games
Woods And EA Games
If there was ever a game more appropriate for Tiger Woods to play, it would have to be his own. EA Sports and Tiger Woods had a long-running history. EA created a video game dedicated to him, called, “Tiger Woods PGA Tour,” in 1998. This trend continued for years to come.
Woods And EA Games
I Apologize
In 1996, Tiger Woods was set to receive the award for top college golfer at a Stanford dinner. However, he skipped the event. Why we don’t know, but what we do know is that Woods personally wrote 200 letters to the guests apologizing for his not being there.
I Apologize
No, Thank You
While at a tournament in Thailand in 2000, Tiger was actually offered Thai citizenship. However, he very politely turned the offer down. Tiger’s mother, Kultida “Tida”, is originally from Thailand. She met Tiger’s dad while he was on tour of duty in 1968. So no, they weren’t just handing out citizenship willy-nilly, Woods had a legitimate reason to be offered such an honor.
No Thank You
The Youngest
In 2006, Tiger Woods became the youngest golfer to have reached 50 victories at the age of 30. How many of us can say the same? While it’s not on the same level, it’s still an impressive accomplishment for someone who had just turned 30.
The Youngest
Losing His Father
It was in April 2006 that Tiger Woods’ mind was clearly somewhere else. His father’s medical condition was getting worse as he was suffering from cancer. He decided it was necessary to take a 3-month break from golf. It was a smart idea.
Losing His Father
Nike
After an incredible junior, college, and amateur career, Tiger Woods was just 20 when he turned professional in 1996. By 2000, he signed an impressive five-year, $105 million contract with Nike. At the time, that was the largest endorsing deal an athlete had ever signed.
Nike
His Own Book
If you thought his hand was only good for a swing, then you have another thing coming. Tiger Woods wrote his own book called, “How I Play Golf”. The book came out in 2001 and sold more than 1.5 million copies.
His Own Book
It’s Love
In November 2003, Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren, a Swedish former model, got engaged! The two met during The Open Championship in 2001 after being introduced by the Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik, Elin was actually his au pair at the time. October 2004 is when the couple tied the knot. Together they have two children, Sam and Charlie.
It’s Love
A Break
From December 2009 to April 2010, Woods took a break from professional golf. The reason? He needed to focus on his marriage as the couple was facing difficulties. Eventually, the duo divorced. That was a result of Woods’ extramarital indiscretions with many women. At the same time, Woods was hit with multiple injuries and was treated by Dr. Anthony Galea with HGH, which lead to a loss of golf form. This caused Woods’ ranking to gradually fall to a terribly low placement of 58.
A Break
Almost Disqualified
Tiger’s fans were up in arms in April 2013 during the Masters Tournament, when officials wanted to disqualify Woods for an illegal drop shot. After much discussion and review, he was given a 2-stroke penalty, but no disqualification.
Almost Disqualified
Back Surgery
In 2014 and 2015, Woods had back surgery but he couldn’t recapture his dominant form. By 2015, he had fallen to #104. This was the first time since 1996 that he fell outside the top 100. In May 2016, he even dropped out of the world top 500 for the first time ever. By July 2017, the Official World Golf Ranking ranked him at number 1,005 – this the worst of his career and also the only time he was out of the top 1,000. Let’s remember that Woods had ranked as number one for 683 weeks, that’s more than any other player in history.
Back Surgery
Eye Surgery
It wasn’t only back surgery that he underwent. Tiger also did laser eye surgery back in 1999. The procedure was a success and he doesn’t need to wear glasses anymore.
Eye Surgery
That Moolah
The Golf Digest claims that Tiger Woods made a whopping $769,440,709 from 1996 to 2007! We can’t even wrap our minds around that kind of money. Moreover, the magazine predicted he would pass one billion by 2010. But in 2009, Forbes confirmed that the legend was the world’s first athlete to earn over a billion dollars, after the $10 million bonus he received for the FedEx Cup title.
That Moolah
An Expensive Athlete
That same year, his net worth was $600 million, which made him the second richest person of color in America, behind Oprah Winfrey. In 2015, Woods ranked 9th in the world’s highest-paid athletes ranking.
An Expensive Athlete
Some Concern
Early on his career, some golf experts were concerned about Woods’ impact on the competitiveness and public appeal of professional golf. Bill Lyon, the sportswriter for Knight Ridder asked once in a column, “Isn’t Tiger Woods actually bad for golf?” Although Lyon did conclude that he wasn’t. In the beginning, a few pundits feared that Tiger Woods would actually drive out the spirit of competition by making existing courses obsolete, thus relegating opponents to compete for second place every week.
Some Concern
Yardage
In the PGA Tour rotation, many courses added yardage to their tees. Why? They wanted to try to reduce the advantage of long hitters such as Tiger Woods, a strategy that became widely known as “Tiger-Proofing”. Woods, however, said that he welcomed the change, saying that yardage to courses had no effect on his ability to win.
Yardage
Buddhist
Ever since he was a kid, Woods has been raised in the Buddhist faith. He carried on practicing Buddhism into his professional golf career. Woods admitted that he “believes in Buddhism… Not every aspect, but most of it.” Woods credits his deviations and infidelity to when he lost sight of his faith. He admitted, “Buddhism teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint. Obviously, I lost track of what I was taught.
Buddhist
Lucky Red
Just why does Tiger always wear red on Sundays? He revealed to GOLF that he started doing so as a junior at Stanford University, where the school color is red. “I just stuck with it out of superstition, and it worked,” he said. “I’ve had a few wins wearing red, and it’s not going to change.”
Lucky Red
Privacy
In a sort of ironic sense of semantics, Tiger Woods bought himself a yacht and named it “Privacy”. The 150-foot yacht might get him away from land, but it certainly does attract attention.
Privacy
His Stutter
While on 60 Minutes, Tiger revealed that he overcame his stutter as a kid in two ways. One, his school. However, his second trick was to practice speaking to his dog! His struggles also led him to create the Tiger Woods Learning Center in 2006. Many people didn’t know about his stutter, that is until Woods wrote a letter to a boy contemplating suicide. He wrote, “I know what it’s like to be different and to sometimes not fit in. I also stuttered as a child and I would talk to my dog and he would sit there and listen until he fell asleep. I also took a class for two years to help me, and I finally learned to stop.”
Tiger Woods
A Mess
In November 2009, the National Enquirer wrote a story claiming Tiger Woods had an extramarital affair with the New York City nightclub manager Rachel Uchitel, who flat out denied the claim. Just two days later, Woods was driving from his Florida mansion when he collided with a fire hydrant, a tree, and several hedges near his home. He was treated for minor facial lacerations and also received a ticket for careless driving. Intense media speculation followed with Woods releasing a statement claiming sole responsibility for the accident, he also called it a “private matter” and credited his wife for helping him. A few days later, he announced he wouldn’t appear at any tournaments because of his injuries.
A Mess
Voicemails
In December 2009, after Us Weekly reported a so-called mistress and the release of a voicemail message allegedly left by Woods, he admitted to “transgressions” and apologized to “all of those who have supported [him] over the years”. Within a matter of days, many more women came out and said they also had affairs with Woods. The golfer released another statement, admitting to infidelity and announcing that he would take “an indefinite break from professional golf.”
Voicemails
Gillette
Tiger Woods joined a team of other sporting legends like Thierry Henry and Roger Federer in February 2007. This team would become ambassadors for the “Gillette Championships” marketing campaign.
Gillette
Losses
After Woods’ multiple infidelities came out, many companies re-evaluated their relationships with the golfer. Accenture, AT&T, Gatorade, and General Motors all completely ended their sponsorship deals. Gillette then suspended advertising featuring Woods and TAG Heuer dropped Woods from advertising. Golf Digest also suspended Woods’ monthly column. However, Nike and Electronic Arts continued to work with him. A study came out and estimated that his affairs cost him between $5 billion and $12 billion.
Losses
Therapy
In February 2010, Tiger Woods announced he had been in a 45-day therapy program. He apologized for his actions once again. “I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and fame, I didn’t have to go far to find them. I was wrong. I was foolish.” Just a few weeks later, Woods announced his return to professional golf.
Therapy
Recent Woes
Just in May 2017, Woods was arrested for driving under the influence. He fell asleep in his car while stopped at a traffic lane with the engine running. Later he admitted that he was taking prescription drugs and didn’t know how it might interact with alcohol. As a result, he entered a program and skipped arraignment before pleading guilty to reckless driving. He earned a year of probation, was fined $250, and was ordered to undergo 50 hours of community service. Moreover, he had to undergo regular drug tests and if he failed, he would be sentenced to 90 days in jail with an additional $500 fine.
Recent Woes
His Statement
During Memorial Day weekend, Tiger Woods released a statement on his arrest. He wrote, “I’m currently receiving professional help to manage my medications and the ways that I deal with back pain and a sleep disorder. I want to thank everyone for the amazing outpouring of support and understanding especially the fans and players on tour.”
His Statement
Comeback
Beginning of 2018, Tiger Woods announced his comeback. And he really meant it. After his latest back surgery and at the urging of his kids to win tournaments again, Woods has stepped up on the green and there are moments when we see the old Tiger. After the 2018 Masters, he said, “The crowds have been incredible. It’s been awesome this entire comeback. I got a standing ovation on the range. Coming up to the first tee, the people come out of the clubhouse and the putting green. They’re really into it.”
Comeback
Best Friends
Years after their public divorce, Tiger Woods is speaking about ex-wife, Elin Nordegren. “It’s not how I would change 2009 and how it all came about. It would be having a more open, honest relationship with my ex-wife,” Woods said to Us magazine. “Having the relationship that I have now with her is fantastic. She’s one of my best friends. We’re able to pick up the phone, and we talk to each other all the time. We both know that the most important things in our lives are our kids. I wish I would have known that back then.” But that wasn’t all he said in the interview.
Best Friends
Honesty Is The Best Policy
Woods doesn’t think that it was just his infidelities that lead to the couple’s divorce. “When it comes down to it, right down to it, it’s just having a more open, honest relationship with my ex-wife when we were married,” Woods said. “Our frustrations would have come out if we had talked about it and been open and honest with each other. Which we are now, and it’s absolutely fantastic.” But what about his kids? What do they know?
Honesty Is The Best Policy
The Kids
Tiger admitted that he has spoken to his kids about his past mistakes. “For instance, I’ve told her this, I’ve taken the initiative with the kids, and told them up front, ‘Guys, the reason why we’re not in the same house, why we don’t live under the same roof, Mommy and Daddy, is because Daddy made some mistakes,'” Woods revealed. “I just want them to understand before they get to the Internet age and they log on to something or have their friends tell them something. I want it to come from me so that when they come of age, I’ll just tell them the real story. But meanwhile, it’s just, ‘Hey, Daddy made some mistakes. But it’s okay. We’re all human. We all make mistakes. But look what happened at the end of it. Look at how great you are. You have two loving parents that love you no matter what.'”
The Kids
The Future
“It was too tough, too tough,” Woods said about his marriage and divorce. But things are different now. “We try and help each other out on all occasions. And we work through it with the kids, the parenting program. She is one of my best friends now, and it’s all because of my kids. We’ve worked so hard, and I’ve shown her how much I love them. We’ve worked so hard at co-parenting, to make sure that their lives are fantastic.”
The Future
Helping Out
Even though Tiger Woods has been in the spotlight of the public’s criticism, it’s important to remember the good that he has done. One key example of the good heart this golfing legend has can be tied to the Haiti earthquake of 2010. The sports star donated $3 million to the relief effort.
Helping Out
Winning Everywhere
When you look at Woods’ track record, he has rung up quite a winning log. He has successfully won 137 tour titles, as well as 14 majors! Now that’s what separates him from the pack.
Winning Everywhere
What A Player
2009 brought Tiger Woods what he deserved in the form of a new title. He was named the “Athlete of the Decade” by the Associated Press. AP also gave him the title of “Male Athlete of the Year” four times! Sports Illustrated was just as infatuated and named him the “Sportsman of the Year” on more than one occasion.
What A Player
Junk Food
In many ways, the god of golf is actually just like a lot of regular people that we know. One example that truly highlights this is what he enjoys to eat. Despite not eating it whenever he actually feels like it, Woods loves himself some McDonald’s cheeseburgers, as well as food from Taco Bell.
Junk Food
Mom’s Love
Not many know this, but now you do. Back then, when Tiger was just getting started, his mother made him something special that he would cherish for the rest of his life. She stitched a club head cover with the words, “Love from Mom”, written in Thai.
Moms Love
His Favorite Movie
If you were to take a guess as to what Woods’ favorite movie is, what would it be? The answer is Caddyshack! It shouldn’t be all that surprising since it is about golf, and it is straight up hilarious!
His Favorite Movie
His Favorite Music
What about music? Michael Jackson? Close enough, I guess. He has a thing for the music of Janet Jackson, U2, and Boyz II Men. Who would have thought?
His Favorite Music
Not Playing Golf
When the great Tiger Woods isn’t playing golf, what does his perfect day look like? According to him, it would include the likes of surfing, skiing, playing golf, and spear-fishing. Oh, did we mention that he would ideally like to do all of these things in the same day?!
Not Playing Golf