Tiger Woods started his pro golf career in 1996, and this golf legend has remained in the public eye since then. However, in the past few years he got the public’s attention for all the wrong reasons – his affairs with other women. The pain and humiliation that his then-wife, Elin Nordegren, bore must have been unbearable. Luckily, the couple has since moved on, leading separate lives of their own. Let’s walk down memory lane and see what happened in the years that they were together.
Tiger Woods And His Ex-Wife’s Relationship Revealed
When Elin First Caught The Public’s Attention
Elin Nordegren was first noticed by the public when people found out that she was dating Tiger Woods. Ever since then, the couple has earned a special interest from the public. However, people seem to be more interested in their lives now that they are not together. After the news of their split came out, the media had a field day and thousands of articles were written about their breakup, giving details on the reasons why the couple broke up. Elin kept quiet throughout the whole ordeal of their breakup, but has finally broken her silence and given details about the unfortunate incident.
When Elin First Caught The Public’s Attention
A Marriage Falling Apart
During the time that Elin Nordegren and Tiger Woods’ marriage was at its end, the famous pro golfer had become infamous for various reasons. First, he got into trouble with the police, gone into rehab, and had numerous affairs with other women. His hiatus from playing golf as well as the end of their marriage looming over his head must have pushed the pro golfer over the edge. Almost all the media coverage was focused on Tiger Woods and his background, while Elin was a complete mystery to the public. Did she have some unpleasant secrets of her own?
A Marriage Falling Apart
Elin Nordegren Is Born
Elin Nordegren was born on January 1, 1980, in Stockholm, Sweden. Just a few minutes after she was born, Josefin, her twin, was born. Their older brother is named Axel. Their parents got divorced when Elin and Josefin were just two years old. This broke their family into two.
Elin Nordegren Is Born
Elin’s Younger Years
Her parents’ divorce did not stop Elin’s world from turning. She grew up as an energetic and curious woman, especially when it came to the next big thing in her life. She performed well in school and even showed some good skills as a soccer player. In the late 1990s, Elin left her promising life to go with her father to Berlin. However, she went back to Sweden a few years later and got discovered by a well-known photographer.
Elin’s Younger Years
A Successful Modeling Gig
Elin ended up becoming successful as she worked with photographer Bingo Rimer. She had even been offered to promote some famous companies and a famous Swedish magazine even featured her as a swimsuit model. However, Elin was convinced that she could accomplish more than just modeling. She wanted to become a child psychologist, so she eventually chose to leave the world of modeling to do some part-time jobs in order to afford her college education.
A Successful Modeling Gig
A New Start
Her college life was long and tough because she had to balance her studies as well as her part-time jobs and she was hardly getting by. However, luck seemed to be on Elin’s side when she was working on one of her shifts at a store in Stockholm. In the said store, she met a woman who was looking for a nanny. The said lady was actually the wife of Jesper Parnevik, a famous golf player. Elin quickly grabbed the opportunity, dropped out of college, and left her family and jobs in Sweden, since she didn’t want to miss such a chance.
A New Start
Life In America
Elin was fully-aware that moving to another country would mean that she was not only leaving her family behind but also her longtime boyfriend. Even so, she was very excited to move to America. Unfortunately, the distance got to Elin and her boyfriend which eventually led them to break up. She became single, but this didn’t last for a long time as the Parneviks soon made the introductions between Elin and their friend.
Life In America
Hesitant To Date A Star
Elin did not have any problems with the Parneviks’ attempts to find her a new boyfriend, but she didn’t know that they would introduce her to golf star Tiger Woods. She was quite happy with what she had at the time and didn’t really want the spotlight that comes with dating a superstar. Initially, Elin was not that open to Tiger’s advances. However, he eventually wore her down and she decided to agree on going on a date with the golf superstar after some time. They had chemistry and after two years of dating, they announced their engagement.
Hesitant To Date A Star
An Incredible Wedding
Despite Elin’s reservations in dating him, Tiger Woods managed to convince her to go out with him. Elin and Tiger’s wedding was something that people only dream about; the whole celebration lasted over a week. Then, the couple along with their family and close friends went to Barbados, an island in the Caribbean. According to the reports, Tiger booked an entire hotel for all their guests which cost him $2 million, according to reports.
An Incredible Wedding
Security Was Air-Tight
Tiger spared no expense for their wedding to become the wedding of the century. Reserving the whole Sandy Lane Resort was just the first step. 500 roses were flown to Barbados because the said flowers were not available on the island. Tiger also made sure that the security at the wedding was super tight. As a matter of fact, there had been no photos of the wedding released to the public, even unofficial ones which the paparazzi have taken. In fact, there had been some arguments about the authenticity of this photo.
Security Was Air-Tight
Living The High Life
The assumption that Tiger and Elin had a luxurious life while they were together is pretty accurate. In those years, Tiger’s career was at its peak which means that he had the money to afford some great properties. They not only had an amazing waterfront mansion, but they also owned homes in Jacksonville, Wyoming, California, and also in Sweden.
Living The High Life
Baseless Allegations
In 2006, Elin got involved in a scandal and she experienced the hardship and challenges that came with fame. A magazine in Ireland released nude photos of a woman who, according to the magazine, was Elin although they had no evidence to back their claims. Obviously, Elin refuted the said allegations that she was the woman in the photos, but this was only the beginning of the scandal which would swallow the couple in the last few years of their marriage.
Baseless Allegations
Elin Successfully Clears Her Name
Elin knew that she was not the woman in the outrageous pictures, so she took it upon herself to discredit the magazine’s allegations and obviously, clear her name. She consulted private investigators and lawyers. They managed to trace the origins of the pictures which apparently were photos of a former Playboy model. After having gathered enough evidence, the Woods sued the magazine and won the case. The court ordered the said magazine to compensate Elin with almost $200,000 and give a public apology.
Elin Successfully Clears Her Name
First Time Parents
After they settled the case and laid the rumors to rest, Tiger and Elin put their family life at the top of their priority list. In 2007, they had their first child and named her Sam Alexis Woods. In this picture, you will have no other thoughts but that Tiger is an amazing father who dotes on his child. This is quite different from the notorious image that he acquired in the later years.
First Time Parents
The DNA Of A Golf Legend
Two years later, Elin and Tiger welcomed another child into their family and he was named Charlie Axel Woods. They were a picture of a perfect family with an ideal father, mother, and children (a son and a daughter). In 2015, Charlie joined a golf competition for children and won second place, obviously, the golf genes were passed on to him. However, nowadays, their father says that the two children are more interested in soccer. Maybe this is just a short detour.
The DNA Of A Golf Legend
Early Signs of Relationship Trouble
The first signs that the couple’s marriage was in trouble appeared in 2009 during Thanksgiving. Days before Thanksgiving, Elin saw an article online that claimed that Tiger cheated on her with Rachel Uchitel. The illicit affair was said to have happened during his trip to New York. Obviously, Tiger denied the allegations, but Elin couldn’t shake her doubts and decided to check his phone. There she discovered some critical evidence of his infidelity.
Early Signs of Relationship Trouble
In A Rage
Now that she knew of her husband’s infidelity, Elin was in a rage and couldn’t control herself. Some reports even stated that she came at her husband with a golf club. It was a good thing that Tiger managed to get out of their house, run inside his car, and escape. Unfortunately, he had taken some sleeping pills which caused the car accident that he was involved in. He was found unconscious beside a fire hydrant. It was considered a miracle that he only got minor injuries from the said accident.
In A Rage
Their Own Share Of Troubles
At the time, the lovebirds were having their own share of marital problems. Elin might have realized that her reaction was a bit much, but her action had proven that it’s never wise to cheat on a woman. Although it is true that Tiger could have suffered a much worse condition, but he should have never fled from his wife. He should have manned up and faced the situation. Things need to be said, or was he waiting for someone else to do it?
Their Own Share Of Troubles
Money Helps In Keeping Secrets
As soon as word of the incident came out in the public, Rachel Uchitel wanted to tell her own side of the story. However, a day before her schedule to appear in front of the media, she backed out from the whole thing. It was later on revealed that she received $10,000 from Tiger in exchange for keeping her silence. Unfortunately, Tiger did not do the same thing for all his other affairs and more than 15 women claimed that they had sex with Tiger Woods for money.
Money Helps In Keeping Secrets
Proof Of Husband’s Infidelity
Here is a photo of some of the women who claimed to have been taken by Tiger Woods to bed. In this photo are Holly Sampson, Cori Rist, Kalika Moquin, Mindy Lawton, and Jamie Jungers. However, there should be more on the list than just these women. We could only imagine the heartbreak that Elin had gone through watching these women go on talk shows and talk about her husband’s infidelity.
Proof Of Husband’s Infidelity
Another Mistress
The woman in the picture is Jaimee Grubs and she claimed to be Tiger Woods’ mistress. She claimed that they were quietly dating for over two years. Jaimee worked as a cocktail waitress and she once joined VH1’s Tool Academy as one of its contestants. She says that she didn’t know that Tiger was a married man, but considering how popular Tiger is, her claim seems to convince no one.
Another Mistress
The Third Mistress
Here’s another mistress or should we say another Jamie who stepped up and claimed to be Tiger Woods’ mistress. This time, it was Jamie Jungers, a lingerie model in Las Vegas. She told her story to the press and even claimed that Tiger paid for her liposuction. Jamie said that she and Tiger were together for about a year and three months. She, later on, made the headlines once again for drunk driving in California.
The Third Mistress
Yet Another Mistress
The next woman who claimed to be one of Tiger’s woman is a self-proclaimed “cougar.” Theresa Rogers is the 11th woman who talked about her affair with the golf superstar. But that’s not all she revealed. She also said that her child’s father was, as a matter of fact, Tiger Woods. Their affair supposedly lasted for five years. Reports surfaced that they were together even before Tiger married Elin.
Yet Another Mistress
Keeping A Low Profile
It wasn’t surprising that Elin chose to keep her silence throughout all these claims. First, it might have been too shocking and mortifying for her, and if we take the golf club incident as a basis of her feelings, she may have been seething with rage. The whole world was curious about her thoughts on the whole thing. People wanted to know if Tiger tried to convince her to stay and if she thought of giving him a chance in spite of all the revelations that surfaced. There may have been a lot of questions, but one thing was sure, she remained strong throughout this ordeal.
Keeping A Low Profile
Someone To Turn To
While everything was happening, Elin became more and more alone. Luckily, she’s got her twin sister to turn to. To escape from all the drama, the twins went on a vacation to the French Alps, which also doubled as the twins 30th birthday celebration. Tiger Woods had an upcoming tournament at the time but she left him to handle it on his own. She didn’t really feel like being there to give him some support.
Someone To Turn To
Always Twin Sisters
Elin and Josefin had the tendency to do things together. They are actually pretty close; they’re twins after all. They even continued to be each other’s’ confidante. In fact, both sisters were working in the same store when Mrs. Parnevik offered Elin a job. Actually, both Elin and Josefin got the job, left their country, and came to America together.
Always Twin Sisters
Adjusting To Life In America
The siblings were adjusting well to their jobs, taking care of the Parneviks’ children. They were also preparing to secure their American citizenship at the same time. Elin was a natural and adjusted to her new life in the U.S. well. She even married a golf sensation. However, Josefin did not have the same ease at getting used to her life in the U.S. She eventually decided to move to England, where she secured a job at a legal firm which later on proved to be quite critical.
Adjusting To Life In America
Help From A Sister
Josefin became a great help to her twin sister Elin during the divorce proceedings. Josefin helped Elin on both personal and professional level and Elin hired the legal office where Josefin worked to handle both her divorce and businesses. Initially, Josefin was against the idea of Elin getting a divorce because she thought that her sister could still work things out with Tiger. However, Elin was adamant about it and asked Josefin to push through with the divorce proceedings, so Josefin finally gave in.
Help From A Sister
How Much Did Elin Get?
Many fans mourned the loss of such a dream marriage but some were also wondering how much Elin was going to get from the breakup. She wasn’t divorcing just anyone, after all – she was legally divorcing her cheater husband who is also a millionaire. Would all her troubles make her a millionaire as well?
How Much Did Elin Get?
Ending Up A Millionaire Herself
Their prenup states that Elin would get $20 million, but after all the things that she went through, the said amount didn’t seem to be enough. Different reports surfaced about the amount that she would be getting, the smallest being $750,000 and the biggest being $1 billion. Elin ultimately got a jaw-dropping $110 million, which was only approximately a sixth of her ex-husband’s net worth. However, if we were to calculate everything, it would seem like she got $20 million for every year that she was with him – a huge amount even for celebrities.
Ending Up A Millionaire Herself
Keeping The Divorce Proceeding Inaccessible To The Public
The proceedings for their divorce was not revealed to the public, the press was actually barred from going into the court during the said proceedings. This was great for Elin as she did not want things to be made so public. In actuality, Tiger Woods paid for the oath of silence. Some actually thought that the parties involved were asked to be quiet about it. It was actually quiet, for a while…
Keeping The Divorce Proceeding Inaccessible To The Public
Custody Of The Kids
Even though only the parties involved could go to the hearing, it was obvious that people were wondering who would get custody of their children. Actually, Elin gave Tiger partial custody to their two kids. He may have fallen short as a husband but maybe he wasn’t that bad as a father to their children. Perhaps, Elin felt this, but we cannot confirm this for sure.
Custody Of The Kids
How Much Infidelity Costs
Some people were wondering about the amount of money given to Elin in the divorce. It wasn’t really explained why Elin got $100 million, which was, in fact, a lot more than what was stated in their prenup agreement. Our guess is that Tiger may have told the court or given some hints to give Elin more than what they initially agreed on. It may have been his way to compensate her for the suffering he caused her.
How Much Infidelity Costs
Having Lingering Feelings
Elin may have experienced a lot of hardships in her marriage, but she honestly admitted that she still had some feelings for her ex-husband. He is, after all, the father of her kids and she was faithful to him all throughout their marriage. In fact, she admitted the golf club incident to be true as well as the rage that consumed her at the time. For her, her husband’s lies just got to her.
Having Lingering Feelings
Emotional And Physical Effects
Elin had suffered for months, but when it finally became apparent that her husband was actually cheating on her, she felt even worse. She even felt stupid for not seeing the signs that he was cheating. The whole thing actually took its toll on her emotional and physical health. She just needs to be out of the limelight while everything was happening.
Emotional And Physical Effects
Elin Breaks Her Silence
When the golf club incident came to light, the media painted Elin negatively, describing her as the antagonist. This caused her to step up into the public and give her side of the story. That night, Tiger left after their heated argument. After some time, she heard a loud sound outside. When she went out to investigate, she saw that her husband had an accident. Elin actually used the golf club to break the car’s windshield to help her husband out.
Elin Breaks Her Silence
The Doubters
Elin felt that the media’s spin on the story was quite ridiculous and decided to clarify the story. She just wanted to live a quiet life and clear her name. However, some of her ex-husband’s more passionate fans didn’t really believe her version of the story. Their argument was that she shouldn’t have used a golf club if she wanted to save him. For them, the media’s version was much more plausible.
The Doubters
Taking Control Over Her Life
Elin had a hard time letting go of the past, but she needed to get over it to start a new life. She now had to face some painful truths to move on. One of which is to admit that Tiger did lie to her for most of their married life. Another fact that she had to come into terms with was that she now had to take care of their children mostly on her own. Elin was aware that healing would take time, so she started writing a journal. It helped her with the process of getting her life back in order.
Taking Control Over Her Life
Any Regrets?
Elin and Tiger are already past the issues that surrounded their marriage, but it appears that only Elin has successfully cleared her name. If you want to know whether Tiger had any regrets regarding the things that happened in his marriage, it seemed like he didn’t. In 2016, when Tiger was interviewed, he mentioned regretting not staying at Stanford for another year. Aside from that, he didn’t really mention anything else.
Any Regrets?
They Still Talk
Despite what has transpired between them, Elin has let the past stay in the past since she prioritizes what’s best for her children. She still talks to Tiger when they meet and is friendly to him. Elin still thinks that Tiger is a great dad to their children, but she had one important condition. Tiger cannot introduce their kids to any of his women unless they are married.
They Still Talk
Tiger Has Found A New Love
It appears that Tiger has moved on as well and found another love in Erica Herman, his new flame. However, until they get married, Erica cannot meet Tiger’s children as per Elin’s condition. Some people feel like Erica got a deal. On one hand, it is indeed difficult to know if Tiger’s girlfriend would get along well with his kids until they have the chance to meet, but some think that it was right for Elin to prioritize what is best for her children.
Tiger Has Found A New Love
No Trouble Finding New Love
It appears like Elin never really knew her former husband because only a few months prior, Tiger started dating the stylist Kristin Smith. At the time, this new development caused a buzz among fans and other people. The two were followed closely by the media and photos of the couple on a boat made the headlines but then, several months later, Tiger was seen with Erica, and Kristin became old news.
No Trouble Finding New Love
More Of The Same Classic Story
Some might wonder how Tiger came to move immediately from Kristin to Erica, but in actuality, this is a classic story for Tiger Wood. Apparently, Tiger and Kristin broke up because the golf superstar was dating her and Erica at the same time. Kristin had suspicions that Tiger was cheating on her although, when asked, he would deny it, and even badmouthed his then-other woman, Erica. Usually, in these kinds of cases, one of the ladies would let go, and in this case, Erica won and is now Tiger Woods’ girlfriend.
More Of The Same Classic Story
The Need For Change
Apparently, Elin was not the only one who realized that a change in lifestyle was necessary. As the media dug deeper into this case, they realized that Tiger had slept with a minimum number of 100 women while he was married to Elin. With no one else to help him, the golf superstar felt that it was time for him to get some help and went into rehab. He knew he had to do it for himself and for his children. He had to go on his own journey towards healing.
The Need For Change
Starting A New Life
Despite the fact that her life was hard, Elin resolved to get over her own negative experiences and start a new life with her kids. With the $100 million that she got from her divorce, she purchased a new place for her and her family. But it wasn’t just any home. It was an old mansion located near the beach, one that she had rebuilt from the ground up. Elin is quite practical, so the items that she could salvage from the place immediately became donations to charitable institutions.
Starting A New Life
A New Space For A New Beginning
Elin spent $12 million on their new living space, but it wasn’t too difficult for her to make the purchase considering the amount that she got from the divorce. The house has 6 bedrooms and it stands on a 9,000 square foot land area. But that’s not the end of it! Their new home also has 8 bathrooms and its own private beach! It’s located just a few miles away from Tiger’s residence, which makes it easy for the golf legend to see their kids. However, Elin still felt that it needed some touching up, so she did exactly that.
A New Space For A New Beginning
Rebuilding From Scratch
Elin thought that it was the perfect time for her own rehab, so she poured all her energy and time in renovating the property that she bought for $12 million. She even took things a step further by demolishing the old house and having a new one built from scratch. She had the money, after all. The place around the house was great, but the house itself was showing its age. Even though she was helping herself, she still found some ways to help other people.
Rebuilding From Scratch
A Generous And Practical Move
Elin reached out to ‘Habitat for Humanity,’ a charity that would help her with some of the old items in her possession. She thought that this was another way to make use of the things that she did not need, which was a practical and generous move on her part. She allowed the group to move freely around the house and look for things that they could auction off to fund their efforts. Habitat for Humanity got thousands of dollars from all the items they got from Elin’s house, and the money was used to build houses for the needy across the globe.
A Generous And Practical Move
Another Beach Mansion
Actually, Elin has another beach property located in Juno beach in San Remo. It’s a two-bedroom mansion that she bought in 2011 for $1 million. She then spent some money to refurbish it so she could put it back on the market. She successfully sold the said property for $2.2 million in October 2011. It wasn’t too bad for someone who hasn’t done it before.
Another Beach Mansion
Elin Finds A New Love
Elin did not only get a new house for herself but she also found a new love. Several months after she moved to her new place, she got to know her neighbor Chris Cline who is a powerhouse of the coal mining industry whose net worth is more than $1 billion. Although they may appear to be perfect for each other when it comes to their net worth, their relationship did not last long. They did, however, share some sweet moments for a few months. Chris is a busy man and when he had to choose between his business and love, he chose the former.
Elin Finds A New Love
A Huge Age Gap
People were quick to judge their relationship as Chris, who was 53 years old at the time, was twenty years older than Elin. People thought he looked more like a sugar daddy than a husband material. But however rich Chris was, there was no basis to the claim that Elin was a gold digger as she had millions of her own.
A Huge Age Gap
She Was Not Heartbroken
After her breakup with Chris Cline, Elin knew that she shouldn’t let her broken heart get the best of her. In 2015, she was seen having fun with her friends at the beach. Look at this stunning beauty that Tiger Woods let go of. People have called him stupid for letting her go and they are absolutely right. If he had been faithful to her, he wouldn’t have lost a lot of things.
She Was Not Heartbroken
One More Chance
She may have just seen which way the wind blew but after some time, Elin was spotted with Chris hiking at St. Moritz. They looked very much in love and as you can see in this photo, they were surrounded by snowy mountains. They looked like they were having fun in each other’s company. Each of them have children with former partners. Chris himself has two sons as well as two daughters.
One More Chance
Rumors Are Flying Around
It seems like the couple doesn’t care about what the press is assuming about their relationship. They have created their own paradise and they couldn’t care less about the opinion of other people. Very little is known about their relationship as Elin is trying to keep her new relationship out of the public eye, something that her ex-husband wouldn’t have done. However, everyone knew that both Elin in Chris lives in the same Palm Beach property.
Rumors Are Flying Around
Finding Love Half A World Away
Some people find their perfect match after traveling the world. In this picture, Elin was spotted at the LAX. At the time that this photo was taken, rumors were circulating about her and Jamie Dingham, who was residing in Sweden. However, love is often like that. The heart could beat for your billionaire neighbor like Chris Cline or it could find its match on the other side of the world!
Finding Love Half A World Away
Rumors With A Musician
Although not many details were known about Elin’s relationship with Chris, it appears that it didn’t last long. Elin was spotted with another guy in 2016, and this time, he was a celebrity, Gavin Rossdale, the frontman of the famous British band Bush. However, at the time, Gavin was still married to Gwen Stefani and there were rumors about him cheating on Gwen with their nanny. It was like history repeating itself.
Rumors With A Musician
A Similar Path
Would Elin really think of going down that route? Would she be fine if Gwen went through the same thing that she had gone through? Would she be okay if she were in the position of her former husband’s other women? Maybe something broke in Elin in her painful past, something that no amount of money can restore.
A Similar Path
Yet Another New Love
When Elin started dating Chris, Tiger was also in a relationship with someone, and the four of them even went on a double date! At the time, Tiger was dating Lindsey Vonn and the said relationship actually lasted for three years. However, just like what happened in the past, Tiger slept with another woman yet again. Obviously, this caused his breakup with Lindsey. However, the biggest question here is when will he change?
Yet Another New Love
A Different Type Of Scandal
Scandals of this kind are considered part of the package for being a public figure, so maybe the breakup wasn’t such a bad thing. However, the world was yet again shocked when nude pictures of Tiger and Lindsey started circulating online in 2017. Apparently, Lindsey became one of the victims of celebrity hackers. Tiger gave his word that the perpetrators would pay, but people were wondering why Lindsey had kept copies of such intimate photos since they had already broken up. Maybe she wanted to keep a remembrance of her old relationship or maybe she hasn’t really gotten over him?
A Different Type Of Scandal
Returning To Her One Love
After all that she went through, the possibility of Elin and Tiger getting back together could be none, but she did have one thing that she loved that she kept going back to, even after her move to the U.S. Elin had struggled with her education even when she was in Sweden. After she moved to the U.S., a lot of things kept her busy like the scandals which resulted in the press following her every move. In 2014, however, Elin finally fulfilled her dream of getting a degree in child psychology.
Returning To Her One Love
Hard To Break Away From Scandals
After her divorce from Tiger Woods, life hasn’t been easy for Elin. Getting involved in a scandal once makes it hard for a person to get away from it, and for Elin, she got into another one when she was caught for speeding in 2017. The established speed limit for the road was 35 mph but she drove at 60 mph, which was almost double the speed limit. Coincidence or not, Tiger also got caught speeding on the same road sometime in the past. Elin was fined $281 and was ordered to join driving awareness lessons.
Hard To Break Away From Scandals
Getting Away
Although a lot of challenges were hurled at Elin, the upside to all that she went through are the lessons that she learned along the way. She continues to reside in the U.S. with a grateful heart as well as a bigger appreciation for life and love. Obviously, she will not forget what had transpired between her and Tiger, but at least, they have remained friends. That was clearly great news for their children. Also, she may get the chance to make use of her degree someday.
Getting Away
Their Treasure
After considering everything that they had been through, Tiger and Elin sure had their share of challenges and problems, but they still managed to pull through, starting new lives without each other. They have even gotten over their problems and became good friends. This is mainly because of their treasure: their children. The former couple has always put their children’s welfare first and have found a way to work things out.
Their Treasure
A Friendship Based On Love
In one of his interviews, Tiger was asked about his friendship with his ex-wife Elin. He made everything clear 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.” But this may not last long as Elin had decided to put her beach property on the market.
A Friendship Based On Love
Keep Going Under The Radar
Elin already knew that the press would be interested in her activities, and there’s nothing she could do about it. If you were the ex-wife of the most celebrated golf legend, had a highly-publicized divorce from him, of course, you can expect a lot of interest from the media. However, Elin doesn’t really care much about what the press is saying about her. She just focused on living outside the spotlight and taking care of her children the best way she can.
Keep Going Under The Radar
Claiming Responsibility
While it was clear that Tiger Woods did not regret what happened between him and Elin, there were two people who regretted the whole thing, the Parneviks. The Parneviks are famous in golfing circles, and they had stood with Elin throughout her ordeal. They even expressed that they felt responsible for everything that happened to Elin, and they could be right. If they hadn’t made the introductions, Elin and Tiger would have never met, thus, sparing the former of any heartache. However, Elin lays all the blame on her ex-husband’s doorstep.
Claiming Responsibility
“Best Friends”
Meanwhile, there were other scandals which have taken the attention of the public and Elin and Tiger are not the main attraction anymore. However, people are still bewildered about their relationship. In one episode of Stephen Colbert’s show, Tiger was asked how things were with him, his kids and Elin, and he replied that they were “best friends”. Even though it looks complicated, they seem to be completely fine with this arrangement, so we can hardly question that.
“Best Friends”
The Real Tiger Woods
Many people have wondered how Tiger Woods became the man he is today – both the amazing golfer and the cheating lover. Some think it was because of his father, while others believe that his life experiences are responsible for shaping the man that he is now. So, it makes us wonder who Eldrick Tont Woods was.
His Real Name
Like Father, Like Son
Tiger’s dad introduced him to golf before he even turned two years old. This is because the older Woods was an amateur golfer himself. Earl Woods immediately recognized his child’s potential; Tiger went on to become a child prodigy. Little did they know that that introduction would greatly affect Tiger’s life.
Like Father Like Son
Bob Hope
Tiger Woods first appeared on television in 1978. It is worth mentioning that when it happened, he was just two years old! Such an achievement at such a young age! He putted against Bob Hope, a comedian when he appeared on The Mike Douglas Show.
Bob Hope
Star In The Making
On the Cypress Navy course, Tiger shot a 48 over nine holes when was just three years old. When he was 5 years old, he appeared on ABC’s “That’s Incredible” and Golf Digest. Things looked very promising the young golf star. No one predicted how big of a star he would become in the world of golf when he would grow up.
Star In The Making
Not Even 7
Tiger hasn’t even reached his seventh year when he made another huge impression on the public. He placed first in the “Drive, Pitch, and Putt” competition for the Under Age 10 category held at the Cypress Navy course in California. What a whiz!
Not Even 7
Not Again
Tiger’s dad, Earl, wrote that when his son was only 11 years old, he defeated him at golf, and Earl said that he did his best. From then on, Earl hasn’t won a single game to Tiger. Woods eventually won the Junior World Championships, not just once, but six times, which includes the four consecutive wins he got from 1988 to 1991. He then became the youngest U.S. Junior Amateur champion at the age of 15 years old. Only Jim Liu managed to break this record in 2010.
Not Again
Growing Fast
Tiger Woods’ growth was so fast that he could barely keep the same club size for long. He even had to change the length of his clubs twice when he was between 16 and 17 years old.
Growing Fast
Stanford
Tiger Woods went to Stanford in 1994 with a golf scholarship. He took up economics as his major and ended up was given the nickname “Urkel” by Notah Begay III, his teammate in college. However, Tiger had to quit college so he could focus on his professional career in golf. It may not be the wisest chose he has made, but it did enable him to achieve some amazing feats in his chosen path.
Stanford
Video Games
It seems like Tiger knows the secret to achieve success when it comes to things that need hand and finger control. Apparently, he does thank a specific thing for his skill – video games. Yes, owes his great hand and finger control to the amount of time he spent on playing video games when he was younger. Woods also mentioned that he overcame his fear of failure because of the games.
Video Games
Woods And EA Games
If Tiger Woods has to play a video game, then it has to be a video game of his own. Tiger Woods had a long history with EA Sports. In 1998, the said company made a video game solely for him which they called “Tiger Woods PGA Tour.” The two had a continuously collaborated for many years.
Woods And EA Games
I Apologize
Tiger Woods was supposed to receive a top college golfer award at a Stanford dinner, but the golf legend didn’t go to the said event. We do not know his reason for skipping the event but he reportedly wrote 200 letters personally to apologize to the guests for his absence.
I Apologize
No, Thank You
In 2000, while he was in Thailand for a tournament, the Thais actually offered him citizenship. However, he turned the offer down very politely. Kultida “Tida,” Tiger’s mother, originally came from Thailand. She and Tiger’ father met each other in 1968 when he was on tour of duty. This means that they don’t hand out their citizenship to just anyone. Tiger Woods had a legitimate reason to be given such an honor.
No Thank You
The Youngest
Tiger Woods yet again accomplished something huge in 2006. He became the youngest golfer to ever achieved 50 victories at 30 years old. Can any of us claim to have a similar feat? It is quite an accomplishment for anyone, but especially so for someone who just reached the age of 30.
The Youngest
Losing His Father
In April 2006, Tiger Woods was clearly distracted by something else. His father was suffering from cancer and his condition was getting worse. He took a break from playing golf from 3 months. In our opinion, it was a wise decision on his part.
Losing His Father
Nike
After an incredible run as a golfer in his junior, college, and amateur career as a golfer, Tiger Woods joined the professional golf games in 1996. In 2000, he signed a whopping $105-million-dollar contract for five years with Nike. It was the biggest endorsement deal that an athlete had signed at the time.
Nike
His Own Book
Tiger Woods is not only good at using his hands to swing a golf club. Apparently, he has also written a book called, “How I Play Golf”. It was released in 2001 and over 1.5 million copies of the book were sold.
His Own Book
It’s Love
The golf legend got officially engaged to the former Swedish model, Elin Nordegren, in November 2003! The two met after Jesper Parnevik made the introductions during The Open Championships in 2001. Elin was actually working as an au pair for Parnevik’s children. Tiger and Elin walked down the aisle in October 2004 and their union was blessed with two children, their daughter Sam and their son Charlie.
It’s Love
A Break
December 2009 to April 2010 saw the golf superstar having a break from professional golf. His reason or taking a break was to focus on his marriage which was going through some problems at the time. The couple eventually divorced. The breakup was caused by Tiger Woods’ numerous extramarital affairs. That time, Tiger also suffered from injuries due to an accident and had to undergo treatment at the HGH under the care of Dr. Anthony Galea. This caused the loss of Tiger Woods’ golf form and his ranking also took a hit and he ended up on the 58th rank.
A Break
Almost Disqualified
In April 2013, Tiger Woods’ fans were enraged when the officials of the Masters Tournament wanted to disqualify Woods due to an illegal drop shot. He was later on given a 2-stroke penalty after a lot of discussion and review, but he was not disqualified.
Almost Disqualified
Back Surgery
Tiger Woods went through a back surgery in 2014 and 2015. This made it even more difficult for him to get his form back. In 2015, his rank went down further to 104. This was his first time, since 1996, that he had fallen outside the top 100. His rank dropped even much further in May 2016 when he dropped out of the top 500, a first in all the years that he had played golf. The Official World Golf Ranking placed him at number 1,005 in July 2017. This was his worst record ever and also the only time that he was not included in the top 1,000. We mustn’t forget that Woods had managed to stay in the number 1 spot for 683 weeks, a feat that no other golf player in history had achieved.
Back Surgery
Eye Surgery
Tiger Woods did not only go through back surgery, in 1999, he went through laser eye surgery. This procedure was successful that he didn’t have to wear glasses after the surgery.
Eye Surgery
That Moolah
The publication, The Golf Digest reports that Tiger Woods earned a total of $769,440,709 from 1996 to 2007! We can’t imagine what having that kind of money would be like. In addition, the magazine made a prediction his net worth would go over one billion dollars in 2010. In 2009, Forbes confirmed that the golf superstar was the first athlete in the whole world to ever earn more than one billion dollars. This happened after he received a $10 million bonus from the FedEx Cup title that he won.
That Moolah
An Expensive Athlete
In the same year, his bottom-line worth was at $600 million, which got him the spot of the second richest person of color in the U.S., ranking below Oprah Winfrey. In 2015, Woods was still in the top ten highest paid athletes in the world. His rank? 9th.
An Expensive Athlete
Some Concern
Some golf experts were actually concerned about the impact of Woods’ accomplishments in the public appeal and competitiveness of professional golf, earlier in his career. The Knight Ridder sportswriter Bill Lyon once asked his readers in a column, “Isn’t Tiger Woods actually bad for golf?” Lyon eventually concluded that he wasn’t, however. Initially, a few pundits were afraid that Tiger Woods would eliminate competition by making the existing golf courses obsolete, making his opponents fight for second place every week.
Some Concern
Yardage
Many of the courses in the PGA Tour added yardage to lessen the obvious advantage of long hitters like Tiger Woods. This strategy was popularly called as “Tiger-Proofing.” However, Woods had no problem accepting the change and even said that the additional yardage to the courses would not affect his skills at winning the game.
Yardage
Buddhist
Tiger Woods was raised in the Buddhist faith when he was a child and he carried the said religious practices even when he got into professional golf. He acknowledged that he “believes in Buddhism… Not every aspect, but most of it.” Tiger even blames his infidelity and deviations to the times when he lost his focus on his faith. He confessed, “Buddhism teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint. Obviously, I lost track of what I was taught.”
Buddhist
Lucky Red
Have you ever wondered why Tiger Woods is always seen wearing red on Sundays? He told GOLF that this practice started when he was still a junior at Stanford University, which has red as its school color. He said, “I just stuck with it out of superstition, and it worked. I’ve had a few wins wearing red, and it’s not going to change.”
Lucky Red
Privacy
One ironic thing that Tiger Woods did was buying a yacht for himself and named it “Privacy.” While the 150-foot yacht does allow him to get away from land, it definitely attracts a lot of attention, which may not give Tiger the privacy he craves.
Privacy
His Stutter
On 60 Minutes, Tiger revealed that he got over his stutter when he was a child in two different ways. One was his school, and the other one was practicing speaking by talking to his dog! This struggle was his motivation in creating the Tiger Woods Learning Center in 2006. Not many knew about his stutter and the struggles that he had to overcome because of it. It was only revealed when he wrote a letter to a boy who was thinking of committing 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
It was in November 2009 that the National Enquirer released an article claiming that Tiger Woods was having an affair with Rachel Uchitel, a nightclub manager in New York City. Rachel immediately denied the accusations. Two days after the article was released, Tiger Woods fled from his Florida mansion in his car and drove into a fire hydrant, several hedges and a tree near his house. He minor lacerations in the face were treated and he was given a ticket for careless driving. There was a lot of media attention in the said accident but Woods claimed sole responsibility for the accident in the media statement that he released. In the same statement, he credited his, Elin, for helping him. Several days later, he made an announcement that he would be resting because of his injuries and would not be appearing at any tournaments.
A Mess
Voicemails
In December 2009, Tiger Woods admitted of his “transgressions” and gave a public apology to “all of those who have supported [him] over the years.” This happened after Us Weekly wrote a report about a so-called mistress of Tiger and released a voicemail that Tiger allegedly left. Little did they know that it was only the tip of the iceberg. Many more women came forward and admitted to having affairs with Woods. The famous golfer gave another statement, admitting to being unfaithful to his wife and announcing his decision to take “an indefinite break from professional golf.”
Voicemails
Gillette
In 2007, Tiger Woods joined sports legends such as Roger Federer and Thierry Henry in a team. This team, later on, became the ambassadors of the marketing campaign for the “Gillette Championships.”
Gillette
Losses
After having been unfaithful to his wife multiple times, many brands re-assessed their connections with the golf legend. AT&T, General Motors, Accenture, and Gatorade all completely finished their sponsorship deals. TAG Heuer let go of Woods from its advertisements, and Gillette suspended any advertising that featured Woods. Woods’ monthly column at Golf Digest was also suspended. However, Electronic Arts and Nike still continued their partnerships with him. According to a study, his infidelity cost him around $5 billion to $12 billion.
Losses
Therapy
Tiger Woods announced in February 2010 that he had joined a therapy program for 45 days. Again, he apologized for his transgressions, saying, “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.” A few weeks after that, he announced his comeback to the world of professional golf.
Therapy
Recent Woes
In May 2017, Woods was caught driving under the influence of alcohol. He stopped his car at a traffic lane and fell asleep while his car’s engine was still running. In an interview after the incident, he admitted to taking prescription medication without knowing its interaction with alcohol. He was given one-year probation, fined $250, and was ordered to render community service for 50 hours. In addition, he had to go through a normal drug test, and if he failed, he would have to spend 90 days in prison and fined $500 in addition to the fine previously mentioned.
Recent Woes
His Statement
During the weekend of Memorial Day, Tiger Woods gave a statement regarding his arrest. It said, “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
At the start of 2018, Tiger Woods announced that he would be returning to professional golf, and he meant it. After his back surgeries, his children urged him to go back to doing sports and win tournaments again. This made Woods decide to step up on the course again and there were moments when we actually saw the old Tiger. He said after the 2018 Masters, “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
After their highly-publicized divorce, Tiger Woods spoke about Elin, his ex-wife, and said, “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,” he told Us magazine. He continued, “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.” However, that wasn’t all that he said in the interview.
Best Friends
Honesty Is The Best Policy
Woods admits that it was more than just the infidelity that destroyed his marriage. He said, “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.” He continued saying, “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.” How about their children? Are they aware of what exactly happened back then?
Honesty Is The Best Policy
The Kids
Tiger also admitted that he has talked to his children about his mistakes in the past. He revealed, “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.’” He further explained, “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 at 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
When asked about his marriage and divorce, he said, “It was too tough, too tough.” However, things have definitely changed these days. “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
Despite the fact that Tiger Woods has been through a lot of criticism from the general public, we mustn’t forget the good things that he has done. Take for example the help that the golf superstar gave to the victims of the Haiti earthquake in 2010. His $3 million donation to the relief efforts was more than enough proof that this golf legend does have a big heart.
Helping Out
Winning Everywhere
Looking at his track record, one can say that Tiger Woods has rung up quite a list of wins. He has won a total of 137 tour titles, and 14 majors! Now, that is what we call a performance that ranked above the rest!
Winning Everywhere
What A Player
In 2009, Tiger Woods earned another title that he definitely deserved. Associated Press named him the “Athlete of the Decade.” Aside from the said honor, AP has also given him the title “Male Athlete of the Year” on four separate occasions! It appeared that Sports Illustrated was just as amazed by Woods as they named him the “Sportsman of the Year” multiple times.
What A Player
Junk Food
Unbeknownst to us mere mortals, the god of golf is, in fact, a normal person just like the rest of us. As a matter of fact, his favorite food highlights this human side of him. Although he doesn’t have the freedom to eat it as often as he wants to, he does love McDonald’s Cheeseburgers, as well as Taco Bell’s food.
Junk Food
Mom’s Love
Not many people know this, but his mother actually made him something very special back when he was starting his professional career. It’s something that he cherishes. She stitched the words, “Love from Mom,” in Thai on a club head cover and gave it to him.
Moms Love
His Favorite Movie
Tiger Wood’s favorite movie should be pretty obvious. He loves Caddyshack, and you should know why. It’s a movie about gold and it is downright hilarious!
His Favorite Movie
His Favorite Music
If you were to guess what kind of music Tiger Woods likes, would you know? Michael Jackson? Not really. He loves the music of U2, Janet Jackson, and Boyz II Men.
His Favorite Music
Not Playing Golf
When Tiger Woods is on a break from golf, do you know how his perfect day goes? He said that it usually included activities like skiing, surfing, spear-fishing, and guess what, playing golf! Oh, and did you know that he would normally do all the said activities on the same day?
Not Playing Golf