The Story Of Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren’s Relationship

Tiger Woods has had his fair share of headlines throughout his career. Some had to do with his golfing, and many probed into his personal life. This is the story of the rise and fall of his relationship with former wife Elin Nordegren.

The First Scandal

All the way back in 2009, a bombshell dropped in the news alleging that Woods had been unfaithful to his wife. Ten years later, the two have moved on. But first, let’s go all the way back to the beginning…

All Eyes On Elin

Elin first came into prominence after her relationship with the famous golfer became publicized. It seemed as though the two were happy as could be. For a while, before the highly publicized drama, the two enjoyed a fairly low-profile relationship for quite some time.

Their Marriage Falls Apart

As Tiger couldn’t seem to stay out of the headlines, between his infidelity, his angry flare ups that led to trouble with the cops, and his stint at rehab. How was Elin throughout this whole ordeal? This is her story.

Her Backstory

Elin was born in Stockholm, Sweden on January 1st, 1980. Elin has a twin sister named Josefina and also has an older brother named Axel. Sadly, their parents separated and divorced when Elin was only two years old, tearing their family into two.

Her Upbringing

Despite her parents’ divorce, Elin was still able to have a relatively normal childhood. She did well in school, earning high grades, and was a member of the school’s soccer team. In the 90’s, she moved to Berlin to live with her father. However, several years later she returned to Sweden and was then discovered by a famous photographer.

She Begins Modeling

This famous photographer who discovered Elin is Bingo Rimer, who would go on to help her launch her modeling career. Once discovered, Elin landed jobs modeling for several companies. Despite this success, Elin felt that she wasn’t fulfilled and decided to pursue studies in child psychology.

A New Beginning

Once she began her studies, Elin found that going back to school was quite a challenge. On top of studying, she had to balance a part-time job, but despite this, still found making ends meet difficult. An encounter with golfer Jesper Parnevik’s wife would change this all, as she offered Elin a nannying job in the United States.

The American Dream

Elin decided to take this chance and left Sweden behind in order to pursue a new life of possibilities in America. In addition to leaving school and her studies, she left behind a boyfriend. The relationship became strained when faced with the long distance, and Elin shortly became single. This wouldn’t last long as she’d soon meet the world’s most well-known golfer.

Meeting Famous Golfers

After finishing her studies, Elin took a job as a nanny to Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik’s kids. This job required that she move to America full-time. With her boss in the golfing circuit, she got to meet many famous golfers.

Sought After

There were many single golfers that were interested in Elin, recalls Mia Parnevik, Jesper’s wife. They were all smitten with her beauty and wanted to meet her. Tiger Woods was no exception, but apparently, she was not interested in any of them at first.

A Year Of Waiting Paid Off

Tiger had been asking Jesper to introduce him to Elin for quite some time. And finally, after waiting for a year, they met. They got on very well, much to Elin’s surprise. She had no idea just how much her life would change.  

A Daunting Thought

Tiger Woods had been playing golf professionally for many years by the time Elin met him. His life was extravagant and hers was very ordinary compared to his. It was a daunting thought to mingle with the rich and famous.

A New Relationship

Despite being open to meeting a new man in her new country, at first Elin was a bit nervous about starting a relationship with a well-known athlete. She resisted Tiger’s advances initially, but eventually was drawn to him. The two hit it off and spent two years in a relationship before becoming engaged.

The Next Step

In November 2003, Elin attended the Presidents Cup tournament held in South Africa. She went to support Tiger as she was his number one fan. They were staying at the luxurious Shamwari Game Reserve, and that’s when he proposed to her.

As Private As Possible

Even though Tiger was pretty much in the public eye, Elin was not used to the attention and fame. That’s why they had tried to keep the relationship as private as possible. She’d have to get used to it though.

Wasting No Time

The two were so in love they decided to waste no time in getting married and starting planning the wedding straight away. They had set a date for the following October. Would their wedding theme have anything to do with golf?

Their Extravagant Wedding

When it came to their wedding, Elin and Tiger didn’t hold back at all. The week-long event took place in the Caribbean island of Barbados. Tiger decided to book the entire Sandy Land Resort hotel for their friends and family, setting him back $2 million for this privilege.

Tight Security

However, that’s not all…not only did Tiger book the entire hotel, but he had 500 roses shipped to the island, as roses are not typically found in Barbados. On top of everything else, the couple ensure that security was at the highest level in order to avoid any issues with paparazzi and unwanted photos.

A Memorable Day

The wedding was spectacular, according to guests that attended. The couple really had thought of everything to make their special day a memorable one. What more could a girl ask for than have her dream wedding in a dream destination?

Living The High Life

Shortly after their marriage, and thanks to Tiger’s career being at its peak, Elin and Tiger wasted no time in settling into married life and purchased several homes. These included a waterfront mansion and homes in Wyoming, California, and even Elin’s home country Sweden.

Elin’s Photo Scandal

Remember how Elin was nervous about being in the public eye? Her worst fear materialized in 2006 when a scandal came about. An Irish magazine released compromising photos that they claimed were of Elin. She vehemently denied this, but unfortunately the scandal wouldn’t go away so quickly.

Clearing Her Name

Throughout the whole ordeal, Elin did not give in and she continuously fought to clear her name. She hired attorneys and private investigators to help her out, and they eventually were able to trace the photos back to a Playboy model, finally clearing Elin’s name. The magazine was forced to publicly apologize to Elin and also pay her $200,000.

Their First Baby

After all of the stress of the photo scandal, Elin and Tiger were finally able to focus on themselves once again. This meant they could finally start a family, and in 2007, their daughter Sam Alexis Woods was born. The couple were enveloped in a bubble of happiness that seemed like it would last forever. Sadly, this happiness wouldn’t last long.

Their Kids

Tiger and Elin fell in love with being parents, and after two wonderful years with Sam as their only child, they decided to expand their family unit once again. In 2009, they welcomed their second child, son Charlie Axel Woods. As they’ve grown up, Sam and Charlie have followed in their father’s footsteps and have begun playing golf as well.

Troubles Begin

Things seemed like they were perfect for the Woods family, but everything would change on Thanksgiving Day, 2009. Elin came across and article that linked Tiger with another woman, Rachel Uchitel. She confronted him, and Tiger denied it, but for some reason, Elin was still suspicious. She would later find the hard evidence on his cell phone.

Things Began To Escalate

As the truth of Tiger’s unfaithfulness came to light, Elin became more and more upset. There were several reports that said she actually charged at Tiger with a golf club in hand. Allegedly, during this argument, Tiger fled to his car and began to drive away. However, as he had taken sleeping pills, it did not take long before he crashed the car. Luckily, he was not hurt badly.

He Took A Break From Golf

After his car crash incident, Tiger decided he needed to take some time to focus on getting his life back on track. He took to his website to announce that he was planning an “indefinite break from professional golf.” He was the #1 draw at the time and also left his sponsors and TV without their #1 ratings driver.

Things Got Harder

Things continued to get worse and worse for the couple. At first, Elin started to think that may she had overreacted, but sadly Tiger continued to prove her wrong. As things escalated, they desperately tried to keep things private. Unfortunately for them, things were far from over.

Silence Is Golden, And Expensive

The woman Tiger was linked to, Rachel Uchitel, decided she’d speak out and scheduled a media appearance, but a day before she suddenly cancelled. It turned out that Tiger had paid her $10,000 in order to stay quiet, but unfortunately for him, it was too late to keep things under wraps.

His Many Mistresses

Once the news broke out that Tiger had been unfaithful, several more women came forward to admit that they had had affairs with the golfer. One by one, the women stepped into the spotlight to share their stories. These women included Kalika Moquin, Mindy Lawton, Jamie Jungers, Cori Rist, and Holly Sampson.

Jaimee’s Story

Jaimee Grubbs came forward as one of Tiger’s many mistresses. She was working as a cocktail waitress at the time and had also appeared on reality show Tool Academy. Over the course of two years, she and Tiger engaged in a quiet affair, though Jamiee says she did not know he was married.

Another Mistress Speaks Up

Yet another mistress named Jamie decided to speak out and share her story. Jamie Jungers was an intimates model living in Las Vegas and has even claimed that Woods helped her pay for a liposuction procedure. Jungers alleges that she and Tiger were involved for about a year and a half.

More Mistress Stories

The stories don’t end there! Theresa Rogers is another one of Tiger’s mistresses who decided to share the story of her affair with the famous golfer. She nicknamed herself “the cougar” and was the 11th mistress to speak up. Rogers claims that she and Woods had been involved for over five years!

Staying Out Of The Limelight

Throughout this entire painful time, Elin understandably tried to lay low and keep a low profile. Staying out of the spotlight was mostly likely one of the hardest things she had to go through, but she decided to stay strong throughout the whole ordeal.

Sisters Through Thick And Thin

Luckily, Elin was not alone during this difficult time. Remember her twin sister Josefina? She was right by her side throughout the whole time. She even travelled to the French Alps with Elin in order to celebrate their 30th birthday together.

A Twin Connection

As the two have always been close with each other, it was obvious that Josefina would be at her sister’s side through the whole scandal. Even before Elin met Tiger, the two moved to the United States together and were even roommates before Elin married Tiger.

Living In A New Country

Despite the fact that they moved to America together, Josefina did not find her place there and ended up moving to England. She found a job at a London legal office, which would prove to be vitally important later in life once the affair scandal came to light.

Her Sister’s Support

As Elin began to deal with the proceedings of the divorce, Josefina was there for her — both emotionally and also legally. Elin’s legal team actually came from Josefina’s office, where she is still working to this day.

How Much Did She Get?

When people think of celebrity divorces, the first thing that comes to mind is the settlement. It’s important to remember that real people and feelings were involved in this situation as well. However, many couldn’t help but wonder how much Elin had ended up with for all her suffering.

Her Grand Total

Upon their marriage, the prenup agreement the two had reportedly promised $20 million should a divorce take place. As this situation was made worse by the many infidelities, maybe Elin would be eligible for more? At the time, reports gave different amounts ranging between $750,000 and even $1 billion!

Not Publicly Known

As the former couple tried their best to keep things private throughout the divorce proceedings, details were not publicized. The press was even banned from the court, much to Tiger’s chagrin, as he reportedly did everything in his power to keep everything private.

What About The Kids?

As thing divorce headed towards finalization, many wondered what would happen to the couple’s kids. In the end, Elin did not deny Tiger partial custody. Despite the fact that he put her through a painful experience, she did not discount the fact that he is still the father of her children, and she wanted him to be involved in their lives.

How Much His Affairs Cost Him

After the whole mess was settled, it was reported that Elin’s divorce settlement came out to $100 million. This massive amount is a whopping $80 million more than was agreed in the original prenup. Though the exact reason this happened was never made public, we assume that it was to compensate her for all the suffering she went through.

Lingering Feelings?

Despite it all: the infidelity, the humiliation, the drama, the divorce…at the end of the day, Elin is still human. After everything, she admitted that she still had some residual feelings for Tiger, and couldn’t ignore the fact that he’s her children’s father. Even after all of his straying, she remained faithful to him through it all.

How It Affected Her

As the truth came out and the divorce finalized, it was clear that Elin’s mental and physical health were seriously affected by everything. This is already a painful thing to go through, and on top of it, her divorce was made worse by being public. She was embarrassed by it all, particularly the fact that she did not catch him earlier.

Elin Speaks Out

Ultimately, Elin made the decision to speak out and clarify exactly what had happened with the golf club incident. She claimed that after Tiger stormed out of the house in the middle of their argument, she heard a loud noise and went out to see what was going on. She says she used the golf club in order to break into the car and help Tiger out of it.

People Doubted Her

Even though she went on the record about what happened, many people found this story a bit hard to believe and wondered if she had fabricated the details of the story. Many people even said the media’s story made more logical sense than her story.

Her Healing Journey

Once the dust settled, it was very tough for Elin to pick up the pieces and move on. Once the battle was over, she was left to reflect on it all: her husband had been unfaithful to her and she was now facing parenting all alone. She started to journal her thoughts to help cope and deal with the stress of it.

Did He Regret It?

It’s clear to pretty much everyone that what Tiger put Elin through was extremely painful and unfair. But did he regret it? In a 2016 interview, the answer became very clear. After being asked what his regrets are in life, his only response that he regretted not finishing his degree while at Stanford.

They Still Talk

Even though Tiger treated her terribly, Elin remains on speaking terms with her ex in order for him to maintain a positive relationship with their kids. She still thinks he is a good father, but still does not allow the children to meet any of Tiger’s new girlfriends unless they get married.

He Moved On

Tiger may have struggled with his public image after the whole saga, but that didn’t prevent him from meeting someone new and moving on. His current girlfriend is Erica Herman. As was agreed upon before, Erica is not supposed to spend time with his children unless she and Tiger get married.

Another New Lover

Before he was linked to Erica, Tiger was briefly linked to a woman named Kristin Smith. He met her a few months before meeting Erica. The pair could not seem to stay out of the headlines and sadly it seemed this relationship would not last long.

Old Habits Die Hard

Many people questioned the timing between these two relationships. How did he move on so quickly from Kristin? It seems as though Tiger was up to his old tricks, and actually began dating Erica while he was still with Kristin. Ultimately, he ended up staying with Erica and not Kristin.

Making Changes

After falling into the same pattern again, this time it seemed that Tiger wanted to take the appropriate steps to change. Reportedly, while he was still married to Elin, Tiger had been with over 100 different women! He decided to check into rehab to get help and change for good.

So Who Is Erica?

Erica Herman was running one of Tiger’s restaurants in Florida when they first met. They were first officially seen together in 2017 at the Presidents Cup. They have been together ever since and have made many public appearances as a couple.

She’s Helped Him A Lot

Many fans have credited Erica to helping Tiger get out of the bad rut he got himself into around the time of his divorce and brush up with the police. After he met Erica, it seemed like Tiger finally got his act together and finally made his way back to success, winning several more championships since the two have been together.

Erica And Tiger’s Kids

While Erica and Tiger have gotten close, she has also developed a relationship with his kids, Sam Alexis and Charlie Axel. While his short-term girlfriends were not permitted to meet his children, Erica has been around long enough and has cultivated a positive relationship with them.

How Elin Moved On

After everything she went through, Elin decided it was time to move on. She bought a new home for herself and the kids. She bought an old home and decided to rebuild it from scratch into a custom house. She gathered all of the salvageable items and donated them to charity.

Her New Living Situation

Elin’s new home ended up costing about $12 million total. The 6 bedroom and 8 bathroom house takes up 9000 square feet and even has access to a private beach. Additionally, the home is close to Tiger’s so that his children will not be too far away from him.

Starting From Scratch

Elin had made the decision to thrust herself into the remodeling project as a way to distract herself from everything she had just gone through. While the project was focused on helping her, she also found a way to help others during the remodeling process…

Elin Gives Back

Before the old home was torn down, she gathered anything that could be saved and donated it all to Habitat For Humanity. They went through all of the items and auctioned off any that were usable. Elin was able to come up with thousands of dollars worth of items, which all went to Habitat For Humanity.

The Other Home

While her brand new remodeled home seems like enough, this was not the only beachfront home that she owned. Elin also owned a 2-bedroom townhome in Juno Beach, Florida, which was worth about $1 million. Once she put the home up for sale in 2011, she was able to sell it for around $2.2 million. Not too shabby!

Tiger’s New Home

In 2011, it was time for Tiger to move into a new home as well. He planned and designed the project himself, which included a home and practice facility located in Jupiter Island, Florida. The project was managed by Tiger Woods Design.

The Practice Facility

Woods detailed this facility: “Working with my team, I designed the short-game facility and oversaw its construction. It features four greens, six bunkers with different depths and kinds of sand, a video center and a putting studio. If no wind is blowing, the longest club I can hit is a 7-iron. It’s also set up so I can hit shots out of my second-story studio.”

More Facility Details

This incredible facility includes four greens that are contoured in different ways, all with turfgrass management systems, in order to replicate the different kinds of playing conditions he could face. He doesn’t mess around with training!

So How Much Did It All Cost?

Woods took out about $50 million for the mortgage on this house located in Jupiter, Florida, making it one of the most expensive homes in the area of the barrier island. He then invested another $15 million in the property.

That’s One Big Pool

When most people think of their dream homes, a pool is almost always part of the picture. Tiger certainly didn’t skimp out with his home’s pool design. His backyard pool comes in at 100 feet length total!

The Sinking Problem

It seemed like Tiger had purchased the perfect dream home, but in 2013, things started to go awry. Many news outlets reported that this Jupiter Island was actually sinking. This was claimed to be due to foundation issues that are common in Florida. Woods said he noticed some issues in the home, and was taking care of it.

What About The Island?

You might remember that back when Tiger and Elin were still in wedded bliss, they purchased an island, called Stora Rulligen, in Sweden together. However, due to their marital issues, the couple never actually managed to live there or spend time there. So what happened to it?

The New Owners

While they were splitting up, the island was sold by Elin and Tiger to a Swedish millionaire. The current owner put the island up for sale in 2015, for a price tag listed through Valdi Private Islands at a whopping $7.1 million.

What Were They Giving Up?

The incredible island featured many acres of untouched woods along a rocky shoreline, as well as a private harbor with a docking area and landing strip. You can also find six golf tees there and a hunting lodge there.

Her First New Man

After settling in to her new post-divorce home, Elin was ready to move on to a new relationship as well, and with her new neighbor nonetheless. She soon met coal mining tycoon Chris Cline and they began dating. However, soon after it seemed that Cline was a bit too busy for a new relationship.

The Age Difference

Although moving on to a new relationship was a good thing for Elin, many raised eyebrows at the age gap between her and her new man. When they made, he was 53 years old, a full two decades older than her.

She Moves On Again

As Elin faced her second breakup, it seemed that she was not affected by the end of this relationship. She finally took some quality time for herself, spending a lot of time at the beach and enjoying time with her friends.

Round Two Begins

It seems as though she and Cline couldn’t stay too far away from one another. Not too long after their initial breakup, they were spotted getting quite cozy at luxury resort St. Moritz, which is in Switzerland.

The Rumors Began

After Elin’s very public divorce from Tiger Woods, she felt it was really important to keep her private life very private. Despite many rumors floating around regarding her relationship with Cline, Elin has yet to ever divulge information about the relationship herself. The two reportedly still live near one another.

Flying High

Despite the lack of clarity about what had happened with her relationship with Cline, Elin was also linked to another man. She was spotted at LAX airport, traveling to her homeland of Sweden to spend time with son of billionaire Michael Dingman, Jamie Dingman.

Branching Out To Rock Stars

Elin has also been linked to Gavin Rossdale, known for being the lead vocalist of rock band Bush, as well as being the former husband of pop star Gwen Stefani. Maybe the two could bond over their recent divorces?

How Could She?

While we all know that history repeats itself, somethings are still hard to believe. When Elin was linked to Rossdale, people were surprised and pointed to the fact that he had cheated on his wife. How could Elin be with someone who had put his ex-wife through exactly the same thing she experienced?

Tiger’s New Leading Lady

As Elin was focusing on moving on, Tiger had met a new woman as well, Olympic skiing star Lindsey Vonn. Tiger and Lindsey fell in love and quickly few very close. They even joined Elin and Chris Cline on a double date! No hard feelings, right? After 3 years together, the two decided to call it quits.

Another Photo Scandal

Two years after Tiger and Lindsey ended it, they faced a scandal that many celebrities experience these days. They fell victim to a photo hack, and intimate photos of the two surfaced all over the internet. Tiger made it clear that once the perpetrators were caught, they would regret what they’d done.

Finishing What She Started

Way back when Elin began her studies, she could not have imagined where her life would end up taking her. However, she never forgot about this first dream of hers. She decided to go back to school and eventually graduated from Rollins College in 2014, 9 years after she had initially started school.

Facing A Setback

While Elin was doing a great job moving on by embarking on new relationships and pursuing her education, she faced a minor setback. In 2017, she was caught speeding double the speed limit and was given a $281 fine in addition to having to take driving awareness courses.

After It All

Despite the extreme rollercoaster of emotions and experiences Elin has gone through over the last 10 years, you can definitely say she’s come out on top. After a highly publicized divorce, she was able to focus on getting her degree while raising her two children.

Bridging The Gap

Despite all of the drama and hurt feelings, Elin and Tiger are civil towards one another so they can co-parent their two children. They wanted to make sure the kids have both of their parents present in their lives and they make sure this happens.

Their Friendship

After Tiger was asked about how he and Elin can put everything aside and remain friendly towards one another, he responded very clearly. Tiger stated that: “It becomes two simple things, OK? We have Sam and we have Charlie. And we love them so much that we are going to whatever it takes to make that work. That’s how it happened.”

She Focused On Her Kids

Elin will always be followed around by the paparazzi, as is expected when one is involved with the world’s most well known golfer and a heavily publicized divorce. Despite this, she tries her best to stay out of the public eye and focus on spending time with her children.

Her Newest Man

Ten years after the infamous divorce, Elin has moved on with her life. She has even met a new man, former NFL player Jordan Cameron. It is said that the two have been dating for nearly two years now, but have kept their relationship under wraps in order to avoid unwanted attention from the press.

So Who Is Jordan Cameron?

Jordan Cameron played college football at the University of Southern California at the tight end position and was later drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2011. He then played for the Miami Dolphins beginning in 2015 before retiring from the NFL in 2016 after suffering four concussions throughout his NFL career.

A Blended Family

The two are as happy as can be together, and they’ve managed to synthesize their families as well. Elin is mother to Sam Alexis, 12, and Charlie Axel, 10, who she had with Woods in her previous marriage. Meanwhile, Jordan is also a father to a son, Tristan, who is also 10 years old.

Elin And Jordan’s News

After meeting at Art Basel in Miami several years ago, Elin and Jordan have built a happy life together. They have even made a huge announcement, that Elin is preganant with Jordan’s baby! A source close to the couple has disclosed: “Both Elin and Jordan have previously said they’d love to have more children, and Elin’s kids with Tiger, Sam and Charlie are really excited about having a new little brother or sister.”

Waiting For Their Bundle Of Joy

Elin and Jordan have been living harmoniously together at her North Palm Beach house, which is located in a private community. As the two prepare for the arrival of their baby, we’re sure that they’re ecstatic about their new arrival, who is due around October 2019.

Her Current Relationship With Tiger

While Elin was put through quite the ordeal during her marriage to Tiger Woods, she has healed and moved on. She has said that their current relationship of co-parents to their children is great. She said: “We communicate so much better now, it’s incredible. I wish we would have done that earlier on, but it’s been incredible to have a best friend like that.”

Friends With The Exes?

Elin has done an incredible job with taking care of herself and moving on. She’s even open to getting to know and even befriending Tiger’s current and ex partners! When Tiger was dating Lindsey Vonn, the two ladies grew close. Vonn explained: “I mean, we spent a lot of time together because I was with Tiger for three years. She’s such a wonderful person, such a great mom…”

Elin And Lindsey

Elin and Lindsey truly became friends when Vonn was dating Woods. They even stayed friends after Vonn and Woods split up, and even posed for a picture together while at the Kentucky Derby. Vonn captioned the photo: “Great to see Elin and friends at the #kentuckyderby last weekend. She was stunning as always!”

Keeping Things Civil For The Kids

A Disappointing Season

While Tiger’s 2019 season seemed full of hope and promise, it all came to an unsatisfying end in the middle of August 2019 after failing to qualify for the Tour Championship. He ended up finishing 38th at the BMW Championship. Justin Thomas was the overall winner.

Tiger’s Newest Achievement

In May 2019, Tiger Woods was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom, becoming the youngest golfer to do so. He was given this honor for his many contributions to golf and to commemorate his comeback, winning a major at the 2019 Master’s Tournament for the first time in 11 years.

The New Family Man

Ever since he’s gotten his life back on track, Tiger has been quite the family man. While he and Erica and not married, they certainly seem like a family already. She even accompanied him along with his kids and his mother to be presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The Guilty Feelings

It’s clear that Tiger has never publicly expressed remorse for his actions, someone else has stated feelings of guilt. The Parneviks, who introduced Elin to Tiger, have said they take part of the responsibility for what she had gone through. However, Elin has always maintained that the blame is only on Tiger.