Tiger Woods is definitely one of the most successful sports icons ever. His unrivaled supremacy in the golf course, the ruthless desire to win and his capability to play under the most extreme pressure made him an admired person all over the world.
He was the king of golf, not only in the years, but also in the image of discipline, concentration, and perfection in sports. However, Woods did not only have an impact on the fairways and greens. Outside the course, his charitable activities,
particularly the Tiger Woods Foundation, have assisted in making educational opportunities available to disadvantaged children and aiding minority students who need opportunity and inspiration.
Nevertheless, despite all his success, in 2009, the story of Tiger Woods took a dramatic twist as his well-groomed image was ruined. The downfall was quick. The tabloid bomb quickly turned into one of the most public scandals in the history of modern sports.
The National Enquirer exposed that Woods had cheated on his wife, Elin Nordegren and this news soon spiraled out of control with claims of him having affairs with at least 18 women. Only a few days after,
Woods was in a strange early morning car accident close to his Florida residence, where he crashed into a fire hydrant and a tree. The event was the time when the world witnessed a legend unfolding.
It shocked the populace. Woods possessed everything, a family that loved him, worldwide popularity, enormous wealth, and a career that was beyond golf. People wondered how a person on the top of the world could gamble everything. To his admirers it was a time of incredulity. To his wife and family it was a crushing betrayal.
The love story of Woods and Nordegren had started with a fairytale touch. The two initially met through Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik who had employed Nordegren as a nanny. She was not interested in dating then, especially not a famous golfer.
However, Tiger did not give up and love finally grew. In 2003, they became engaged and a year later they married in a small ceremony in Barbados with celebrities such as Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley in attendance.
They were together and had two children, Sam Alexis (2007) and Charlie Axel (2009). They appeared to the external world as the ideal family.
However, the exposures of Tiger as an unfaithful husband would ruin the marriage beyond repair. Jesper Parnevik, the person who had introduced them, was very sorry about his part, saying it was a judgment error.
Woods had a hiatus in golf in an attempt to salvage the relationship but the scars were too deep. The couple divorced officially in 2010. It is reported that Nordegren was paid about 100 million in the settlement.
Instead of going back to the shadows, Elin Nordegren concentrated on creating her own life. She bought a posh house in Florida and focused on bringing up her children in a peaceful stable atmosphere.
She went back to school and after nine years of hard work, she graduated with a degree in psychology at Rollins College. She made an emotional and funny speech at her graduation, looking back at her own experience and how she had become an example to others, even people she did not know.
She told the audience that she was surprised when they called and asked her whether she wanted to give this speech. I have been labeled a woman of few words in the press… but one day, a flight attendant gave me a note that said: Thank you for being my inspiration, greetings of another single mom.
Elin went on with her life, unobtrusively and with dignity. She was once in a relationship with billionaire Chris Cline who died in a tragic accident and she has since had a family with former NFL player Jordan Cameron.
In 2019, they had a son. She is a qualified mental health practitioner today, and she works in the field of psychology to assist other people. She lives in a 14 million dollar estate in Florida, a mansion that has 11 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, a home theatre, gym and wine cellar.
Nevertheless, Elin and Tiger have tried their best to co-parent their children despite the scandal and heartbreak. Their friendship, which was characterized by betrayal, has now turned into a supportive
friendship based on their love to Sam and Charlie. Woods has been vocal in his appreciation of their relationship today and has even confessed that he did not realize the value of family until it was almost taken away.
In an interview, Tiger said, she is one of my best friends. We are constantly chatting and we understand that our children are the most significant thing.
Those sentiments have been echoed by Nordegren. She told People magazine that her relationship with Tiger revolves around their children. He is a wonderful father and we are doing so good, I am so glad that is the case.
Such a healthy relationship was seen at the 2020 PNC Championship in Florida, where Elin and her daughter Sam were seen in the audience, cheering on Charlie Woods as he played with his father.
Tiger has a longtime friend and Golf Channel analyst, Notah Begay III, who commended both parents on putting the well-being of their children first. He said, they have made it such a big priority to safeguard the interests of their children and their privacy. You never know how a separation is going to impact the kids but they have done a tremendous job.
The story of Tiger Woods is a tale of success and defeat, victory and salvation. He is still an icon of sports perfection and multifaceted human being. And all that was lost, maybe the most lasting legacy he and Elin have created together is the one that cannot be counted in trophies or headlines a commitment to their children, their development and their joint responsibility as parents.
