Tiger Woods’ ex-wife Elin Nordegren found love with an NFL star and retrained as a counsellor after being scorned by golfer cheating scandal’

She was catapulted to the front pages when she had one of the most high profile celebrity divorces on the noughties.

But, 14 years on Elin Nordegren has largely kept out of the public eye – welcoming two more children and completing her degree in psychology, and retraining as a counsellor.
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Now 44, the Stockholm-born beauty has gone from nanny to model to half of the most loved sporting couples in America to a scorned WAG who had sympathies from all over the world. 

The former spouses, who are said to co-parent very well together, but have rarely been spotted together in the intervening years since their well-publicised 2010 divorce after Woods’ numerous infidelities left their marriage in tatters. 

But the pair remain committed parents to Charlie, 15, and their 16-year-old daughter Samantha, and there was no sign of ancient history as the pair posed for photos with their delighted son. 

Tger Woods and Elin Nordegren (holding her second son Arthur) reunited at their son Charlie’s high school golf ceremonyn 2014, Nordegren was invited to speak at her college graduation after completing her Bhe Swede is now in a relationship with former NFL star Jordan Cameron, with whom she shares two young children – Arthur, born in 2019, and a 16-month-old son whose name has not been revealed publicly (they are pictured in 2019)

After her divorce from Woods,  Elin is thought to have dated coal billionaire Chris Cline on-and-off before finally separating in 2017 – two years before his tragic death in plane crash near the Abaco Islands.

The Swede is now in a relationship with former NFL star Jordan Cameron, with whom she shares two young children – Arthur, born in 2019, and a 16-month-old son whose name has not been revealed publicly. 

The 44-year-old has since lived a life contentedly out of the spotlight after walking away from the marriage with $100 million.

She still lives in Florida, where she also lived with Woods, but recently sold her 11 bedroom, 18 bathroom compound in Palm Beach.

The ex-nanny snapped up the 1.4 acre property following her split from Woods in 2010, and demolished the house that was already standing on the land.

She subsequently built the sprawling 25,878-square foot oceanfront home that stands in its place today.

Nordegren and Woods remain committed co-parents to Charlie and their daughter SamanthaThe pair were previously married between 2004 and 2010 (pictured in November 2009)

Woods, meanwhile, has been dating 35-year-old Erica Herman since 2017. Herman once worked as the general manager of Woods’ restaurant in Jupiter, Florida. 

Despite Woods’ crude texts broadcast to the world, Elin kept a dignified silence following his infidelities only speaking to media months later while still being respectful to her ex who had lings with more than a dozen women during their marriage. 

‘I never suspected, not one,’ she said. She was too busy being pregnant or looking after their two toddlers. 

‘I felt stupid as more things were revealed. How could I not have known anything? The word ‘betrayal’ isn’t strong enough,’ she said, adding that she was also disappointed in those close to her  who were also in on the deceit.

But speaking to People in 2010, she said she  has managed to forgive him and even forge a friendship with his his then girlfriend Lindsey Vonn. 

She said: ‘I think I would like [more children]. But I have a boy and a girl and I couldn’t ask for anything more.

‘I feel like I’m in a great spot, great if it happens and great if it doesn’t.’

Not may women could forgive cheating on such a colossal scale as Tiger’s but Elin insists she had to for the sake of Sam and Charlie.

Nordegren (pictured left in 2002) had been working as an au pair for fellow Swede Jesper ParnevikThe then-21-year-old was initially uninterested in the golfing superstar but eventually said yes to a first date

‘I have moved on and I am in a good place,’ she said.

‘Our relationship is centred around our children and we are doing really good, we really are. He is a great father.’

‘I’m happy for Tiger,’ 

‘In general, in any kind of stepparent relationship, I’m happy that there’s somebody else loving my children.’

Referring to her own parents, who split when she was seven and remarried other people, Elin said: ‘I grew up with great relationships with my stepparents.’

Since the split, Elin has gone from strength to strength.  

In 2014, she graduated with a psychology degree from Rollins College in Florida and although it took her nine years, she couldn’t be happier.

‘It’s almost embarrassing to say it took nine years but I’m proud of it. And I don’t regret a thing,’ she insisted.

Born in Stockholm, former teenage model began working as an au pair for her compatriot, golfer Jesper Parnevik. Relocating to the United States full time, the then-21-year-old was reported besieged by romantic overtures from Parnevik’s peers on the Tour. 

She met Woods at the 2001 Open Championship, and after turning him down a number of times, agreed to go on a date with him – despite having a boyfriend in Sweden at the time. 

After getting to know the PGA Player of the Year, Elin started dating Woods more seriously, before golfer proposed at the Shamwari Game Reserve in South Africa. 

They were engaged after two years of dating after Woods proposed on holiday in South Africa

The pair married in October 2004 on the 19th hole at the ultra-exclusive Sandy Lane resort in Barbados, with Woods renting the luxury hotel for a week. In total, the wedding is thought to have cost more than £2million. 

Hootie and the Blowfish and Kelly Clarkson performed at the wedding reception, and the couple are reported to have had 500 roses delivered to the Caribbean resort. 

Eline and Tiger were later based in Florida, with houses in Isleworth, an upmarket enclave in Orlando, and Jupiter Island, where they built a £41m mansion Woods moved into after their split. 

The former spouses have two children: Samantha and Charlie. Both of the teenagers are keen golfers, with the latter competing alongside his father for the fourth time in December’s PNC Championship Pro-Am. 

Charlie celebrated winning his high school golf championship by posing with his special ringThe 15-year-old is keen to follow in his father’s footsteps and often competes alongside himThe former spouses also share a daughter – Samantha – who is 16 years old (pictured in 2023)

In November 2009, the National Enquirer published an initial report claiming that Woods was having an affair with a nightclub manager, Rachel Uchitel. This pulled the thread that would eventually unravel into at least a dozen women claiming that Woods had carried out a relationship with him. 

A month later – and after suffering a car crash in the days following the Enquirer’s report – Woods announced that he would be ‘taking an indefinite break from golf’ and later checked into a 45-day therapy programme. 

Elin, who later told People that the experience was akin to ‘going through hell’, divorced Woods the following August after a number of attempts to repair their marriage. 

She is thought to have drawn heavily on the support of her friends and family, and especially her identical twin sister Josefin. 

Despite rumours of a staggering $750m (£595m) settlement, Nordegren eventually received $100m (£79m). 

In November 2009 the National Enquirer published bombshell allegations about Woods’ affair with Rachel UchitelNoredgren later said that experiencing her husband’s infidelities was like ‘going through hell’

At the very start of their relationship, Elin had told Woods that she dream of being a child psychologist. In 2014, she finally graduated from Florida’s Rollins College with a BA in Psychology. 

The then-34-year-old was awarded the Hamilton Holt School’s Outstanding Graduating Senior Award, and when asked to give advice to her graduating class, she stressed the importance of not being held back by the passing of time. 

‘Make your words meaningful by taking action!’ Nordegren said in an interview for the university’s website. ‘Follow your dreams and don’t be discouraged if it is going to take you a long time to get there. 

‘Better late than never.’

Elin now works a registered counsellor in West Palm Beach. 

Tiger and Elin – for all the appearance of awkwardness posing for pictures with Charlie this week – are believed to have an incredibly strong co-parenting relationship.  

Talking to TIME magazine in 2015, Woods said: ‘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.’

He doubled down on the statement in his 2017 memoir, adding that while he was full of remorse for his actions that ended their marriage, their children’s wellbeing was central to building a positive relationship with Nordegren. 

‘My regret will last a lifetime,’ he wrote. ‘Still, Elin and I are devoted to our kids, and we have become best friends as we care for them. It’s all about the kids for us.’

As well as sharing his happiness that the pair have become friends, Woods has also been vocal about his remorse over his marriage breakdownNordegren is now dating former NFL tight end Jordan Cameron (pictured with the Miami Dolphins in 2016)

It’s been nearly 14 years since the pair announced their divorce after allegations were made that the 15-time major champion had been involved in a string of infidelities, causing much embarrassment to the Swedish model. That humiliation only intensified when he publicly admitted to them. 

It was, most thought, the beginning of the end for Woods as a public figure. Sponsorship deals evaporated – AT&T, Gillette and Accenture all dropped him.  

In the 14 years that have followed, so too has public scandal. The 48-year-old has endured a decline on the course, not helped by his four back operations. But off the course, too, trouble has followed. He was arrested for driving while under the influence and suffered a serious car accident in 2021.

Woods shared a warm embrace with his son after reuniting with his former partnerThe golfing icon and Nordegren had a daughter, Sam, together as well as their son Charlie

Yet, despite all the scrutiny placed on him, Woods is still here. He has come back from the brink of retirement on several occasions and is remarkably set to make his 26th appearance at the Masters on April 11. His mental robustness has served him beyond the long weekend of any major. 

His ability to transcend the sport has been key. He is one of the most successful athletes in the world – both in terms of accolades and finances – with Forbes claiming he currently has a net worth of approximately £872million ($1.1billion). 

He is one of the highest-paid athletes of all time, above Cristiano Ronaldo, and holds the record of winning the most events on the PGA Tour (82) – alongside Sam Snead. 

And yet it is his life away from the course that has served so many column inches over the past decade and a half. Not that Woods appears to have taken notice.  

Once again this week, attention has been drawn to his home life. 

Rachel Uchitel, 47, was the most well-known of Tiger Woods’ affairs, revealed in 2009In 2017, Woods was arrested for DUI and described by police as ‘confused and woozy’

Woods was seen awkwardly stood next to the Swedish model, who posed for a picture with her son at the ceremony. 

Before their split, the pair welcomed two children, Charlie, 15, and Samantha, 16, and have shared custody of their children. Despite the reasons behind their break-up, Woods claims that they co-parent well together.  

With such a famous father it is unsurprising that Charlie’s own development has been in the public eye in recent years, his five-time Masters winning father turning out to coach and support him, while the pair were seen competing together at the PNC Championship in 2023, with Samantha caddying for her dad. Woods and his son first teed it up at the PNC Championship back in 2020, with Nordegren spotted watching the pair play. 

It is a world away from the family dynamic sprawled across the front pages across the globe 14 years ago, when Woods – who was 33 years old at the time – admitted to cheating on his wife and announced a hiatus away from golf. 

Woods and Nordegren would subsequently go through a highly-publicised divorce not long after, which reportedly cost around £79m ($100m). However, prioritising the needs of their children, the pair have worked together since the split. They are even good friends – according to the golfer.

Speaking to TIME Magazine back in 2015 Woods gave a insight into their relationship, saying: ‘Having the relationship that I have now with her is fantastic. She’s one of my best friends.

Last November, Woods’ ex-girlfriend Erica Herman dropped legal action against the golfer

‘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.’

During the interview, Woods added that if he could go back to 2009 when he was thrust into the public eye following the cheating scandal, he said he would ‘have a more open, honest relationship with his ex-wife.’ 

‘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 added. ‘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.’

Mail Sport previously reported that since their divorce the pair have had an arrangement that Woods was to avoid any public scandal in order to keep his share of the custody. His share of time with the children could have been cut to 30 per cent if he had breached that. 

Following his arrest for driving under the influence back in May 2017, reports claimed that Woods had checked into a rehabilitation centre in order to keep shared custody of his children. 

Woods had taken a cocktail of prescription drugs when police had found him asleep inside his damaged 2015 Mercedes Benz with the engine running before he was taken to Jupiter police station for processing.

He was arrested at 3am near his home in Jupiter, Florida and spent four hours in a county jail. The golfer was subsequently charged with driving under he influence with a barely recognisable mugshot of the golf superstar being released. Woods had not played competitive golf since February of that year. 

MailOnline previously reported that Woods had failed four sobreity tests and had been taking four prescription drugs – Soloxex [sic], Vicodin, Torix and Vioxx. 

‘What happened was an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications,’ Woods said in a statement. ‘I didn’t realize the mix of medications had affected me so strongly.

‘I understand the severity of what I did and I take full responsibility for my actions, I want the public to know that alcohol was not involved.’

He also apologized to his family and friends, adding: ‘I expect more from myself too.

‘I will do everything in my power to ensure this never happens again.’

Earlier this week, his former agent Hughes Norton, who orchestrated Woods’ rise to stardom and was the man who helped him go on to earn millions, spoke on the professional golfer’s personability and how he can be ruthless when terminating both business and personal relationships.

Woods also dated Lindsey Vonn for three years, before they announced a split in 2015

‘The solace I can take, which doesn’t provide much, is this: He [Woods] was an equal opportunity zombie with relationships, his swing coaches, his lawyer, the guy negotiated the IMG representation deal, with caddies,’ Norton told Mail Sport, ahead of the launch of his book ‘Rainmaker: Superagent Hughes Norton and the Money-Grab Explosion of Golf, from Tiger to LIV and Beyond’. 

‘When it’s over, it’s over. It is the way he terminates relationships with everyone. 

‘Whether it’s girlfriends, whether it’s his former golf coaches. It’s ironic, really. In a way he’s so good at confrontation on the golf course. 

‘If he’s playing you, he will beat your brains out every single time. But when it comes to confronting things like me and other people that are in his life, he has no social skills whatsoever. It’s maddening, actually.’

Woods, meanwhile, has had several relationships with other women since his divorce, publicly dating American skier Lindsey Vonn between 2013 and 2015 – with their split reportedly ended on good terms. 

But his more recent relationship with Erica Herman, which lasted between 2017 and 2022, brought him back into the limelight for the wrong reasons. 

An employee at one of his own restaurants –  The Woods Jupiter in Florida – Herman moved in with the superstar, but filed two legal cases against him when he ended their relationship two years ago. 

The first involved serious allegations which saw Herman accuse Woods of sexual abuse, claims she later admitted were untrue when she drooped her action last November.  

Herman had also filed a £23m ($30m) lawsuit against the golfer’s estate, alleging that he had deceived her in a bid to remove her from his home after their split, but again, it was dropped in 2023.

Tiger Woods was driving ten miles from a five-star resort south of Los Angeles to a golf club where he was due to tee off with Drew Brees when he lost control on a downhill stretch of highway in a ‘horror’ crashWoods’ SUV was removed from the site on Tuesday afternoon, following the devastating crash in CaliforniaCops said the golfer was ‘lucky to be alive’ after he hit a raised central reservation while driving at high speed, smashed through a wooden street sign, splintered a tree, and then rolled his car several timesWoods seems determined to continue playing golf professionally and will play in the Masters

Woods had been involved in a life-threatening car accident in 2021, while dating Herman, which left him needing surgery on open fractures in his right leg and injuries to his foot and ankle.

Reports claim he had lost control of the car on a downhill stretch of Hawthorne Boulevard, which has a slight bend in it, hitting a wooden road sign mounted on a raised and turfed central reservation before suffering the horrific injuries.  

He made a stunning comeback just 10 months after the crash to compete with Charlie at the PNC Championship in December 2021. 

Yet, reflecting on how difficult his rehabilitation has been, Woods said: ‘Just laying there. I was in a hospital bed for three months.

‘It’s hard to explain how difficult it’s been, to be immobile for three months. I was just looking forward to getting outside, that was a goal of mine.

‘There were some really tough times and the pain got pretty great at times but I could see some light which gave me hope. I am on the positive side.’

In recent years following the crash, Woods has kept away from the public eye but has made it clear that he wants to play more regularly on the PGA Tour. 

Injuries have slowed his comeback in recent years and Woods notably had to pull out of the Genesis Invitational earlier this season. 

But he seems determined to continue playing on the PGA Tour, putting his off-course turmoil firmly behind him. His resilience against the scandals, injuries and criticism is laudable. Not that Woods has ever taken any notice.