There's only one Tiger Woods. He completely reshaped the game of golf and became one of the biggest icons in the history of sport. Then, the cracks started to show. After a decade at the top, he suffered one of the biggest falls from grace the world has ever seen. His harrowing 2021 car crash is just another example of the wild highs and lows that have followed Tiger Woods throughout his life.
1. His Name Has A Sad Origin
Most people don't actually know th sad story behind the name "Tiger". While serving in Vietnam, Earl Woods befriended a courageous colonel named Vuong Dang Phong, known as Tiger to his friends. According to Earl, Tiger Phong vanished without a trace just before the conflict concluded. Earl Woods returned home without saying goodbye, but he kept the memory of Tiger with him—and thought of a way to pay tribute to his friend.
2. He Never Got To Meet His Namesake
Earl Woods claims he knew his son would be famous one day, so he called his boy Tiger in the hope that Phong would one day hear about Tiger Woods and seek him out. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. Phong's grave was discovered in North Vietnam years ago—he never lived to meet his famous namesake. But, if nothing else, Tiger Woods did the name proud.
3. His Dad Started Him Super Early
In his spare time, Earl Woods was a pretty decent amateur golfer. He quickly passed his love of the sport onto his son: Tiger picked up his first golf club at just two years old. It didn't take long for Earl to realize his boy had something special. Unfortunately, golf isn't the only thing Tiger learned from his father. The scandals that plagued Tiger Woods later in life make so much more sense when you know what Earl Woods did in his spare time.
4. His Father Had A Terrible Flaw
Tiger spent nearly his entire childhood at golf courses with his dad, and that's where he discovered his father's disturbing habits. Earl was a notorious womanizer, and he made absolutely no attempt to hide his blatant philandering from his son. Watching his father pick up young women every single week eventually took its toll on a young Tiger Woods.
5. It Tore Him Apart
Tiger's high school girlfriend revealed in an interview just how much Earl's cheating affected the teenage Tiger Woods. He would call on the phone sobbing and all he could get out was, "My dad is with another woman," before breaking down completely. But the cheating was just the start of Earl Woods' depraved hobbies.
6. He Couldn't Take It
According to the 2018 biography Tiger Woods, Earl Woods' womanizing ways only got worse as he grew older. He openly and incessantly played mature videos, he secretively stashed intimate novelties around his residence, and he maintained an unbroken parade of women flowing in and out of his abode. His depravities eventually even became too much for Tiger.
Once Tiger's career starting taking off, he began to distance himself from his father—but that didn't stop him from repeating his dad's mistakes ten times over.
7. He Was A Star At Three
Prodigy is the world people would use to describe young Tiger Woods. When he was just three years old, his play garnered him enough attention to land a spot on national television, putting against the legendary Bob Hope on The Mike Douglas Show. That same year, he shot a 48 over 9 holes. Sure, that won't win any championships, but the kid was three, give him a break.
His father's relentless coaching helped shape Tiger into one of the greatest golfers the world has ever seen—but not all the habits he learned from his dad were good.
The Mike Douglas Show, Westinghouse Broadcasting
8. He Made A Statement
Tiger Woods played at the Masters for the first time when he was just 19. The only amateur to make the cut, he ended up in 41st place. Most 19-year-olds would have been pretty darn happy with that result, but Woods wasn't satisfied. Satisfaction would come two years later, when he returned to absolutely dominate the field. He won the Masters for the first time in 1997—by a ridiculous 12 strokes.
Within two months, he was ranked #1 in the world, the fastest anyone has ever shot to the top. Tiger Woods had arrived, and golf would never be the same again.
9. Everyone Wanted A Piece Of Him
The instant Tiger Woods turned pro, companies were clamoring to get a piece of him. At just 20 years old, he signed contracts with both Nike and Titleist, the biggest deals that golf had ever seen. He was on his way to becoming the richest golfer of all time, but you know what they say: More money, more problems—and Tiger had a lot of money...
10. He Met His Wife On Tour
Tiger Woods took the PGA by storm. For the first several years of his career, professional golf was basically the Tiger Woods show. Nobody could win like Tiger, and he became the face of the sport basically overnight. But the PGA Tour didn't just bring him cash and trophies—it's also where he met the first love of his life, Elin Nordegren.
11. A Friend Introduced Them
Elin Nordegren can thank (or blame?) Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik for introducing her to Tiger Woods. Nordegren was the au pair to Parnevik's children, which brought her around the golf courses whenever Parnevik was playing. This blonde-haired beauty quickly caught Tiger's eye, but their story was not "love at first sight". Actually, their relationship got off to a rocky start.
12. He Couldn't Have Her
Tiger Woods had to wait a year before he even got to take Nordegren out on a date. He asked Parnevik to introduce him, but there were two problems. 1: Nordegren was already seeing someone, and 2: Basically every single golfer on the tour had their eyes on the gorgeous Nordegren, and Tiger had to get in line. But clearly, Tiger couldn't get Elin out of his head.
He waited around for a year until the stars finally aligned.
13. He Proposed Really Fast
Woods and Nordegren met for the first time in 2001, and the pair quickly fell head-over-heels for each other. Wasting no time in their whirlwind romance, they were engaged within just two years. It seemed like a fairy tale romance—but it would go down in flames before long.
14. Their Wedding Was Nuts
Tiger Woods' wedding took "extravagant" to the next level. He wed Nordegren in October 2004 right next to the 19th hole at the luxurious Sandy Lane resort in beautiful Barbados. If you're worried about privacy for the new couple, don't: Woods shelled out a cool $2 million to rent out the entire resort for a full week. And I thought my cousin who sprang for a photobooth was going all out...
Suddenly, this unassuming au pair was married to one of the most famous people on Earth—and it didn't take long for her to learn that fame's not always all it's cracked up to be.
15. His Wife Lived A Nightmare
Not too long after their wedding, disturbing photos of Nordegren appeared online. Having revealing photos spread on the internet is a nightmare for anyone in the public eye, but this situation was even more twisted: The photos were complete fakes! Nordegren was learning that fame can come with a terrible price—and yet it was about to get even worse.
16. She Had To Sue
Maybe today, people are a little more aware of photoshopped pictures, but back in 2006, not so much. That the doctored photos even existed was bad enough, but then Nordegren's nightmare deepened when a scummy Irish magazine called The Dubliner published the photos and outright stated they were real. Fake or not, people really believed the images were genuine. Nordegren ended up suing The Dubliner for €125,000, but the damage was already done.
Already, marrying Tiger Woods came with some serious baggage—but we all know that's just the beginning.
17. He Lost His Role Model
As if his wife's struggles weren't enough, the blows kept coming for Tiger Woods in 2006. After a strong start to the season, a devastating tragedy struck: Earl Woods, the man who sparked Tiger's passion for golf, passed from prostate cancer. He'd fought the disease for the better part of a decade, but it finally claimed his life.
The loss of his father absolutely devastated Tiger, and he stumbled for the first time in his career.
18. His Play Suffered
Woods took some time off after his father passed, and when he returned, he didn't look like his usual self. After about a month of grieving, Tiger entered the U.S. Open, a tournament he'd won twice before, and the results were disastrous. Woods, undeniably the most dominant golfer in the world, didn't even make the cut. Critics quickly pointed out that this might be the start of Tiger's decline...
Yeah, Tiger Woods had something to say about that...
19. He Went On A Tear
Just like his dad would have wanted, Woods pulled himself together and finished 2006 on an absolute tear. He closed out the year by winning a whopping six straight tournaments. No, Tiger Woods was far from finished. In fact, the best was yet to come.
20. His Career Looked Like It Was In Danger
Tiger just kept on winning throughout 2007 and the start of 2008, but then in April, he suffered the first real scare of his career. After years of knee problems, doctors finally decided that Woods needed surgery. Anyone who's had knee surgery will tell you: Coming back at 100% is far from certain. After taking two months off to recover, Woods returned to the tour at the 2008 US Open.
Everyone was curious how Tiger would do—but I doubt they knew they were about to witness history.
21. He Gave A Legendary Performance
The first day of the 2008 US Open was absolutely terrifying for any Tiger Woods fans. The superstar played horribly, and it really seemed like the knee surgery might have affected his game even more than anyone assumed. Then Tiger turned it on. Over the next three days, he played some of the best golf of his life, before coming back to win the entire tournament in a nail-biting 18-hole playoff.
As fellow pro Kenny Perry put it, "He beat everybody on one leg". And that's not even the craziest part of this legendary tournament.
22. It Was The Beginning Of The End
The day after his win at the 2008 US Open, Tiger Woods revealed that his knee was way worse than anyone had imagined and that he needed even more surgery. Yeah, there's a reason he calls this his greatest championship. But if the 2008 US Open was his peak, it can only mean one thing: He was about to start his descent. Woods had faced adversity before, but he wasn't prepared for what was coming.
23. His Secret Was Out
After recovering from his second knee surgery, Tiger couldn't quite reclaim the magic of that 2008 US Open. He didn't win any majors in 2009, but I'm sure he figured, "Hey, I'll get plenty more chances, right?" Then, in November 2009, the National Enquirer uncovered his darkest secret and hauled it out into the light of day. They claimed that Tiger Woods had had an affair with a New York City nightclub manager named Rachel Uchitel.
I doubt even the Enquirer realized what they had unleashed—but the world was about to find out.
24. The Tabloids Had Evidence
When reporters pestered her, Uchitel denied having ever slept with Woods—but the evidence was damning. First, there was the fact that she'd been spotted at the same hotel in Melbourne, Australia, where Woods had been staying. Strange coincidence for these two Americans to just happen to be at the same Australian hotel at the same time, don't you think? But that wasn't all...
There was also the fact that Woods' close friend had actually paid for Uchitel's ticket. The paparazzi smelled blood—but this was just the tip of the iceberg.
25. His Mistress Lived A Whole Life Before Him
Rachel Uchitel has returned to the limelight recently thanks to her appearance in the 2021 HBO documentary Tiger—but few people know that the world first took notice of her nearly a decade before the cheating scandal. Tragically, earlier in her life, Uchitel had been engaged to James Andrew O'Grady, who lost his life in the September 11 attacks.
In the global mourning that followed, a photo of a tearful Uchitel, holding a photo of O'Grady, ended up circulating all over the world, a symbol for New York's grief.
26. Tiger Wasn't The Only One
Evidently, Rachel Uchitel had a thing for rich, famous, and married men. In the aftermath of the Tiger Woods scandal, Bones actor David Boreanaz admitted that he too had had an affair with Uchitel. Oh, and his wife happened to be pregnant at the time. Not exactly a great look. But let's be real: David Boreanaz is one thing, and Tiger Woods is another—and the fallout of Uchitel's affair with Woods was bigger than anyone could have imagined.
27. His Life Started Falling Apart
Now, tabloids publish stories about famous people cheating all the time. At first, it seemed like this story was like all the others. Then, two days after the Enquirer published its story, the plot thickened. In the middle of the night, Woods left his Florida mansion in his Cadillac Escalade. For still-unknown reasons, he lost control of the car and crashed into a fire hydrant, then a tree.
No, that was not just some silly tabloid scandal that was going to go away. Rather, it was going to get so, so much worse.
28. He Tried To Hide
For the next two days, local authorities sought to question Woods about the crash, but each time they arrived at his house, either his wife or his agent claimed he was "unavailable" for interview. The entire world waited with bated breath to find out what had really happened that night. Then, after his agent turned away officers yet again, Woods finally released a statement through his website (remember when people had websites?).
29. He Wanted To Keep It Private
In his statement, Tiger took all the blame for his "embarrassing" accident. He wrote, "I'm human and I'm not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn't happen again," before asking for the entire debacle to remain a private matter. Yeah...that wasn't going to happen. Just days later, an even more damning report would bring even more of Woods' dirty laundry out into the open.
30. He was under the influence.
One thing that people did learn about that night? Before the crash, Woods had taken prescription Vicodin painkillers. Still, when everything was said and done, he walked away with just a $164 citation for reckless driving. This was everyone's hero, Tiger Woods, after all. It's not as if he was heading for incarceration! But if anyone thinks he got off easy, don't worry. His punishment didn't come from the courts, but it was coming nonetheless.
31. More Women Came Forward
Once two of Tiger Woods' affairs had come to light, a flood of women from all across the country came forward saying they'd also slept with him. With their admissions came details about how far Woods had gone in order to keep his infidelity a secret. He seemingly an entire staff of enablers who would book his mistresses adjacent hotel rooms wherever he was staying. He'd meet with women in out-of-the-way parking lots, away from prying eyes, before returning to whichever one of his mansions lay empty.
Within a matter of weeks, one thing became very clear: Tiger Woods wasn't just a regular cheater. He was the Lance Armstrong of cheaters.
32. He Admitted It
As reports of Woods' mistresses continued to flood the tabloids, Tiger released yet another statement: He admitted he'd been unfaithful, apologized to anyone who had supported him and believed in him, and once again asked for privacy. But the stories just kept coming, and privacy was not going to be an option.
Soon, Woods announced that he would be taking a break from golf, and he began his futile attempt to save the life that he once knew.
33. He Tried To Get Help
In January 2010, Woods committed himself to a rehabilitation clinic in Mississippi. He hoped he could save his marriage, and for a time, papers reported that Elin considered forgiving him and making their marriage work. But even if he could save his marriage (he couldn't, by the way), the fallout from this scandal was going to reach every single aspect of Woods' life.
34. He Lost A Lot Of People A Lot Of Money
It's not every day that one of the world's most respected and marketable athletes falls from grace so hard and so fast. In the months that followed Woods' fateful car accident, his sponsors started dropping him left and right. Several of Woods' biggest supporters cut all ties with him in a mass exodus. That's when people realized just how important Tiger Woods really was.
One study calculated that the shareholders of companies tied to Woods lost somewhere between $5 and $12 billion within weeks of the National Enquirer report. Woods entered damage control mode, but no matter what he said or did, he couldn't stop his slide to rock bottom.
35. He Said, "I'm Sorry," But It Wasn't Enough
In February 2010, Woods gave his first televised statement since the scandal began. He put it plainly: "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".
Honestly, as far as apologies go, it wasn't bad—but anyone can tell you, a good apology pretty much never makes up for what you did. There was no saving his marriage now.
36. His Wife Left For Good
No amount of therapy was going to erase Tiger's dozens of affairs in Elin's eyes. They officially divorced in August 2010. Now, I wouldn't wish what Elin Nordegren went through on anyone, but at least she got a preeeetty nice consolation prize: A cool $100 million in the divorce settlement, which she used to buy an insane $12 million Florida mansion that dates back to the 20s.
Tiger Woods lost his wife and most of his sponsors thanks to his cheating scandal—but that was far from it.
37. His Friend Completely Abandoned Him
Among other things, Woods lost the respect of many of his peers in the wake of his cheating scandal. After the news broke, Woods' one-time friend, Jesper Parnevik, had this to say: "I'm kind of filled with sorrow for Elin since me and my wife are at fault for hooking her up with him, and we probably thought he was a better guy than he is". Ouch.
After the divorce became final, Tiger woods set about picking up the pieces of his broken life—but it wasn't easy. Far from it.
38. He Dated A Skier
Unsurprisingly, after 2009, Tiger Woods' love life was suddenly extremely interesting to the public. In 2013, Woods started dating Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn, though they split up two years later. By all accounts, the breakup was fairly amicable—which is more than we can say for his next girlfriend.
39. He Paid His Ex To Keep Quiet
Woods started dating a stylist named Kristin Smith. Once again, they broke up after two years—but that wasn't the last the tabloids would hear of Smith. In 2018, it came out that Woods wanted Smith to sign a non-disclosure agreement. They eventually reached a deal and, for obvious reasons, the contents of the NDA have never come to light. But that didn't stop people from speculating that Smith left Tiger after he cheated on her, and that he made her sign the NDA to keep that fact on the down-low.
Between his string of failed relationships and his near-total lack of success on the golf course, Tiger Woods was clearly still reeling even seven years after his infidelity came to light. Then came what is arguably his lowest moment.
40. He Was Asleep At The Wheel
At 3:00 in the morning on May 29, 2017, officers in Juniper Island, Florida found an SUV idling in the middle of the road. I can only envision their response when they discovered none other than Tiger Woods within, completely unconscious in the driver's seat. Officers brought Woods down to the station where they took his now-infamous mugshot, and they started asking his questions.
Yet again, Tiger Woods had screwed up. Badly.
41. He was under the influence, again.
In a reflection of the 2009 crash, Woods confessed to using prescribed medication earlier in the evening. He claimed they must have interacted in some way he didn't predict, causing him to fall asleep behind the wheel. Now, no matter how far he'd fallen, this is still Tiger Woods we're talking about. It's not like the officers were going to lock him up for taking a nap. Woods ended up pleading guilty to simple "reckless driving" and paid a $250 fine, along with a year of probation and 50 hours of community service.
So no, Tiger Woods did not face especially severe consequences for misusing prescription medication and driving a vehicle, but it still left a negative impact on his reputation nonetheless.
42. His Latest Love Seems Solid
It seems like Woods' adventure with prescription pills and driving really finally was rock bottom. Later that year, he started dating a restaurant manager named Erica Herman, and this relationship seems like his strongest since his divorce. Herman has been a presence at many of Woods' tournaments ever since, including sealing his surprise victory at the 2018 Tour Championship with a much-publicized kiss.
Photographers have even spotted Herman walking with Elin Nordegren as the pair of them watched Tiger and his son compete at the PNC Championship. Yes, it seems like after years of turmoil, Woods was finally getting his life back on track—but there was still one thing that was missing.
43. He Lost And Lost And Lost
The once-untouchable reputation of Tiger Woods took a major hit when his gross infidelities came to light, and the aftermath truly touched every part of his life. He lost his wife, his sponsors, and the respect of his peers—and he seemingly lost his touch with a golf club as well. After over a decade of dominance, culminating in his truly legendary win at the 2008 US Open, Tiger Woods fell off a cliff. He just couldn't win anymore.
Between 2010 and 2018, Tiger won just nine tournaments. Compare that to 2000, when he won eight tournaments in one year alone. As the years passed, more and more people started to say Tiger had lost it for good. Then the 2019 Masters happened.
44. Then, Finally, He Won
After three days at the Masters in 2019, Tiger Woods hadn't led the field once. Then, on the last day, the leader, Francesco Molinari, hit his ball into the water on the 12th hole. Then he hit a tree on the 15th. Suddenly, the entire tournament was up for grabs, and for the first time in over 10 years, Tiger rose to the challenge. He won the 2019 Masters by a single stroke. It was his first major since 2008, and the first time he'd ever won a major after not leading through 54 holes.
The 2008 US Open was probably Tiger's greatest championship, but from the look on his face after he won, I'd say the 2019 Masters, after everything he'd been through, felt the best.
45. He Couldn't Contain Himself
At 43 years old, Tiger Woods became the second-oldest person ever to win the Masters (2nd to Jack Nicklaus, of course). But the 2019 Masters wasn't about records or money for Tiger Woods. It was about his legacy, and from Tiger's heartwarming post-championship interview, the sheer joy he felt was clear: "I'm a little hoarse from yelling...When I tapped the putt in, I don't know what I did. I know I screamed. And to have my kids there...it's come full circle. In 1997 my dad was here. Now I'm the dad".
It was one of the greatest moments of Woods' remarkable career—but he couldn't enjoy it for long.
46. He underwent surgery again.
Not long after his dramatic win at Augusta, Woods announced that he'd undergone yet another knee surgery. Now sure, he'd already proved he could come back from that, but this was 2019, not 2008. Woods was older, and his recovery was going to be even harder. But if the Masters had proved anything, it's that you can never count Tiger Woods out completely.
47. He Reached The Top
Tiger Woods returned to the PGA Tour just a few months after his knee surgery, this time at the Zozo Championship, the first-ever PGA Tour tournament event in Japan. Despite being 43 years old and recently recovering from knee surgery, Woods pulled out the win—and this one meant something special. After being so tantalizingly close for so long, Woods tied Sam Snead for the most PGA Tour wins of all time, at 82. Woods taking that record had seemed like all-but a sure thing in the 2000s, but then the cheating scandal happened and everything fell apart.
Now, it seemed like Tiger would finally claim sole possession of the record that had for so long seemed his for the taking. Then, as it had so many times before in his life, disaster struck.
48. He Was In A Harrowing Crash
In February 2021, Woods went to Southern California to host the 2021 Genesis Invitational, a PGA Tour event with his foundation as one of the main sponsors. After the tournament wrapped up, Woods filmed a segment for Golf Digest with NBA star Dwyane Wade and comedian David Spade. During the round, Wade posted a video to his Instagram of him and Woods, smiling and seemingly having a great time on the golf course.
The next morning, local officers responded to a car crash near Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes. The officers on the scene were shocked to find, inside the wreckage at the base of a hill, a conscious but badly hurt Tiger Woods.
49. He Lost Control
Later reports would state that Woods had been traveling extremely quickly down Hawthorne Boulevard when he lost control of his vehicle. The SUV then rolled several times before finally coming to a stop. Local authorities claimed that the area, which features a steep incline and sharp curve, is the site of many accidents—but never before someone with Tiger Woods' fame.
50. His Car Was Totalled
At the time of the crash, Woods was driving one of his sponsor's cars: A Genesis GV80 SUV. It was a frightening scene, as the crash completely smashed in the entire front of the vehicle. However, according to the LA Sheriff's Department, the inside remained remarkably intact, and that the car's safety features likely prevented even worse injury to Woods. Good choice of sponsor, Tiger!
Everyone was glad to hear that Tiger was alive, but the next question was obvious: What happened?
51. Officers Say It Was An Accident
Though many were quick to jump to the conclusion that this an echo of Woods' 2017 incident, the Sheriff's department was quick to point out that Woods hadn't been under the influence, and that the crash was "purely an accident". Woods had simply lost control of his car, and he didn't even have time to apply the breaks before he started rolling.
When officers arrived on the scene, they found Tiger alert and talking—clearly in shock. However, as the moments passed, it soon became clear he was in serious danger.
52. News Outlets Didn't Get All The Facts Right
News outlets across the country clamored to learn everything they could about the accident, and that led to some misinformation leaking out. Many sources claimed that the Sheriff's department used the infamous "Jaws of Life" to pull Tiger out of his car, but officials later said that wasn't true. Still, that doesn't mean getting Woods out was easy.
Instead of the jaws of life, emergency workers had to bust open Tiger's SUV with a good old-fashioned ax and prybar. Once Woods was safely out of the vehicle, paramedics took him to Harbor-UCLA Medical center, where doctors learned the full extent of his injuries.
53. His Injuries Were Brutal
Not long after Tiger arrived the hospital, his agent announced that he'd suffered "multiple leg injuries" and had undergone surgery, but that he wasn't in any immediate danger. Not long after, we learned that Woods had fractured both his right tibia and fibula, and perhaps bones in his ankle/foot as well. Surgeons had to install multiple rods and screws to repair his leg.
If you're thinking all of that sounds particularly bad for a professional golfer, you'd be right.
54. His Recovery Will Be Hard
Even before the crash, Woods had been recovering from his fifth back surgery, which took place just a couple months earlier. Now, on top of that, he's suffered debilitating injuries to his tibia and fibula which, along with his age, put the future of his golf career into doubt. But, as we know, Tiger Woods has beaten the odds plenty of times, so for now, we'll just have to wait and see and hope for the best.
55. There Was Another Accident
Remember how officers said lots of accidents happened on that stretch of road? Well, Woods' crash wasn't even the only accident there that day. A second accident occurred not long after Woods'—one rubbernecked driver became distracted trying to catch a glimpse of Woods' car and lost control of their own vehicle, crashing right nearby. Thankfully, this time, there were no serious injuries.
56. Few Know The Story Of His Most Infamous Crash
Tiger's latest car crash brings back memories of that infamous accident in November 2009—but not a lot of people know what really happened that night. The tabloids painted a picture of a furious Elin Nordegren, chasing wildly after her unfaithful husband with a golf club in the middle of the night. That's not what happened. The real story of that night is a lot more heartbreaking.
57. He Shared One Last Tender Moment
The sound of Tiger's late-night crash actually woke Elin up and sent her out into the street searching for the cause. She found her then-husband unconscious behind the wheel, and she dragged him out into the street. No matter what they were going through, the sight of her husband, covered in blood, drifting in and out of consciousness and mumbling to himself, clearly affected her.
Nordegren got a neighbor to call 9-1-1 while she sat in the street with Tiger, cradling him as he lay there.
58. The Second Mistress Had Proof
The most damning evidence of Tiger Woods' adultery came painfully soon after the dramatic, late-night car crash. At that point, the public had only heard the report about Rachel Uchitel in Australia. Then, Us Weekly reported on another mistress: Jaimee Grubbs. And while Uchitel had denied her affair with Woods, Grubbs wasn't quite so discreet. She not only outed him, but she had receipts.
59. He Started The Affair While His Wife Was Pregnant
Us Weekly reported that the 24-year-old Grubbs had a 31-month affair with Woods. Even more upsetting, their tryst began at the 2007 Masters—just two months before Nordegren gave birth to their first of two children. The report was even worse than the Enquirer piece, partly because Us Weekly had something the Enquirer didn't.
Not only did Grubbs claim she had hundreds of explicit text messages from Woods, but she had something even worse: A voicemail that ended up being the nail in Woods' coffin.
60. He Tried To Cover His Tracks
Jaimee Grubbs, who up to that point was most well-known for her appearance on VH1's reality TV show Tool Academy, disclosed extremely explicit texts from Woods saying things like, "I will wear you out," but the voicemail was the most damaging part of it all. Evidently, Elin had been closing in on Tiger even before the Enquirer piece, because in the recording, Tiger asks for a "huge favor," and states that his wife has gone through his phone.
Next, Tiger asks Grubbs to deactivate caller ID, so that her number won't reveal her name if anyone calls. All of this occurred prior to any reports surfacing, but once Us Weekly disclosed them, it extinguished any lingering possibility of Tiger being innocent.
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
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