Tiger Woods' Ex-wife Chased Him with Golf Club after Texting His Mistress from His Phone on Thanksgiving

Tiger Woods had a perfect life. He was one of the most successful golfers worldwide and had a cute little family, but things took a nasty turn on Thanksgiving 2009 when all his affairs became exposed for all to see.

Tiger Woods had it all before his life came tumbling down like a pack of cards. He had earned himself the title of the greatest golfer of all time as a multi-ethnic superstar who had dominated a historically white sport.

After turning pro in 1996, he reached number one in the world rankings. And from 1999, he did not go a year without winning at least one golf major championship. His wholesome image brought him over $110 million dollars in endorsements.

FINDING LOVE AND WELCOMING KIDS

At 33, he had the world in the palm of his hand. His personal life was not lagging either. He was married to a former Swedish model, Elin Nordegren, and the two were doting parents to two beautiful children, Sam and Charlie.

After appearing on the Swedish magazine Cafe Sports cover in 2000, Nordegren did not pursue modeling further. She instead ended up working in a clothing store where she met golfer Jesper Parnevik's wife Mia, who then hired her as their nanny and eventually moved her to the States.

For a whole year, Woods asked Parnevik to introduce him to Nordegren, but she was not in the least interested. A friend said in the 2021 HBO docuseries "Tiger," as Parade reports:

"She had her opinions about celebrities, and they were not high. And she's very shy, so the idea of joining that world was not appealing to her. And when he asked her out, I think she turned him down at first."

After turning him down severally, she agreed to go on a date with him to get him to stop asking. They went out for a movie and dinner, after which Nordegren was surprised at how much she liked the golfer.

They started going out officially in 2002, and by late 2003 they were engaged. On October 5, 2004, they exchanged vows in Barbados and welcomed their first baby, Sam Alexis Woods, in June 2007 and their second, Charlie Axel Woods, in February 2009.

Just months after they welcomed home their baby boy, Nordegren and Woods were preparing to host Wood's mother for Thanksgiving at their home in Windermere, Florida.

THE INFIDELITY SCANDAL THAT MADE HEADLINES FOR YEARS

A day earlier, the National Enquirer had run an article titled "Tiger Woods Cheating Scandal." The story told of how Woods had had a months-long affair with nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel and how she had checked into the same hotel as Woods during the Australian Masters. The New York Post reports her to have told a friend:

"It's Tiger Woods! I don't care about his wife! We're in love!"

The incriminating details in the article shook Nordegren to the core, but she said nothing for the next few days. On Thanksgiving night, Woods retired to bed early, and with his phone left unattended, Nordegren thought it was the right time to find out the truth.

She scrolled for Uchitel's number and found a text from Woods to Uchitel saying: "You are the only one I've ever loved." She started texting her as Woods, and when she replied, Nordegren called her, saying she knew all about her and what she had been doing with her husband. Uchitel immediately hung up.

Nordegren's shouting woke her husband up, and despite being woozy from sleep, he grabbed his phone and locked himself up in the bathroom. He quickly texted Uchitel:

"She knows. I'm going to be packing."

He told her from the way things had escalated that he, for sure, thought it looked like they would be getting a divorce. Outside the bathroom door, Nordegren was still yelling at Wood to get out, and when he finally did, she grabbed his phone and took a quick scan at his sent messages, managing to grasp the word "divorce."

She threw the phone at Woods, chipping his tooth, then scratched at his face and punched his chest before reaching out for a golf club and chasing a barefooted Woods out of the house. The golfer got into his 2009 Escalade and pulled out of the driveway at 30 miles per hour.

However, his getaway was gridlocked when he crashed into some hedges, hurtled into a curb, and then struck a fire hydrant before careening into a tree. He ended up on the street, bloody and unconscious. It was half-past two in the morning, and the quarrel had woken up their neighbors, who then called 911.

While waiting for the ambulance, Nordegren told the police that it had been a simple accident, but the police seemed skeptical. They thought it was a domestic disturbance. Woods got treatment and was released. But when the investigators came to follow up on the matter, Nordegren told them Woods was asleep.

She suggested they come back the next day at 3 p.m. But before they arrived, Woods' attorney called to say the couple would not be cooperating. The investigators requested to access Woods's medical records, but the judge denied the request, and the best they could do was issue Woods with a $164 ticket for careless driving.

As the scandal blew up, Woods reportedly paid Uchitel $10 million to stay quiet, but it was a little too late. Many other mistresses had come out to claim affairs with him. Among those named were diner waitress Mindy Lawton, adult film stars Holly Sampson and Joslyn James, exotic dancer Cori Rist, and reality star Jaimee Grubbs.

By December 11, 2009, a fortnight after the accident, the number of known mistresses was 14, but Woods would reportedly confess to sleeping with 120 women during his marriage to Nordegren. Woods entered rehab for sex addiction by the end of the month.

Nordegren used the time to renegotiate her prenup and mull her marriage. Initially, she was still on the fence about divorcing him but made up her mind when she learned that Woods had also slept with a neighbor's 21-year-old daughter, Raychel Coudriet. Coudriet was only 14 when she first met Woods.

Careerwise, Woods lost endorsements with major companies such as Accenture, Gillette, Gatorade, and Nike, and soon after, he pulled out of the Chevron World Challenge. His career came crumbling down, and he has not won a major tournament since. He now earns about $54 million in endorsements — half of what he made before.

NORDEGREN SAID THE SCANDAL PUT HER THROUGH HELL

Divorce is never easy on anyone, and Nordegren was no different. After her divorce from Woods became final, she gave an exclusive interview, which she said would be her first and last. Speaking to People, she shared how taunting it had been for her, adding:

"I have been through the stages of disbelief and shock, to anger and ultimately grief over the loss of the family I so badly wanted for my children."

She would languish in her suffering at night, which led to insomnia, hair loss, and weight loss. She would sort through her feelings by keeping a journal and undergoing intensive therapy.

The mother of two spoke about the emotional roller coaster she had been on since her husband's betrayal but added that she also felt stronger than she had ever been. She was confident in the beliefs and choices she had made.

But one important lesson she learned from the scandal was that money could never buy happiness nor bring back the family she so longed to have but had lost.

NORDEGREN WOULD GET ONE OF THE BIGGEST PAYOUTS IN THE HISTORY OF DIVORCES

After the highly publicized scandal, divorce was imminent. In the settlement, Woods had to adhere to several demands by Nordegren, one being that he was not allowed to let any of his girlfriends near his children unless he married them.

Nordegren also got one of the biggest payouts in a celebrity divorce — a record $750 million. However, the condition was that she could never speak publicly of his alleged flings with his numerous paramours. A pal would say of the strange request, as Fox News reports:

"Tiger's main fear is her telling her story after he's rebuilt his reputation, sending him back to the gutter."

However, the settlement amount seemed slightly off as Woods' estimated net worth was $600 million. Later, TMZ would report that Nordegren got about $100 million, broken down to $20 million a year for the five years they'd been married.

However, the new settlement did not stipulate whether Nordegren would still be required to stay quiet about her ex-husband's affairs and the details surrounding their split.

MOVING ON AFTER THE DIVORCE

Following their divorce, Nordegren finally graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology from Rollins College. She enrolled in 2005 after just getting married and before she had any kids. She finally graduated nine years later with top honors and received the Hamilton Holt Outstanding Senior Award.

Nordegren also became known as a real force in the real estate business. For instance, in 2011, she bought a condo in Juno Beach, Florida at $1,095,000 and sold it at $1,950,000 several years later.

She also purchased a North Palm Beach property, demolished the existing mansion on the site, and constructed a mega-mansion featuring 11 bedrooms, 18 bathrooms, a wine cellar, a separate guest lodge, a full-sized gym, and a movie theatre. In 2018, she listed the home for $49.5 million but eventually sold it for $28.64 million.

The ex-couple has also made progress in their dating lives. Today, Nordegren is in non-marital bliss with her man, former Miami Dolphins Jordan Cameron, with whom she welcomed a son, Arthur, formerly Filip, in 2019.

On the other hand, Woods has dated Erica Herman since 2017 and has even taken photos with her and the kids, which could mean they are in it for the long haul. Despite Nordegren and Woods' nasty split, they have since put their differences aside and created a peaceful and harmonious co-parenting situation for the sake of their kids.