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Elin Nordegren’s face was broadcast all around the world in late 2009 when her then-husband, pro golfer Tiger Woods, got into a car accident that led to the discovery of multiple affairs and ultimately a divorce in 2010 (via Yahoo Sports). Nordegren was a former model and was working as a nanny when she met Woods in 2001. The couple married in 2004 when she was in her mid-20s, and had two children — their daughter Sam Alexis Woods and their son Charlie Axel Woods — when the scandal broke in 2009. In fact, Charlie was less than a year old when his dad’s secrets were exposed.
In his 2017 memoir, “Unprecedented: The Masters and Me,” Woods reflected on his betrayal of Nordegren, saying, “My regret will last a lifetime.” In 2024, a source close to Nordegren told People that the exes and co-parents had developed a friendship more than a decade after their marriage collapsed. “They both decided to be adults and to do what was best for the kids. So they get along really well. Tiger says really great things about Elin,” Nordegren’s friend said. She’s now a mother of six who has transformed her life to become more than a scorned ex-wife. Her happiness shows on her face, but her age definitely doesn’t — motherhood and newfound love look good on her. Woods likely regrets putting his friend through so much heartache while watching her basically age backwards from afar.
Elin Nordegren’s style was never flashy
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Elin Nordegren is a former model from Sweden, but she never loved the glitz and glam of the profession, and it showed during her relationship with Tiger Woods. Her natural beauty showed on her face, and she wore minimal makeup that enhanced her features rather than covered them up. Whether she was at a public dinner or on the golf course, her outfits were practical and conservative. She also wore black often, like at this dinner with Woods before they were married. Woods was the star, and she was content to stand by his side.
Elin Nordegren doesn’t identify as a model
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Elin Nordegren is a former swimsuit model, but she never wanted to make a career out of it. “I did some modeling when I was younger. I was never very successful at it, and I didn’t intend to pursue it. It is flattering to be called a model, but I hardly think a few shoots in my teenage years make me a model,” she said in a 2010 People interview. Still, it’s impossible to deny that the camera loves her. This shot of Nordegren watching Tiger Woods on the golf course in 2002 belongs in a catalog.
Glamorous looks good on her
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Elin Nordegren could glam up when her golf-wife duties required it — like when she attended a gala with Tiger Woods in 2006. She looked beautiful in a black gown with her hair up in a sophisticated style. But her discomfort was evident on her face — her half-smile wasn’t fooling anyone. Nordegren’s gown straps were sparkling, but her eyes were not. No amount of glam could cover up her awkward expression. Woods and Nordegren were happily married at the time, so it was either the attention, the dress, or a combination of the two that was making her uneasy.
Motherhood suits Nordegren
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On November 21, 2009, days before Tiger Woods’ cheating scandal broke, Tiger, Sam, and Elin Nordegren were photographed on the sidelines at a Sanford Cardinals football game at Stanford Stadium. Even with sunglasses on, it was clear Nordegren was glowing in the photos from the game, completely unaware that her life was about to shatter in front of the world. Nordegren is arguably most comfortable, and therefore most beautiful, on the sidelines at sports events. Hindsight doesn’t change that; it just makes Woods’ transgressions more glaring.
She didn’t hide amid the scandal
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Elin Nordegren is a private person, and she could’ve used that to her advantage during the Tiger Woods scandal and her subsequent divorce, but she didn’t. The mom of two (at the time) wasn’t out partying every night, but she took her son Charlie Woods with her to the Sony Ericsson Open in April 2010. That year, she gave a vulnerable interview to People in which she explained that as a child of divorce, she had hoped to raise her children with their family intact. “I am now going to do my very best to show them that alone and happy is better than being in a relationship where there is no trust,” she said. This period is pivotal to her glow-up, because she couldn’t heal by hiding.
Elin Nordegren looked confident as ever in 2011
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Single life looked good on Elin Nordegren as she strolled through LAX in February 2011. Nordegren is rarely photographed at glamorous events, and casual moments like this highlight how insecure she often looked at Tiger Woods’ side during galas. “Even though I have been as disappointed as I have ever been, as sad as I have ever been and as angry as I have ever been, I also feel stronger than I ever have. I have confidence in my beliefs, my decisions and myself,” she told People in 2010 after the scandal. It showed, even at the airport.
Elin Nordegren made a rare public appearance at the Kentucky Derby in 2016
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Elin Nordegren’s rare red carpet appearance at the Kentucky Derby in 2016 proved she was aging well. She posed solo with a bright smile on her face, wearing a white fascinator hat with a statement rose on top and a short, veil-like netting over her eyes. Her pastel yellow, strapless dress looked casual and comfortable. Nordegren’s tasteful gold heels were her flashiest accessory. But as much as Nordegren seems to hate attention, not even understated makeup helps to downplay her beauty.
She was glowing in 2020
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By 2020, Elin Nordegren and Jordan Cameron had welcomed their first child together and were settling into life as a blended family. She was spotted with her eldest daughter with Tiger Woods, Sam Woods, in Florida in 2020. She was unmasked and glowing while enjoying the fresh air with Sam. Although sunglasses covered her eyes, her trademark natural makeup and a touch of sunlight highlighted her beauty. She’s 40 and fabulous in this photo, but signs of aging are barely visible on her face.
Elin Nordegren is a stunning mother of 6
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By November 2024, Elin Nordegren was raising six kids with Jordan Cameron when she was spotted back on the golf course watching her and Tiger Woods’ son Charlie Woods, play in a tournament. Even wearing all black, with her trademark sunglasses, a water bottle, and her phone as her only accessories, she could’ve walked a runway before heading home to change. Her naturally blonde hair gives her an ethereal vibe when the sun hits it at the right angle.
Elin Nordegren is living her dream and it shows
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“Elin always wanted a big family and loved the idea of a house filled with kids,” Elin Nordegren’s friend told People in 2024. “She has that now, living her sweetest dream.” Joy was practically oozing from her pores in December 2024 as she held her eldest daughter with Jordan Cameron, Zeta Cameron, in December 2024. The duo was watching a golf tournament in Orlando, Florida, when the photo was taken. Nordegren and Cameron welcomed their youngest child, Freya, earlier that year, but you couldn’t tell it by looking at Nordegren. She never looked better in her trademark casual ‘fit and sunglasses than she did holding her daughter in her arms.
