Tiger Woods’ 2009 Nightmare: The Crash, The Cheating, The Collapse

Tiger Woods’ 2009 Nightmare: The Crash, The Cheating, The Collapse

I was the other woman. You know, I’ve obviously admitted that when somebody as powerful and wellknown as that tells you he cannot win or he cannot live or whatever without you. I think he’s very good at playing the person he you want him to be. I didn’t even get a birthday card. I got nothing out of this relationship but a broken heart. It’s like the most painful thing you’re giving someone your heart and he tore it up. And when we were together, I mean, he he did make me feel like I was the only girl. So to go back and see and I mean especially now when there’s more and more. Tiger pursued me and over time I fell in love with him and he told me he loved me too. I was like and he boldfaced lied to me. He lied not only lied to me through text message, he lied to my face. I don’t think he really is sorry. I think he’s sorry he got caught. Tiger met Elen Nordigrren in 2001. As a Swedish model, Elen brought grace, intelligence, and uncommon poise into Tiger’s life, a world quickly consumed by relentless celebrity and scrutiny. After a long courtship, Tiger worked diligently to earn her family’s blessing. In 2004, on a windswept day in Barbados, they married in an extravagant private ceremony. To support Tiger, Elen set aside her own ambitions and the independence she cherished in Sweden, choosing instead to build a home with him. She traveled the world at his side, adapting to the pressures of his fame, but losing control of her own privacy and future. She managed endless moves, endured public scrutiny, and adjusted to life inside Tiger’s meticulously managed image-driven universe. Despite these challenges, Elen poured herself into family life, raising their daughter Sam, born in 2007, and their son Charlie, born in 2009. Two milestones that became her anchors in the unpredictable tides of public life. Yet, even in the early days of new parenthood, trouble simmerred beneath the surface. Tiger’s disciplined, intensely private, and sometimes controlling nature made real intimacy difficult. He had grown up believing that mistakes were intolerable. Secrets ensured safety, and trust was always a risk. Traits that made him a champion, but left him struggling as a husband. As Elen thrived as a mother, Tiger’s pursuit of perfection made it difficult for him to embrace true partnership. He loved his children deeply. But his drive and need for escape often left him absent or emotionally distant. Over time, friends noticed the growing distance between them. Tiger seemed increasingly restless, abrupt, and withdrawn. But few realized the depth of his dissatisfaction or the duplicity that had begun to define his private life. Someone with such a high profile on the golf course, Tiger keeps his personal life under wraps. What’s the name of your boat? Privacy. Was that your idea? Yeah, it was. He wouldn’t let us visit him on his boat or at home. And we didn’t get to talk to his wife, Elen, a Swedish model and Opair whom he married 18 months ago. But he did open a door to his married life just a little. I have found a life partner, a a best friend. Uh, you know, Elen’s been incredible for me. Uh, she’s brought joy and balance in my life and we love doing the same things. You think I’m competitive? She’s way more than me. Can Can you see yourself giving the kind of time to your kids that your parents gave to you? As best I can, I want my kids to know their father. As 2009 began, Tiger Woods stood at top the golfing world at the height of his power. On the course, his dominance was historic. Six victories in 17 PGA Tour events, 16 top 10 finishes, and a commanding lead in almost every category. By any measure, Tiger wasn’t just number one. He was in a league of his own. No athlete in golf or any other sport had matched his blend of talent and global influence. That year, his prize money surpassed $10 million, and his career earnings crossed the billion dollar mark, making him the first athlete to reach such heights. Tiger became a global icon, courted by presidents, business mogul, and the world’s premier sponsors. the most famous golfer in history and richest athlete alive. Yet, even as he appeared invincible, cracks were forming out of sight. His team observed his growing fatigue, irritability, and emotional withdrawal. The relentless demands of his schedule, spanning corporate, philanthropic, and athletic obligations only deepened Tiger’s sense of isolation that even his relentless winning couldn’t hide. Did you ever think that to be a good golfer meant that you would be the most famous sportsman on the planet? Uh, that’s never my intent. It’s I I could give uh I really didn’t care about about being famous. Only thing I cared about is winning golf tournaments and winning major championships and and and trying to beat these guys out here. That that to me was was my goal. What we used to do is play hackysack. In many ways, Tiger Woods is the accidental celebrity, the star who doesn’t want to be a star. In fact, the young Tiger would do anything to avoid the spotlight and even now sometimes feels uncomfortable in its glare. As a kid at school who did public speaking courses to push through his shyness, how do you cope with the fame and the celebrity that goes with your success? It’s it’s good on one occasion in the sense that um you can you can help a lot of people and uh frustrating in the sense that sometimes um you know people don’t really leave you alone at at at certain times and especially when you you know have a bite to eat and you got food in your mouth. So u that aspects sometimes can be a little bit of of an annoyance but but the people mean well. That’s the thing that they they mean well. Are you ever that shy kid anymore? Absolutely. Absolutely. What makes you shy? I don’t know. I don’t know. It’s I’m certainly not not a person who’s gregarious and and certainly outgoing, but uh more reserved than anything. Sure. Do Do you think you were born to be this successful or were you made? If I can give 100% and feel that my best is still good enough to win, then I’ll keep playing. If I know that I I can’t put it together anymore like I used to, uh there’s no sense for me to get out there and embarrass myself anymore. Um, I I won’t do that. You once said that um, golf is a platform. It’s what you do, not who you are. How would you sum up who you are? Um, pretty hard worker. Pretty hard worker. No, no doubt. Driven. Absolutely. Focused and hates losing. Pretty much. Will it forever, do you think? I mean, how much winning is enough for you? Cuz you’ve won a darn lot. I’ve won a few times. Yes, certainly. And uh uh would like to win more for years. Tiger’s life appeared as meticulously managed as the golf course he mastered. Elen, Sam, and Charlie formed the heart of a seemingly perfect family portrait. But on November 25th, 2009, that image shattered. The National Inquirer accused Tiger of having an affair with New York nightclub manager Rachel Yucatel. This time, the tabloid claimed to have tangible evidence, photos, phone records, and insider testimony tracing Yucatel right to Tiger’s hotel suite. The story landed like a thunderclap. Realizing the danger, Tiger moved quickly and desperately. His lawyers threatened legal action to suppress the story. But this time, the inquirer held firm, armed with corroborating witnesses. Under intense media scrutiny, Rachel Yucatel denied any wrongdoing, insisting she and Tiger were just friends. Yet, the circus only grew. Paparazzi crowded outside her apartment and workplace, the attention intensifying. Hi, Rachel. Excuse me. Hi, I’m Terry Parker at Channel 5. We’ll get out of your hair if you just would give us one comment about why you’re in Palm Beach and do you plan to see Mr. the woods. Are you going to see Tiger at all, Rachel? Excuse me. If you were leaving, she’s not really. I know. Would you like to say anything to me, Lou? No, I wouldn’t. Thank you. Nothing. Have you You know, the rumors are that you were with Tiger over the weekend here in Palm Beach. Is there anything to that? Excuse me. I’m sorry. Can you get out of my face if you don’t mind? Thank you. But were you with Tiger over the weekend? Get off the property here. We’re leaving. All right. Thank you. Turn the mic on. and the voice mic on. Okay. I just want to tell you I’m not trying to be rude. I don’t have any comment. I’m not going to have any comment. And so I have to live my life and I would appreciate you guys not being on my property and not bothering me while I’m trying to be here. Okay. We’re just trying to get one comment from you about Tiger because you know they’re they’re spreading those rumor rumors that he was here with you, but no one’s really seen you with him. So that’s why we’re just trying to clear it up. I know. I have absolutely no comment, but I appreciate it if you’d let me. I can’t comment, but thank you. Thank you for talking to us, Rachel. Inside the Woods home, the article was a bombshell. Elen felt blindsided, unsure whether to trust the tabloids or her husband. Attempting to diffuse the crisis, Tiger orchestrated a call with both Rachel and Elen on the line. Rachel, at Tiger’s urging, reassured Elen that nothing improper had happened. For a moment, the tension subsided, but the story was quickly transforming from rumor to truth. For Tiger, Elen, and Rachel, normal life was over, and Thanksgiving was only a day away. Thanksgiving night in Isleorth started quietly. But inside the Woods household, unease and suspicion hung heavily as the Inquirer story lingered. Tiger, exhausted and anxious, fell asleep with the help of ambient, a sedative he had come to rely on. While Tiger slept, Elen did something uncharacteristic. She checked his phone. There, she discovered a message that was alarmingly intimate. Quote, “You are the only one I’ve ever loved.” Searching for answers, Elen texted the recipient, pretending to be Tiger. I miss you. When are we seeing each other again? The reply came instantly, unmistakably intimate. Building up her courage, Elen called the number and immediately recognized Rachel Yucatel’s voice on the other end. Everything she feared suddenly felt real. Around 2:00 a.m., a confrontation erupted. Only Tiger and Elen know exactly what happened, but soon chaos moved outside. Tiger’s Cadillac Escalade sped out of the driveway, careened into a fire hydrant, then smashed into a neighbor’s tree. Elen rushed outside, golf club in hand, smashing the back window to pull a bloodied, unconscious tiger from the vehicle. She covered him with a blanket, put a pillow under his head, and pleaded for him to wake up. By morning, news of Tiger Woods crash flashed across the world. 9 emergency. I have a neighbor. He hit the tree and we came out here just to see what was going on. I see him and he’s laying down. By hit a tree, do you mean it was an auto accident? Yes, there was an auto accident. Yes. Okay. You unconscious? Yes. Okay. Are you able to tell if he’s breathing? Uh, no. I can’t tell right now. Okay. All right. We do have help on the way. What color is this car, too? It’s a black Escalade. Tiger probably wishes he could have a mulligan on this drive. Many questions remain over how the world’s best golfer ended up in the rough situation he found himself early Friday morning just outside his Windermir, Florida home. The golf phenom who rarely misses the fairway somehow couldn’t negotiate the roadway in his Cadillac SUV, striking a fire hydrant and then his neighbor’s tree. My two officers arrived at the scene and noticed Tiger Woods laying on the ground in front of his vehicle with his wife over him rendering first aid. Tiger’s wife of 5 years, Elen Nordrren, told police she heard the crash and used a golf club to break the rear window and pull him out of the locked vehicle. The initial police report described serious facial injuries, but so far the only statement from his publicist was that he was treated and released in good condition from a local hospital. What is this? It it’s it just is completely inongruous to Tiger’s image that that he would be doing this at 2:30 in the morning. He’s got a wife. He’s got two young children. you know, if he’s going out to get something for the baby, okay, great. Um, then then tell us. Um, and I think that’s confusing to people and understandably confusing to people. Tiger was previously scheduled to hold a Tuesday press conference before playing in a California golf tournament this coming week, but that means he’d have to take questions on what is becoming a very delicate situation in an otherwise nearly flawless public life and career. Some media outlets are now reporting the crash was preceded by a fight between Tiger and his wife, though the couple has not spoken publicly. For Good Morning America, Todd Connor, ABC News. The morning after the accident, headlines swept the globe. Elen was painted as both a rescuer and enraged spouse. The golf club adding to the drama. On November 29th, Tiger released a statement on his website, taking responsibility. quote, “As you all know, I had a single car accident earlier this week and sustained some injuries. I’m human and I’m not perfect. This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way. Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded, and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible. The only person responsible for the accident is me. My wife, Elen, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble. She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false. This incident has been stressful and very difficult for Elen, our family, and me. I appreciate all the concern and wellw wishes that we have received, but I would also ask for some understanding that my family and I deserve some privacy no matter how intrusive some people can be. Now, here’s the part that’s a little curious about the official story that makes you kind of go, h they claim that she went and the official story is uh got a golf club and smashed the back of the Escalade to take Tiger Woods out of the car and then when you hear in the 911 tape, I heard the 911 tape, guys talking about how Tiger Woods is on the ground right now. You’re telling me he smashed the front of the car. So, but you couldn’t get him out of the front of the car. So, you went inside the house, grabbed the golf club, smashed the back of the car, the window, and what happened? You climbed all the way in and you dragged out Tiger Woods. Your the wife did all the way out from the back. Mhm. I don’t believe it. Okay. Maybe I’m the bad guy, but I don’t believe it. I think what is much more likely is you were pissed that he was cheating on you and you took a golf club and you smashed the back of his car as he was trying to get away. And then as she was trying to get away, he ran into a tree. Okay, now I actually have a different theory, too. Now, this is now I’m gonna go wander into a little bit of speculation. Speculation. Okay, now this is not even TMZ or a friend of Tiger Woods. Okay, but here’s my theory. She does. Okay, so we know TMZ is reporting the facial lacerations. That’s pretty bad, right? Okay, and then she goes after him with the golf club. Now, they got to explain that somehow. Mhm. He now you So why is the Escalade all messed up and why does he have facial laceration? My speculation is he smashes into the tree to have an excuse for why he got hurt in the first place and why the car was damaged in the first place. Clever. And then he puts out a statement and now this is not speculation, it’s his statement, right? So we begin to get a better sense of it. He says, “Look, it’s all my fault and the speculation about my wife is ridiculous and unfounded, etc., etc. But I’ve caused, you know, uh I don’t know if he said quote pain for my family, but something along those lines, right? That made me thinking, you’re doing this kind of profuse apology because you ran into a tree. My first reaction to this whole story was like, Tiger Woods is cheating on his wife. Yeah, me too. I was like, I didn’t expect that. And I’m like, what am I stupid? Why didn’t I expect that? He’s a guy. He’s famous. He’s I mean, women are throwing their poo at him. They’re like, what? Right. And what’s he going to do? Not catch a couple? Tiger’s plea for privacy only sharpened the world’s attention. His agents and attorneys and now Elen’s legal team fought to contain the mounting crisis and its financial risks. Elen, protected by her attorney, Richard Cullen, quietly moved with Sam and Charlie to a rental, determined to shield them from the growing media frenzy. But the revelations only escalated. On December 1st, Jaime Grubs, a waitress, claimed to have had an affair with Tiger. She produced a voicemail. Tiger’s panicked request to erase any evidence before Elen found out. It’s uh it’s Tiger. I need you to do me a huge favor. Um can you please uh take your name off your phone? My wife went through my phone and u may be calling you. So, if you can please take your name off that and um what do you call it? Just have it as a number on the voicemail. Just have it as your telephone number. That’s it. Okay, you got to do this for me, huge quickly. All right, bye. Within hours of the voicemail coming out, Tiger released an apology. He admitted, quote, I have let down my family and I regret those transgressions with all my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. The first line that you read is I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions and the transgressions. This is not the accident. The transgressions that you are referring to is that there are all kinds of women who have now come out of whatever they’ve come out of. Some are getting paid, some are not. Who said I had a tour affair? He’s been texting me for three years. that this is but let me finish these are he says I I know where you’re coming from and he says I admit my transgressions so he’s admitted that there have been things something has happened so just let me finish the point is he has said I’ve done something wrong to my family and I admit it the question is two number one when you are in the public eye you have to be a little careful about what you do whether it’s texting or going to motel or whatever it is. The other thing is if you do that and you are in the public eye, it’s terrible and people have gone through it. But then, and I hope he has his privacy, it’s a little hard to now say close the door. Well, it’s interesting here because this in a way is him crying uncle because he is saying I shouldn’t have to give a press release, but here it is. And so in a way the media and the demand that the public has for this information from his private life uh is they’re victorious and he has lost this battle for not wanting to release this information. So he he felt as though his hand was bent backwards and he released a statement against his will. I think I’m I’m glad that he apologized. I think there’s a lot of people that look at kids uh specifically who I’m talking about who looked at Tiger Woods as a role model. We know he’s not perfect, but I I’m glad that he apologized to them because uh they believed in in what he was giving. Uh go work it out with your wife. But I say you cannot be mad when everybody wants to follow you around and wants to know what’s going on because you brought this on yourself, you brought this on your family. Um you know, did you think about all that when you were texting these women where you were with your transgressions that if he did? We don’t know. We have to Well, he’s admitted it. We’re saying pretty much the same thing. Well, his transgressions is pretty broad. And not to mention, unless unless the email is in a PDF, he stole something. Is that what he’s talking about when he says transition? I don’t know what it is. But in terms of what this woman says she has on him, an email, just so everyone knows, you can’t in a forward change the text of an email unless you have it in a PDF file and it’s saved as a clip image. Anything can be changed in an email. Pull that. They can pull those. Whatever whatever he is talking about, the bottom line is, you know, yeah, you’re in the public eye, but you’re not as who was with us the other day who said, I’m not Jesus Christ. you know, if I’m doing whatever I’m doing, you know, that’s my business. There are certain things that I have the right to say, you know what, get away from me because wait, wait, because one of the things that you cannot put on other people and I don’t care how many times people try to do it because you see me as a role model doesn’t mean that I’m your role model. Immediately following Tiger’s press release statement, more women came forward, armed with texts and emails. Seven became 10, then more. For Elen, the public unraveling was humiliating and disorienting. I felt so stupid as more things were revealed, she later admitted. How could I have not known anything? I mean, I have no words to explain, you know, what I’ve done to her or her family. I guess I would be deeply sorry for never considering her during the whole process and not him not bringing her up was just a way for me to just pretend that he didn’t have one and for me not to deal with it. But um I mean I’m not going to ever say what I did was okay and like she knows she loved him and you know that is the way I felt. Did you ever walk away? Did you ever say I can’t do this anymore? I never physically told him I couldn’t do it anymore. But I did back away. You know I I did learn that he was um having a second child. And at that point, you know, I just kind of thought to myself, what am I doing? You know, this is this isn’t right. You know, it’s he has a wife and it’s not you. He agreed to fly me out to the Chicago Open and uh from there on we saw each other um at least once a month or more several times a month. Um from there on out he was real relaxed. He was kind of like a little kid. Um he loved watching ESPN. Um loved cartoons. He ate cereal. Um popsicles. Did things like pretty much like a little kid would do. I mean, he was he was a lot of fun to be around. He had a great personality date. Did you feel like you had a a boyfriend? Yeah, I did. You know, I stopped seeing other people. I got out of the adult business because it was something that really bothered him. Now, why were you making these types of sacrifices and changes in your life for him? Did you ever ask him to make any kinds of changes in his life for you? The only thing I told him was, you know, just please be honest with me. You tell me that I’m the only other woman in your life besides your wife. you know, just don’t break my trust and don’t hurt my feelings. He boldfaced lied to me. He lied not only lied to me through text message, he lied to my face. For 21 straight days, a New York paper featured Tiger’s face on its front page. Sponsors: Accenture, AT&T, Gatorade, Gillette abandoned him. In less than a month, Tiger’s carefully managed world collapsed. Once revered for his discipline and silence, he was now utterly exposed. In a statement on December 11th, 2009, Tiger announced an indefinite break from professional golf to focus on his family and personal life. Quote, “I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children. I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness. It may not be possible to repair the damage I’ve done, but I want to do my best to try. For more on the impact now of Tiger Woods announcement, we are joined by Ian O’ Conor, a sports columnist and author of the book Arie and Jack. Ian, good to see you. Of course, Tiger Woods still looking to pass Jack Nicholas’s majors win record, which he still may do at some point. We’ve talked about what this means for Tiger Woods himself and his endorsements. What does it mean for golf as a whole? Well, it’s terrible news. And unlike the NBA where if Kobe Bryant was knocked out by an injury, a long-term injury or a scandal, another scandal, you still have LeBron James. When you take Tiger Woods away from golf, there’s no LeBron James there. He is the entire sport, the entire industry, and that void is going to be impossible for the PJ tour to fill. What’s happened here so far? Obviously, some good news for tabloid publications, but awful news, we should say, for the folks who televise golfing events, this network included. Um, this has a significant impact. Oh, sure. And when Tiger was out after his leg surgery, ratings were down 47%. That says it all. And again, there really is not that second superstar who can carry the sport. So when Tiger’s not there, I mean really right now the PJ tour needs young stars like Rory Mroy of Northern Ireland and Anthony Kim of the US to step up and start winning because they need a new generation and they need it right now. But right now none of those guys are anywhere near Tiger’s level. So hopefully or you would think they would need those folks very soon. Um the question is when can Tiger come back? When should he come back? I think that Tiger Woods will come back and play Arnold Palmer’s tournament in late March. He’s won that tournament six times at Bay Hill in Orlando and use that as a tuneup for the Masters. I think he’ll take four or five tournaments off, but he’ll come back in late March. Now, here’s the moment of truth. If he takes the Masters off and he sort of sacrifices that that major and he’s all about majors, that’s a an incredible statement not only to his wife, but to to the fan base that a guy who is his sole mission is to break Jack Nicholas’s record of 18 major championships is actually going to skip one, and it’s the Masters. But you think he does not miss a major? I would be surprised. I think he’ll come out and say, “My wife wants me to play at Augusta National and that’ll be the uh the approach he takes.” Wouldn’t that be a statement? Upon Tiger’s hiatus from golf, more women went public, leaving Tiger’s lawyer scrambling to arrange settlements, Rachel Yucatel hired attorney Gloria Allred and planned a press conference, but canled it in exchange for a reported $10 million in silence. Let’s get some background on this from CBS News legal analyst Lisa Bloom. Good morning, Lisa. Good morning, Harry. So, let’s talk about this Yucatel character who flies to California to meet with your mother. She denies everything. Then they have meetings and then she’s was going to hold a a press conference and then cancels the press conference. We don’t want you to violate any motheraughter uh privileges here, but what can you tell what what insight can you help us with? Well, my mother has obligations of confidentiality to her client and so she’s not talking to the press, but I did work with her side by side as an attorney for nine years in her law firm. I know exactly how she operates and I don’t have any confident confidentiality obligations here, so I can piece all of this together for you, Harry. We know that paparazzi caught Gloria Allred leaving uh Tigerwood’s attorney’s offices on Monday night. That has to mean that they were engaging in negotiations. Paparazzi then caught her leaving Rachel Yucatel’s hotel on Wednesday night after midnight and at 7:00 a.m. the press conference was cancelled. Now, I know how my mother operates. That had to mean that negotiations were going on. Negotiations probably broke down on Tuesday. That’s why she scheduled the press conference where Rachel was probably going to tell all to the world. And that press conference being cancelled yesterday at the last minute. Harry, I have never in all of my mother’s career of over 30 years known her to cancel a press conference. That can only mean one thing. As we say in the law, Mr. Green has arrived. There has to have been a confidential settlement. Tiger Woods’s camp, of course, would want confidentiality as to not only the amount of the settlement, but a promise from Rachel never to talk about her relationship with him. And I would estimate that had to be in a very significant amount for my mother to cancel that press conference. I would estimate at least a million dollars, probably well in excess of a million dollars given the amounts that are flying around in this case as to his wife and as to the other women. Right. So, at least as far as this is concerned from your perspective, does this seem done? It has to be a done deal. She would never have canled the press conference merely based on a promise or merely based on ongoing negotiations. They probably went on all through the night. Uh, and I would assume she only canled that press conference once there was a deal in place once Mr. Green arrived. Wow. I know that you have uh, you know, a pretty uh, ironclad NDA when it comes to talking about Tiger. You know, there are so many powerful men, I will say, much more than women that do this. So, I’m going to I’m going to say that much more women sign these NDAs um and they get themselves into circumstances where they don’t realize how debilitating that is. And listen, women can, you know, you get shamed for this, too, because you’re like, “Oh, well, you took all this money, so what’s the problem?” You know, whether it’s a woman taking $200,000 or $5,000 or $10 million, there’s usually a price that you’re like, “Okay, well, this is worth it to me, so I’ll do it.” But unless you’ve been succolnot talk about it, you cannot thrive. You cannot I’m not and I’m not even talking about my situation. I’m just saying people in NDA. Yeah. Um they they cannot get out of their own way. And you know they’ll there are people that have killed themselves over it because they just can’t speak. The damage was done. Public trust was gone. Tiger’s family life unraveled. The collapse was total. With nothing left to defend, Tiger finally confronted the void at the center of his life. At Elen’s insistence, he entered treatment at Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services, one of the few clinics equipped to handle sex addiction, a controversial diagnosis at the time. In group therapy, Tiger faced the emptiness no victory could fill and began to understand how his perfectionism, secrecy, and isolation had damaged not just his marriage, but also his relationship with himself and his children. In February 2010, Tiger finished treatment and returned to Florida. The question of his future loomed both professionally and personally. Mark Steyberg and a crisis team mapped out Tiger’s potential redemption. But first, he had to face the world’s anger and disappointment. On February 19th, Tiger appeared in public for the first time since the crash, delivering a somber 13-minute statement at PGA Tour headquarters. With his mother in the front row, Elen absent, and millions watching, Tiger apologized for his actions, no longer the image of invincible control. Good morning, and thank you for joining me. Many of you in this room are my friends. Many in this room know me. Many of you have cheered for me or you worked with me or you supported me. Now, every one of you has good reason to be critical of me. I want to say to each of you simply and directly, I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior I engaged in. I know people want to find out how I could be so selfish and so foolish. People want to know how I could have done these things to my wife Elen and to my children. And while I have always tried to be a private person, there are some things I want to say. Elen and I have started the process of discussing the damage caused by my behavior. As Elen pointed out to me, my real apology to her will not come in the form of words. It will come from my behavior over time. We have a lot to discuss and however what we say to each other will remain between the two of us. I am also aware of the pain my behavior has caused to those of you in this room. I have let you down. I am so sorry. I have a lot to atone for, but there’s one issue I really want to discuss. Some people have speculated that Elen somehow hurt or attacked me on Thanksgiving night. It angers me that people would fabricate a story like that. Elen never hit me that night or any other night. There has never been an episode of domestic violence in our marriage ever. Elen has shown enormous grace and poise throughout this ordeal. Elen deserves praise, not blame. The issue involved here was my repeated irresponsible behavior. I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated. What I did is not acceptable. And I am the only person to blame. I stopped living by the core values that I was taught to believe in. I knew my actions were wrong, but I convinced myself that normal rules didn’t apply. I never thought about who I was hurting. Instead, I thought only about myself. I ran straight through the boundaries that a married couple should live by. 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 far I didn’t have to go far to find them. I was wrong. I was foolish. I don’t get to play by different rules. The same boundaries that apply to everyone apply to me. I brought this shame on myself. I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother, my wife’s family, my friends, my foundation, and kids all around the world who admired me. I’ve had a lot of time to think about what I’ve done. My failures had me have made me look at myself in a way I never wanted to before. It’s now up to me to make amends. And that starts by never repeating the mistakes I’ve made. It’s up to me to start living a life of integrity. I once heard and I believe it’s true. It’s not what you achieve in life that matters. It’s what you overcome. That public apology marked the end of the Tiger Woods myth. The flawless competitor immune to ordinary failings. Now Tiger’s position in golf and in his own family seemed fragile, uncertain. Even as he tried to mend his image, new headlines broke. Tiger’s affairs extended to the daughter of their Isleworth neighbor, a young woman he’d known since she was 14, with whom he had an affair in the same house where his children slept. For Elen, this was the limit. Trust was shattered, and staying for the children no longer seemed possible. That spring, Elen told Tiger their marriage was over. There would be no more counseling or negotiation. She wanted a divorce. This story just gets larger and larger by the day. We know there is a phenomenal amount of money at stake. First, have either of these two people called you for advice on this? All right. So, all right. We just want to make sure about that. And we understand that there is a prenup in in place and apparently a postnup tool also, right? And so would it be to her financial advantage to stay in the relationship at least for the short term? Oh, sure. Because uh typical when you have a prenup, the man’s in power. He says, “If you don’t sign, I’m not going to marry you.” When he’s caught cheating, in this case, cheating, cheating, cheating, cheating. Um the wife says, “I’m not going to stay in the marriage unless you sign this new post up to an up it.” And the winds from Florida say they reduced 10 years to seven years and now total of $85 million or $80 million. So, she stands to lose lots of money if she’s suing for divorce, right? I would not bet she’s suing for divorce because if she’s suing for divorce, first of all, she has to have residency. She’s not a resident in California. Second of all, if she were my client, and I think any divorce lawyer, you’d want to have your client near you, so you could be there for every twist and turn. She’s off to Sweden somewhere. Yeah. So, I think she’s uh maybe just going to seclusion or licking her wounds or whatever, right? for her it may pay off in the short term to say you know what I am married to this guy in quotation marks you don’t have to share a house with a guy you don’t even have to be continent be in the same neighborhood and then just collect the money on the other hand wouldn’t there be a way especially with how public this all is if she’s got a lawyer calling his lawyer right now saying here’s my bottom line don’t they have to Wouldn’t they be wise at least to listen to yeah but Harry sometimes people are wise of This comes to dollars, which is dollars, dollars. She went to Sweden. Here she’s a great beauty. Sweden. She looks like everybody else. I don’t know why she went to Sweden. Um, and and a little island. They’re going to inundate it with the press. I I don’t think she makes much sense. She seems to fly by the seat of her pants, but so does he. You know, he he violated the PR 101. He didn’t get out of the story. He’s so He is so far behind the story. If he called you and said, “Help me out of this.” What would you tell him? I say get a bigger pocket book and sit down with her and just keep paying paying. Hopefully you’ll save some of these endorsements. He makes $17 million a year. 17 from golf, 100 from endorsements. So if he could keep the ballers in the air for maybe two years, three years, it’s 100 million every year coming in. Upon their separation, Tiger spent long solitary hours at Iworth practicing golf, meditating, and telling the few friends who remained that he was trying to be better. He stayed in therapy, but hope for a reconciliation faded. By early March, Tiger told swing coach Hank Hanny he was ready to return to the game. He resumed training in private away from the spotlight and soon notified his team he would stage his comeback at the Masters. On March 16th, Tiger released a statement to the world. Quote, “After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I’m ready to start my season at Augusta.” Tiger Woods will play in the Masters. Good afternoon. I’m Victor Blackwood and I’m Tiffany Kenny. Thank you for joining us. Woods is making a comeback next month after a long break following his huge sex scandal. Angela Rosier is live at the North Palm Beach Country Club with golfers reaction to this latest news. Angela, that’s right, Tiffany and Victor. Many here in the golf world, they’ve been speculating for weeks now. Will Tiger return? Will Tiger not return? Well, guess what? They don’t have to wonder anymore. Welcome back, Tiger Woods. I love to watch him play. I really do. That’s one of the nice things that is going to happen to him in his life. I mean, I figured he’d come back sooner or later, you know, better sooner than later. Are you surprised that he’s coming back? Yeah, I am. I thought I thought it’d be way longer. Well, family means more to pe some people than others. The golf great has been seen working with his coach near his Florida home. And in a statement released Tuesday, he said, quote, “The Masters is where I won my first major, and I view this tournament with great respect. After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I’m ready to start my season at Augusta.” He also goes on to say, “The major championships have always been a special focus in my career, and as a professional, I think Augusta is where I need to be, even though it’s been a while since I last played.” News of his comeback travel quickly here at the North Palm Beach Country Club. I think it’ll be good for golf. So the uh the golfers out there playing now, they think they’re, “Hey, I’m winning tournaments. I’m winning.” Yeah. Wait till Tiger comes back and see how good you can be. But for the most part, all say they’ll be watching when he returns. He’s the greatest and that’s what we pay to see. He is just and that good. And even though Tiger says that he is returning to competition, he says he still has a lot to do in his personal life. He said he plans to continue with his treatment when the Masters begins April 8th. The world watched as Tiger arrived at Augusta. More than 200 journalists packed his first press conference, keen for answers. He denied performance-enhancing drug use, confirmed that Elen would not attend, and spoke openly about his use of Vicodin and ambient, clarifying he had not entered rehab for substance abuse. I’ve done some pretty bad things in my life and uh all came to a head. But now after treatment, going for inpatient treatment for 45 days and in more outpatient treatment, um I’m getting back to my old roots. For a lot of people, the spark of those bad things is November 27th. Early that day, what happened? Well, I saw a police report, you know. Um beyond that, everything’s between Elen and myself, and that’s private. Why did you lose control of the car? As I said, that’s between Elan and myself. If it’s a private matter, why issue a public apology? I owe a lot of people uh an apology. I heard a lot of people, not just my wife, uh my friends, my colleagues, um the public, um kids who looked up to me. There were a lot of people that uh thought I was a different person. Why not seek treatment before all of this came out? Why? I didn’t know I was that bad. I didn’t know I was that bad. I was living. How did you learn that? How did you learn it? I stripping away denial, rationalization. You said you were in treatment. The simple question is for what? Well, that’s a private matter as well. But I can tell you what, it’s it was tough. It was really tough to to look at yourself in a light that you never want to look at yourself. Um that’s pretty brutal. What did you see? I saw a person that I never thought I would ever become. Um, who was that? Well, I gotten away from my core values. As I said earlier, I got away from my Buddhism and I quit meditating. I quit doing all the things that my mom and dad had taught me. When you look at it now, why did you get married? Why? Cuz I loved her. I loved Elen with with everything I have. And that’s something that makes me um feel even worse. I did this to someone I love that much. Given all that’s happened, what’s your measure of success at Augusta? Well, playing is one thing. Um, I’m excited to get back and play. I’m excited to get to see the guys again. I really missed uh a lot of my friends out there. I miss competing. Um, but still, I I still have a lot more treatment to do. And just because I’m playing doesn’t mean I’m going to stop going to treatment. What reception are you expecting from fans? I don’t know. I don’t know. Um, I am a little nervous about that to be honest with you. And that’s How much do you care? It would be nice to to hear a couple claps here and there. Um, but I also hope there also claps for birdies, too. Following Tiger’s press conference, the backlash came quickly. On the eve of the Masters, Augusta National Chairman Billy Payne publicly scolded Tiger, declaring, “Our hero did not live up to the expectations of the role model we saw for our children. His future will never again be measured only by his golf, but by the sincerity of his effort to change. We are not unaware of the significance of this week to a very special player, Tiger Woods. A man who in a brief 13 years clearly and emphatically proclaimed and proved his game to be worthy of the likes of Bobby Jones, Jack Nicholas, and Arnold Palmer. As he ascended in our rankings of the world’s great golfers, he became an example to our kids that success is directly attributable to hard work and effort. But as he now says himself, he forgot in the process to remember that with fame and fortune comes responsibility, not invisibility. It is not simply the degree of his conduct that is so egregious here. It is the fact that he disappointed all of us and more importantly our kids and our grandkids. Our hero did not live up to the expectations of the role model we sought for our children. Is there a way forward? I hope yes. I think yes. But certainly his future will never again be measured only by his performance against par, but measured by the sincerity of his efforts to change. I hope he now realizes that every kid he passes on the course wants his swing, but would settle for his smile. I hope he can come to understand that life’s greatest rewards are reserved for those who bring joy to the lives of other people. We at Augusta hope and pray that our great champion will begin his new life here tomorrow in a positive, hopeful, and constructive manner. But this time with a significant difference from the past. This year it will not be just for him. but for all of us who believe in second chances. Tiger finished fourth at the Masters. By early summer, Tiger and Elen began divorce negotiations. Both had formidable legal teams, but the process was practical, not bitter. Elen received over $100 million, shared custody of their children, and a new beginning. Tiger kept his Jupiter Island estate. Elen and the children settled nearby. Their divorce was finalized on August 23rd, 2010. Soon after, Elen gave her only public interview, reflecting on her pain and her resolve. Quote, “I’ve been through hell. It’s hard to think you have this life.” And then all of a sudden, was it a lie? You are struggling because it wasn’t real. The word betrayal isn’t strong enough. I felt like my whole world had fallen apart. It seemed that my world as I thought it was had never existed. I felt embarrassed for having been so deceived. I felt betrayed by many people around me. Forgiveness takes time. I know I will have to come to forgiveness and acceptance of what has happened for me to go on and be happy in the future. And I know I will get there eventually. Why did Elen want to speak? What did she want to say? You know, she is not a public person. and she does not want to have a public megaphone. But but you get the sense from talking with her that she’s been biting her lip for 9 months that there are several things that have been out there that that she hated people thinking about her. She hated that that people thought she was violent. Um she one of the hardest things was was the image of violence that she might have taken a golf club to her husband. Um she never did that. She said she that wasn’t true. She says she’s never been a violent person. She’s never committed an act of violence against him. There’s never been violence in their home. And the thought that she would take a golf club to him is just truly ridiculous in her words. Um, but she also wanted to know, it pained her that people thought she might have known and turned a blind eye. And she said, “As stupid as it makes me feel that I didn’t see and I didn’t know, the fact is I didn’t.” She didn’t know that he was being unfaithful. She had no idea. She says she was home for those three and a half years with two pregnancies and two toddlers and taking college classes and and she sort of had her head down focused on on the business of raising a family while he was on the road and being a trusting person she didn’t think she had any reason to distrust. Did she talk about any type of effort for the two of them to reconcile to make it work to move on together? She did. She moved out of the house, the family house, her and the kids in December um of last year, just before Christmas time. And she said at that time it was just to get some space and some breathing room. And she really only expected to be away for about a month while she took some time to think. And she said for months and months. Um they worked on reconciliation. She did not want to talk about what was the tipping point that made her realize it wasn’t going to work. um only that in the end she decided that um as much as she wanted her children to have an intact family that it was more important to her that they have a happy family and that happy apart was better than staying together without trust or love. There have been some wild figures thrown around when it comes to the divorce settlement anywhere from $100 million to more than $700 million. Did she address that at all? She would not, not surprisingly in this kind of a situation. Um, you know, I think good estimates are probably um, you know, more than a hundred million, but 750 is wildly off mark. I mean, that’s, you know, probably his net worth. Um, all she would say is, you know, yes, I’m going to be a wealthy woman. Um, but, you know, money can’t buy happiness and it’s not going to put my family back together. What she did say is it’ll make it easier to heal because she has the luxury of being able not to go out and work for a while, but to stay home with the kids, um, get them adjusted. And then she said she does want to have a job. She wants to put her degrees to work. She hopes to get a master’s degree in psychology and then figure out what to do with it. She said that that the one fear she had was that she would leave this experience not able to trust people again. She even said to her mother right after it happened, you know, I’ I’ve always been inclined to believe the good in people and I’m afraid I might have lost that. Um, and sort of ironically, she told me that just being able to take the leap of faith and tell this story after being such a private person. Um, sort of restores her faith that, you know, I haven’t lost it and maybe I can fall in love again. She certainly does believe in love. I wish her the best and and everything. um you know is is a sad time in our lives and you know we’re looking you know forward to you know in our lives and how we can help our kids the best we possibly can and that’s you know that’s the most important thing. After the public spectacle of his divorce, Tiger Woods faced the daunting task of rebuilding not just his career but his life and relationships. The years that followed were marked by painful injuries, setbacks on the golf course, and a struggle with addiction that led to a humiliating 2017 DUI arrest. A moment many believed would end his legacy for good. Yet for Tiger, true recovery started far from the spotlight. Away from the cameras, he quietly devoted himself to his children, Sam and Charlie, earning praise for becoming a more hands-on, present father. Friends and close observers noted how much he focused on personal growth, including therapy, and learning to accept his past mistakes. Though flashes of his old brilliance would return on the course, culminating in his remarkable 2019 Masters win, Tiger’s real victory may have been rediscovering his own humanity. In interviews, he spoken about gratitude, humility, and the importance of owning his choices. He built new boundaries, worked to co-parent peacefully with Elen, and reframed his life story from one of domination to one of survival. Tiger’s journey remains unfinished, but for so many who watched his downfall, arguably the most compelling chapter is the one where he steps forward, not just as a champion, but as a father and a man who’s learned to live in the aftermath of public failure. Some would suggest obviously that that humiliation you went through Mhm. publicly your private life exposed has a lingering effect on your mind and your game. I’ve heard that too. I know. Um I look at the fact that yeah, I’ve I made a bunch of mistakes. But in in the end, Elen is my ex-wife. She’s one of my best friends. We’ve had two beautiful kids. How do you tell your kids why mama and daddy are not together? It’s it’s because daddy made some mistakes. daddy made some some mistakes and I much rather hear have them hear it from me. And so you’ve sat down and said I regret what I did. No, no, I don’t I haven’t said that. Um I said that everybody makes mistakes and the reason why mommy’s living in her house, daddy’s living in his house is because daddy made mistakes and it’s okay. You had all the tools, but the mental stuff was so important. I mean, you wanted to win and you wanted to win and you also didn’t just want to win. You didn’t just want to to win that tournament. You wanted to beat the hell out of everybody who was there. That was a mindset that you had. You were a killer. Winning was fun. Killer. Winning was fun. Beating someone’s even better. Why is that? I don’t know. I’ve always had that. You know, if you win a race, you know, you win a meet by a second or two. Sure feels like a lot better if you win it by five or five or six. You know, um striking four or five guys out. But you know what? Throwing no hitter is even better. Do you believe you’ll get 18 majors? To be honest with you, no. You don’t? No. You’ve accepted that? I’ve accepted I’m going to get more [Music]

In 2009, Tiger Woods went from being the most celebrated athlete in the world to the center of one of the biggest scandals in sports history. What began with a late-night car crash quickly spiraled into a media firestorm that exposed affairs, shattered his perfect image, and nearly destroyed his career. This video dives deep into Tiger Woods’ darkest year—the crash, the cheating, and the collapse that shook the world of sports and forever changed his legacy.

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Chapter Markers:
0:00 Opening
0:44 Domestic Bliss
7:48 Secret Affairs
12:00 The Crash
17:35 Global Scandal Erupts
32:43 Public Apology
37:56 Final Betrayal
41:47 The Comeback
49:42 Elin Speaks Out
54:11 Legacy and Aftermath

This video was created, researched, written, produced, and edited by: BE (me)
Video Edited by: Reed Jackson https://x.com/RJ2Prod

📩 E M A I L
md@blackboxmgmt.com

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