Tiger Woods’ dating history: Everything we know about his past relationships, ex wives Lindsey Vonn, Elin Nordegren, Vanessa Trump and more | Explainer
Tiger Woods has become almost as well known for his personal life as his sporting prowess over the years.
The former child golfing prodigy, who was on the PGA Tour by 19 and turned pro at 20, married former Swedish nanny Elin Nordegren in 2003, but their picture-perfect marriage fell apart after he was accused of having multiple affairs.
Now, a year after embarking on a relationship with US President Donald Trump’s former daughter-in-law, Woods is back in the news following a high-profile car crash and drink-driving arrest that has reportedly led Vanessa Trump to give him an ultimatum, although she is said to be standing by his side. Read on to learn more about his dating past.
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Birth of a golfing superstar
Eldrick “Tiger” Woods was born on December 30, 1975, in Los Angeles.
His father, an accomplished amateur athlete and golfer, introduced his son to the sport before he turned two, and by three, he had putted against comedian Bob Hope during a TV appearance.
At 15, he became the youngest ever US Junior Amateur champion, and was named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year when he turned pro at 20, before winning his first major event, The Masters, in 1997.
Over the next four years, he amassed many achievements on the golf course, including two PGA Championships and a US Open win.
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Elin Nordegren
Woods first met Elin Nordegren in 2001 while he was competing at the British Open.
Nordegren was working as a nanny for Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik when she caught the eye of Woods, who asked Parnevik’s wife Mia to introduce them.
Nordegren initially declined to go out with Woods, but relented and they got engaged in November 2003, and married a year later.
They welcomed daughter Sam in 2007, followed by son Charlie in 2009.
But just five months later, newspaper reports emerged that Woods had cheated on his wife with a nightclub manager.
Two days later, Woods was involved in a crash near their Florida home. Early reports suggested he was fleeing his home as his wife chased him with a golf club, but he later said the accident was his fault and she was helping him from the vehicle.
Days later, after more reports of infidelity emerged, Woods admitted to ‘transgressions’, before a dozen women claimed to have had affairs with Woods, leaving his career, his sponsorship deals and his marriage in tatters.
The couple separated at the end of 2009 and divorced nine months later, with Nordegren walking away with a settlement of about AUD$160 million.
Years later, she told People, she “never suspected” her husband was cheating.
“I never suspected, not a one,” she told People.
In 2021, a source told People the former couple had stayed on friendly terms for their kids.
“Elin put her own feelings aside to make sure the kids have a great relationship with their dad,” they said. “They do a great job of co-parenting.”
For his part, Woods told Time in 2015 his former wife remained one of his “best friends”.
“We’re able to pick up the phone, and we talk to each other all the time. We both know that the most important things in our lives are our kids. I wish I would have known that back then,” he said.
Nordegren started dating former NRL player Jordan Cameron, who is eight years her junior, in 2017, and the two went on to welcome three children. She is also a stepmother to his son from a previous relationship.
Despite her millions, Nordegren works as a mental health counsellor.
Rachel Uchitel
Rachel Uchitel found herself at the centre of a huge scandal when a newspaper report named her as Tiger Woods’s mistress. It was the first of what ended up being numerous allegations of cheating against Woods, which resulted in the end of his marriage.
Years later, Uchitel said she was vilified over the affair.
“I spent 10 years having a lot of the media be very snarky in the way that they write about me, the public be very angry in the way they speak about me and the way that they perceive me, and I have felt like they have wanted an apology from me,” she told New England Cable News.
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Lindsey Vonn
Woods’ first high-profile relationship after his marriage ended was with Olympic gold-medal skier Lindsey Vonn.
The two reportedly first met at a charity event in 2012, with Woods announcing on March 18, 2013, that they were in a relationship.
The two made a number of public appearances together before they split in May 2015.
“After nearly three years together, Tiger and I have mutually decided to end our relationship,” Vonn said in a statement at the time.
“I will always cherish the memories that we’ve created together. Unfortunately, we both lead incredibly hectic lives that force us to spend the majority of our time apart. I will always admire and respect Tiger. He and his beautiful family will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Kristin Smith
Next, Woods was linked to Kristin Smith, a stylist and former wife of NFL player Gerald Sensabaugh, The two reportedly dated from 2015 and to 2017.
But while their relationship was conducted largely out of the spotlight, their break-up soon became public.
First it was alleged Smith broke up with Woods because she feared he was cheating on her. Then it was reported that Woods had taken legal action against Smith to stop her from speaking about him publicly, citing a non-disclosure agreement she reportedly signed.
The matter went to arbitration in 2018 after Woods allegedly threatened to release embarrassing photos of her.
First drink-driving arrest
It was around the time of their break-up that Woods was arrested for drink-driving in May 2017, after police found him at 3am asleep in his car, which was stopped in a traffic lane with the engine running.
Woods later claimed it was the result of taking prescription medication. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving, received one-year probation, a $250 fine, ordered to complete 50 hours’ community service and undergo regular drug testing.
Erica Herman
Soon after his arrest, Woods started dating Erica Herman.
Herman was reportedly working as general manager of Woods’ flagship restaurant The Woods Jupiter in Florida.
They went public with their relationship in September 2017 at the Presidents Cup in New Jersey when she wore a badge that’s typically reserved for the girlfriends and wives of players.
Herman supported the golfer when he won the 2019 Masters.
By 2021, People was reporting the two “live together at his house” and his kids “like her”.
Car accident
Herman supported the golfer after he was injured in a serious car accident in 2021.
Woods was the only person in his vehicle, which rolled over following an accident in Los Angeles, causing multiple leg injuries requiring surgery.
The County Sheriff’s Department blamed speed for the crash, and accused Woods of driving almost twice the speed limit.
Despite this, no charges were laid.
Split and lawsuit
It was first reported that Wood and Herman had separated in March 2023, when Herman filed a lawsuit against Woods that requested she be removed from a non-disclosure agreement she had signed in 2017.
Herman argued NDAs were null and void in cases of alleged sexual assault or harassment, and cited the Speak Out Act.
She claimed that while working at Woods’ restaurant, he sexually harassed her, forcing her to sign an NDA to maintain her employment.
Her request was dismissed two months later, with the judge ordering the dispute to be kept private in future, per the agreement. The sexual assault allegations and NDA appeal were dropped by Herman in November 2023.
Another lawsuit, for wrongful eviction, which she filed several months earlier, alleging Woods had locked her out of the home they shared, was also dropped.
She had accused Woods of orchestrating a fake vacation for the pair so he could lock her out of the house and break up with her.
She claimed she was in an airplane hangar waiting for Woods so they could fly to the Bahamas when she was ‘forced’ to sign a second non-disclosure and arbitration agreement.
Vanessa Trump
Reports first emerged that Woods was dating Vanessa Trump in early March 2025.
Trump is the former wife of Donald Trump Jr, to whom she was married from 2005 to 2018.
The DailyMail was the first to report their relationship, citing a source who claimed they had been secretly dating since November 2024.
Woods confirmed the romance rumours shortly after the story appeared in an Instagram post he shared with his followers.
“Love is in the air, and life is better with you by my side!” he wrote alongside two photos of them together.
“We look forward to our journey through life together.
“At this time we would appreciate privacy for all those close to our hearts.”
At the time, a source told the New York Post: ”They have a lot in common. They’ve both gotten used to public scrutiny. They both know how to keep their private life private. They’re both parents.”
The relationship had appeared to have been going along swimmingly, with the two pictured together at an event on March 17, 2026 – just 10 days before Woods was involved in another roll-over vehicle crash, which resulted in his arrest for drink-driving.
It has been alleged Woods was behind the wheel of a vehicle on March 27 in the US near his Florida home when he attempted to overtake a pressure cleaning truck at high speed.
After narrowly avoiding an oncoming vehicle, he clipped the truck he was overtaking and flipped his car.
He was arrested at the scene for showing “signs of impairment” and charged with drink-driving with property damage and refusal to take a urine test, and was held in jail for about eight hours.
It was reported that Trump read Woods the riot act over his latest indiscretion.
“She’s not happy at all. She’s both disappointed and a little bit p—-d, if I’m being honest,” an insider was quoted by the Daily Mail.
“It’s a definite red flag, and she told him that he’s going to get this sorted out. He has to get things under control, or she’s not going to stick around.”
The source said she was “embarrassed” by the arrest, which resulted in Woods’ mugshot being released to news outlets.
Trump has since returned to social media to share a photo of her daughter Kai, 18, a talented junior golfer and one of five kids she shares with Trump. She is also mum to Donald III, Tristan, Spencer and Chloe.
TMZ has since reported Trump plans to stay with Woods, who issued a statement via X this week saying he would be “stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health”.
“This is necessary in order for me to prioritise my well-being and work toward lasting recovery,” he wrote.
“I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health. This is necessary in order for me to prioritise my well-being and work toward lasting recovery.
“I’m committed to taking the time needed to return in a healthier, stronger and more focused place, both personally and professionally.
“I appreciate your understanding and support and ask for privacy for my family, loved ones and myself at this time.”
Only time will tell if Woods’ relationship can survive yet another un-holey mess and he can get things back on course.
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