Lindsey Vonn, Tiger Woods confirm they're dating
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Sports has a new power couple: Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn confirmed they're dating.
Two months after rumors began circulating in Europe, Woods and Vonn posted separated items on their Facebook pages Monday afternoon to announce their relationship. The posts include photos of golf's 14-time major winner and the Olympic and World Cup downhill ski champion.
"This season has been great so far and I'm happy with my wins at Torrey and Doral," Woods said. "Something nice that's happened off the course was meeting Lindsey Vonn. Lindsey and I have been friends for some time, but over the last few months we have become very close and are now dating."
Woods made a stop in Austria - where Vonn was competing in the Alpine skiing world championships - in January on his way to Abu Dhabi to start his season. Two weeks ago, after he won the Cadillac Championship at Doral for his second win this year, The Daily Mail published photos that showed a woman, who appeared to be Vonn, in a golf cart at the marina where Woods' yacht "Privacy" was docked.
"I guess it wasn't a well-kept secret but yes, I am dating Tiger Woods," Vonn said on her Facebook page. "Our relationship evolved from a friendship into something more over these past few months and it has made me very happy."
Both said they wanted to keep everything else private.
Woods posted four photos with Vonn on his page, while Vonn's had one of those photos.
Vonn is recovering from right knee surgery - something familiar to Woods - after a Feb. 5 crash that ended her season. Her divorce from Thomas Vonn after more than four years became official in January. They separated in 2011. Vonn, whose maiden name is Kildow, decided to keep Vonn as her last name after the divorce.
The announcement was one day after the World Cup season ended. Vonn hopes to return in time for the Olympics next year in Sochi.
Woods' past relationships are far more sensational.
His marriage of five years to Elin Nordegren of Sweden collapsed in 2010 after shocking revelations of multiple extramarital affairs. His infidelity was exposed the night after Thanksgiving in 2009 when he ran his car into a tree and a fire hydrant outside his Florida home.
Woods spent the summer of 2010 working out details of a divorce, which became official in August that year. They share custody of their two children.
The 37-year-old Woods rarely discusses any aspect of his private life, and it was surprising that he acknowledged a relationship with Vonn, much less post studio photos of him, in a short-sleeve Nike golf shirt, and Vonn, in a light blue warm-up jacket. But this would preclude paparazzi making big money when they are photographed together for the first time.
He is playing the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week at Bay Hill, where he is a seven-time winner and the defending champion. Woods can return to No. 1 in the world for the first time since October 2010 if he wins.
After that, Woods is not expected to play until the Masters on April 11-14.
The 28-year-old Vonn is the premier ski racer of her generation, an owner of four World Cup overall titles, along with gold and bronze medals from the 2010 Vancouver Olympics that earned her AP Female Athlete of the Year honors. She is the only skier - male or female - to win one of the annual AP awards that date back to 1931.
Dominant against other top female skiers, Vonn petitioned the International Ski Federation to let her compete against men in a downhill race, but the request was rejected last year. Her 59 career World Cup race victories is three shy of the record, and she recently claimed a sixth consecutive World Cup downhill title.
Vonn's season was cut short when she shredded two knee ligaments and broke a bone in her lower right leg in a crash during this year's world championships. She hopes to return at the start of the next World Cup season in November and, if healthy, she would be one of the top athletes at the Sochi Olympics next year.
During a conference call with reporters last month to discuss her recovery from the injury, Vonn declined to talk about rumors of a relationship with Woods.
Woods has gone through four surgeries on his left knee, including reconstruction after winning the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in 2008 despite shredded ligaments and two stress fractures of his tibia.
Along with his 14 majors, Woods has won 17 times in the World Golf Championships (no one else has won more than three), and after Bay Hill he will have the record for most weeks (789) in the top 10 of the world ranking dating to 1986.
Two months after rumors began circulating in Europe, Woods and Vonn posted separated items on their Facebook pages Monday afternoon to announce their relationship. The posts include photos of golf's 14-time major winner and the Olympic and World Cup downhill ski champion.
"This season has been great so far and I'm happy with my wins at Torrey and Doral," Woods said. "Something nice that's happened off the course was meeting Lindsey Vonn. Lindsey and I have been friends for some time, but over the last few months we have become very close and are now dating."
Woods made a stop in Austria - where Vonn was competing in the Alpine skiing world championships - in January on his way to Abu Dhabi to start his season. Two weeks ago, after he won the Cadillac Championship at Doral for his second win this year, The Daily Mail published photos that showed a woman, who appeared to be Vonn, in a golf cart at the marina where Woods' yacht "Privacy" was docked.
"I guess it wasn't a well-kept secret but yes, I am dating Tiger Woods," Vonn said on her Facebook page. "Our relationship evolved from a friendship into something more over these past few months and it has made me very happy."
Both said they wanted to keep everything else private.
Woods posted four photos with Vonn on his page, while Vonn's had one of those photos.
Vonn is recovering from right knee surgery - something familiar to Woods - after a Feb. 5 crash that ended her season. Her divorce from Thomas Vonn after more than four years became official in January. They separated in 2011. Vonn, whose maiden name is Kildow, decided to keep Vonn as her last name after the divorce.
The announcement was one day after the World Cup season ended. Vonn hopes to return in time for the Olympics next year in Sochi.
Woods' past relationships are far more sensational.
His marriage of five years to Elin Nordegren of Sweden collapsed in 2010 after shocking revelations of multiple extramarital affairs. His infidelity was exposed the night after Thanksgiving in 2009 when he ran his car into a tree and a fire hydrant outside his Florida home.
Woods spent the summer of 2010 working out details of a divorce, which became official in August that year. They share custody of their two children.
The 37-year-old Woods rarely discusses any aspect of his private life, and it was surprising that he acknowledged a relationship with Vonn, much less post studio photos of him, in a short-sleeve Nike golf shirt, and Vonn, in a light blue warm-up jacket. But this would preclude paparazzi making big money when they are photographed together for the first time.
He is playing the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week at Bay Hill, where he is a seven-time winner and the defending champion. Woods can return to No. 1 in the world for the first time since October 2010 if he wins.
After that, Woods is not expected to play until the Masters on April 11-14.
The 28-year-old Vonn is the premier ski racer of her generation, an owner of four World Cup overall titles, along with gold and bronze medals from the 2010 Vancouver Olympics that earned her AP Female Athlete of the Year honors. She is the only skier - male or female - to win one of the annual AP awards that date back to 1931.
Dominant against other top female skiers, Vonn petitioned the International Ski Federation to let her compete against men in a downhill race, but the request was rejected last year. Her 59 career World Cup race victories is three shy of the record, and she recently claimed a sixth consecutive World Cup downhill title.
Vonn's season was cut short when she shredded two knee ligaments and broke a bone in her lower right leg in a crash during this year's world championships. She hopes to return at the start of the next World Cup season in November and, if healthy, she would be one of the top athletes at the Sochi Olympics next year.
During a conference call with reporters last month to discuss her recovery from the injury, Vonn declined to talk about rumors of a relationship with Woods.
Woods has gone through four surgeries on his left knee, including reconstruction after winning the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in 2008 despite shredded ligaments and two stress fractures of his tibia.
Along with his 14 majors, Woods has won 17 times in the World Golf Championships (no one else has won more than three), and after Bay Hill he will have the record for most weeks (789) in the top 10 of the world ranking dating to 1986.
2 people occasionally exchanging bodily fluids or "dating" as you call it, is not sports, entertainment or news.
its Gossip Rag trash.
White blonde girlfriend, what else is new. Â A trophy.
Why is this considered "news"???
No matter what kind of man women say that are attracted to on an intellectual level, they still tend to be physically attracted to the alpha males who will treat them like garbage.  It's the law of the jungle.  Nothing new here folks, move along.
If that's the case....then this little girl reminds me of every "Dumb-Blonde" joke I've ever heard !.......She will find out first hand that .."A Tiger never changes its stripes".... NEVER!
EWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!
I just puked in my mouth a little...come on Lindsey, you can do better than that 2 timing liar, but if you must then demand to see his STD screenings.
Hope she asked him for his FFI card......
Not too bright. Guess she likes being cheated on by untrustworthy men.
tigers all fixed now ?
Some guys are hooked on strange. Sorry, Lindsey, nothing personal, but you're already boring him. Been there, done that, what's next?
Man I was going, Lindsey Vonn????, I know that name????  Then I read that she is the Olympic skier. Well good for both of them, two professional athletes, would make for a nice power couple. But wow, does she look a lot like the Ex, what is up with that Tiger?
Is she not aware of what is about to happen to her reputation?Â
He should have had to register as serial loser with a big red flag tattooed on his forehead that says "Do Not Date Under ANY Circumstances".   LOSER. Â
Run Vonn Run!!Â
Sounds like Woods is after a hole in Vonn.
@FrackWit Or at least a little "night putting."
@FrackWit Thats one of the best in a long time !
@sargerator @FrackWit Probably go for it on the back nine?
Ok someone tell me if I am just a straight guy and that's why the following makes me confused.Â
Lindsey Vonn is a very pretty woman and skilled athlete and she is 10 years younger than Woods who I would regard as average for an athlete, unattractive physically and not even as wealthy as Vonn. Then we can add the fact Wood's history and my-oh my the "women" his ruined his life over. Man has issues, like National Geographic issues.
So why does this union exist?Â
If you're a straight man then yes, he probably is "unattractive physically" to you.
"and not even as wealthy as Vonn" Her net worth is $3 million, his is $500 million.
@JTeslaÂ
$500 or $250?Â
And by $500 is that $500 in "potential" or did someone calculate that as being is net worth?
And his days of money making are behind him. he is on the downward slide of his skills, she is in the "money makeing" ones. Where Woods was until he decided to screw himself by screweing others.Â
@Repoman @JTesla I think the issue here is that she loves anal just as much as Tiger does and if that's true then wedding bells are in their future.
@JTesla
Well I am guess we both can agree he makes more money the WE do!
And if that is her motivation (either person greed or infatuated with someone because of money) then too bad for her.Â
There is one thing we do apparently agree on and that is that her involvement with him is not likely a good thing for her.Â
@Repoman Figures from celebritynetworth.com Even $250 is quite a bit more than $3, and he's back in the running for the top earner in Golf... or something like that. Even when that gig dries up, and ignoring the older folks golf tours, he makes $10 million designing golf courses. As for her? There isn't a senior tour for skiiing, she's at the tail end of her career even without the knee issues.
Listen, he is scum, but let's not let our opinion of him color the fact that he still makes TONS of money. He's back to winning, and he makes more money than she probably has in her life just by designing one golf course, ignore the appearance fees etc.
Aw jeez, thus begins the tanking of both of their careers.
@randola Really?  Have you watched any golf lately?  Tiger is definitely back on his game...and she maybe the reason why.  It's funny to read all the negative comments about Tiger and his new lady...can't you people just move on and be happy for them?  But, I know how easy it is for some of you to belittle someone for PAST mistakes on this comment page.
@PD1202Â @randola Come on man, yeah, really. Perhaps you are right and she is the reason, but I bet it has more to do with him being single again.Â
Yes, I refer to his past but also to Rory's current and numerous other examples of top rank athletes who tank during a relationship. And the reasons are completely easy to see. When you are a star athlete, you need to devote tons of time to staying on top. Often, that doesn't leave time to nurture a good relationship.Â
Belittling? Not at all. Predicting based on informed history is all. Who the hell are you anyway, some wannabe cupid? HA! Come on man, it's life.
Lol, and it could be fun to watch if they take that route.
How long until she gets half of Tigers money?
Lindsey Vonn only needs to know one thing:Â A Leopard cannot change its spots.