Tiger and Elin Woods' Downfall

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright August 25, 2010
All Rights Reserved.                                             

             When Tiger Woods’ crashed his black 2009 Cadillac Escalade into a fire hydrant and tree in the early morning of Nov. 27, 2009, no one imagined that the world’s No. 1 golfer would fall on his sword.  Tiger’s car crash turned into a train wreck for his career as revelations of his serial affairs with Las Vegas-like cocktail hostesses and call girls hit the headlines—and his career—like a Mack truck.  Telling People Magazine that she’d “been through hell,” Tiger’s ex-wife Elin Nordegren announced her divorce was final August 24, causing further damage to his already battered image.  Since turning pro in 1996, Tiger’s handlers meticulously groomed a gentlemanly image, personifying the kind of grace and dignity seen in the game of golf.  Revelations about his infidelity, before, during and after Tiger’s fairytale Oct. 4, 2004 Barbados wedding made reconciliation impossible.

            Details of Tiger’s multiple affairs before, during and after the births of their children Sam June 18, 2007 and Charlie Feb. 8, 2009, led Elin to conclude that “without trust and love” there was no going back.  Tiger’s fans resent the media’s judgment, apparently excusing other athletes in different sports from the kind of career-ending consequences falling on the 34-year-old winner of 14 grand slam golf tournaments.  Tiger’s attempts at damage control, his public apologies and pleas for forgiveness, haven’t improved his golf swing since the story rocked the sports world late last year.  Since the divorce finalized Aug. 24, Elin’s public remarks rub salt in the wounds of Tiger’s fans, still trying to reconcile his carefully manicured image with wild stories about his carousing off the golf course.  Unable to resolve the two, Tiger has lost his once invincible golf swing.

            Much has been written about the mental part of the golf game, requiring precise control of one’s emotions to display the consistency needed to win golf tournaments.  Since Tiger’s Nov. 27, 2009 car crash, he hasn’t been able to return to his past form that vaulted him to his No. 1 ranking.  Growing up on the golf course since age three, Tiger didn’t have the normal childhood to develop the kind of maturity that could withstand a major disruption getting outed and his divorce.  His storybook marriage to Elin in 2004 was largely an elaborate publicity stunt to help burnish his pristine image.  Neither Elin nor the public knew anything of his racy lifestyle, leading him to become one of golf’s biggest playboys.  With so much riding—including a multimillion dollar advertising empire—on his image, it’s difficult to fathom Tiger’s risk-taking, leaving him with a broken image and golf swing.

            Elin’s recent disclosure to People Magazine opens up another can of worms for her struggling ex-husband.  “I’ve been going through hell,” said Elin, explaining how she was tortured by speculation that she attacked Tiger once seeing proof on his cell phone that he was fooling around.  “It’s hard to think you have this life, and then all of sudden—was it all a lie?  You’re struggling because it wasn’t real.  But I survived.  It was hard, but it didn’t kill me,” said Elin, practically admitting that she thought of suicide once she realized Tiger had cheated on her from day-one.  Elin’s new revelations continue to batter Tiger’s image, making the public more aware than ever of the egregious betrayals and infidelity marked by a serial adulterer—someone intolerable to average family folks.  Given Tiger’s rocky comeback, Elin’s revelations make his chances far worse.

            Elin refused to disclose the figure of her Aug. 24 divorce settlement.  Some speculation at around $500-700 million breaks new records in U.S. history.  Her recent interview with People Magazine drives home the crass nature of Tiger’s infidelity.  “I’m so embarrassed that I never suspected—not a one.  For the past 3 1/2 years, when all this was going on, I was home a lot more with pregnancies, then the children and my school,” Elin explained, giving too much detail for those curious types still grasping the nature of Tiger’s misdeeds.  Giving more detail only underscores the slimy nature of Tiger’s behavior, making his full recovery next to impossible.  Unlike out-of-court settlements in civil matters, there’s no requirement of confidentiality in divorce settlements.  Elin’s recent disclosures do less to set the record straight than to inflict more permanent damage on Tiger’s career.

            Going public to People Magazine with more details about her life during her divorce settlement, Elin heaped more damage on Tiger’s already battered image and golf game.  Tiger’s serial adultery made reconciliation impossible for anyone other than a complete phony.  No one knowing that the infidelity occurred before, during and after her marriage and birth of her children could possibly start over.  “Forgiveness takes time,” said Elin, demonstrating that she’s along way from controlling her hurt feelings.  If she wants to show the maturity needed to start the healing process for herself and Tiger, she should stop talking to the media.  Everyone knows she’s gone through a lot of pain.  But heaping more misery on Tiger does nothing to help repair her trauma.  Instead of talking to People Magazine or anyone else, Elin would be better off continuing to work out her problems in private.

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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