There's no question that Tiger Woods was the ultimate cheating jerk when he was married to Elin, but he's worked diligently to change his life and behavior. He's earned a second chance at love.
Tiger Woods couldn't have fallen off his platinum hero's pedestal harder when his epic cheating was discovered by wife Elin Nordegren on Nov. 27, 2009.
Tiger Woods' Messy Divorce After Numerous Affairs
Who could ever forget the night Elin, 33, discovered a mistress' phone number on Tiger's cell? When he fled from their home after the ensuing argument , he crashed into a fire hydrant, and was injured -- Elin then attempted to rescue him by smashing the window of the back of the car with a golf club!
That was the beginning of the end of Tiger's crystal-clean reputation. Within days, 14 of Tiger's extramarital affairs were revealed, with new sexy mistresses and their racy photos seemingly appearing in press conferences every day.
It was a stunning fall for the world's No. 1 golfer, who seemingly had been Mr. Perfect on and off the golf course. Up until then, his marriage to stunning former Swedish model, Elin Nordregen, had appeared blissful and the two were parents to adorable, Sam, then 2, and Charlie, then 1.
Well, that all blew up pronto! The marriage imploded, Tiger admitted to sex addiction, and Elin walked away with a $110 million divorce settlement.
Tiger Woods Reveals New Relationship
So, does all of this mean that Tiger can never date and fall in love again? Does he deserve to be shunned forever?
He's worked hard and methodically to rebuild his golf game, which was as shattered as his marriage.
Now, he's sitting with the No. 1 golf world ranking, beginning the 77th Masters Tournament and guess who's been spotted in the audience, watching and supporting him?!
Yes, that would be Olympic skier, Lindsey Vonn, 28, Tiger's new girlfriend.
She and Tiger both announced on their Facebook pages on March 18 that they were officially a happy couple.
"Lindsey and I have been friends for some time, but over the last few months we have become very close and are now dating," Tiger wrote.
"Our relationship evolved from a friendship into something more over these past few months and it has made me very happy," Lindsey added on her page.
The pair decided to go public rather than trying to hide their relationship, and that's smart. The last thing Tiger needs is to be perceived to be sneaking around with another woman. If he wants to be seen as a changed and redeemed man, he must be on the up and up about his new romance.
Should Tiger Woods Be Shunned By Society Forever?
Of course, the question is: Has Tiger had enough counseling to get to the bottom of the problems that led him to pursue multiple women and sex relentlessly, all while being married to Elin?
Does he understand why he disrespected Elin, his marriage and his children, and treated so many women just like sex objects?
I have to assume that in the past four years, he's done some very serious soul-searching and therapy and has vowed to change his behavior.
He's also worked hard to have a friendly and respectful relationship with ex-wife Elin, and a loving and involved relationship with his two children.
He certainly did the right thing financially for Elin, handing over half of his enormous fortune without an ugly divorce battle or custody fight. And that was commendable.
Tiger Woods & Lindsey Vonn Shouldn't Be Judged
There are many men who cheat on their wives and destroy their families, and then refuse to take care of them financially.
Tiger, wisely, did not do that.
Now, it's four years later, and he is presumably a far more self-aware, mature and humbler man and father.
So let's all not all rush to judgement on his new romance. Lindsey is old enough to make her own informed decisions about who she choses to love. She is well aware of Tiger's sexual past -- I'm sure they've had long discussions about it and both treaded carefully before embarking on their romantic relationship.
I don't think we need to be passing judgement on their romance.
Tiger is only 37. He has a long life to live. He shouldn't be condemned by public opinion to have an empty loveless life for the rest of his days -- especially when he has publicly admitted his terrible marital mistakes. Additionally, he has publicly apologized to his fans and his family, plus privately done his penance with his ex-wife and kids.
So, let's wish our best to Tiger and Lindsey. Hopefully, he has learned how to enjoy love and presumably monogamy in a healthy, positive way.
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