The couple no one expected to last longer than a year somehow made it over two (Lindsey seems to be fudging the numbers in her statement by claiming it was three.) It seems just like yesterday when Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn were making their much-derided couple debut in a series of staged photos. That was in March, 2013 and despite the widespread belief that their relationship was a publicity stunt, the two hung in there. The last time they were spotted together was about a month ago when they walked the Masters course with Tiger’s two children. (This is a tradition among Masters participants.) Now they’re announcing that they have decided to “mutually end” their relationship. Just like their rollout, their ending seems perfectly coordinated. Here are their separate statements on the end of their relationship:
Lindsey: After nearly three years together, Tiger and I have mutually decided to end our relationship. I will always cherish the memories that we’ve created together. Unfortunately, we both lead incredibly hectic lives that force us to spend a 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.
Tiger: Lindsey and I have mutually decided to stop dating. I have great admiration, respect and love for Lindsey and I’ll always cherish our time together. She has been amazing with Sam and Charlie and my entire family. Unfortunately, we lead very hectic lives and are both competing in demanding sports. It’s difficult to spend time together.
[From Facebook and TigerWoods.com]
From what little I know of golf, Tiger is no longer at the top of his game of course, but he’s focusing on training and and is showing improvement in his performance. He has the Players Championship in a few days and next month he has two tournaments including The U.S. Open. Tiger is ranked 125th in golf while Lindsey is currently number 3 in her sport, alpine skiing. It could be true that these two barely have time for each other. However we know what happens when Tiger gets wrapped up in competition – he gets action on the side in just about every city. Did Lindsey finally open her eyes to the evidence that the world has known for years? Is it possible that Tiger is really a changed man and that these two just grew apart due to their schedules? Lindsey is at the top of her game while Tiger is struggling to earn back some of his former glory. It’s not that much of a stretch to imagine that two highly competitive athletes might also be competitive with each other.
photo credit: WENN.com and Getty Images
She’s got that crazy gleam in her eye.
I find her very good-looking, but she looks awful in these pics.
I guess she is one of those people who photograph badly, but look amazing in motion.
I saw most of the skiing-competitions last season, and she usually comes across as extremely competive.
I thought she was nuts since she that Sharon Stone basic instinct photo shoot.
I’m an avid skier and I vaguely follow her career. She’s rumored to be quite the pill. I don’t doubt she has a little crazy in her.
Seems like too long for a publicity stunt but I guess you never know. I find it strange though that in Tiger’s statement, he said they have decided to stop “dating”. Maybe I am nit picking but that’s usually a word you use for the beginning of a relationship when you are not really sure its going to turn into something. Seems a bit cold considering they spent 3 years together.
Unless they got engaged, they were dating. There could be another word for it, but I wouldn’t know what it would be.
Agree with honeybea. Such a PR relationship; she got exposure and he got
“one-woman” reputation credibility again.
Why anyone would risk their heart on this man is beyond me. He has serious issues and unless you’re willing to share him with every sex worker and groupie in the country, I don’t get it.
Forget risking their heart, why would anyone risk their health?! He’s pretty much a walking STD.
He’s probably very charming, and made her feel like she was finally the one who could “change” him. Like she was the one who made it worth zipping up his pants and putting his wandering dong away. Dangerous games. Tiger is the only one capable of changing his stripes.
If he’s charming he keeps it well hidden. Never liked the guy. He hasn’t won a major tournament for seven years btw.
Yeah, charm from Tiger wouldn’t do it for me either, knowing his history. Maybe she liked him well enough and wasn’t heavily invested in finding a serious relationship or maybe it was a PR thing. Glad it’s an amicable breakup, though.
When I see Tiger now, I just think about how well Elin carries herself and what he put her through.
@Anne, ITA that Elin is amazing. Anyone who’s ever had to deal with a PR mess in the history of EVER should take cues from the grace with which she’s handled herself (and a golf club, go girl).
Two words: Ca-Ching!!!
Fame does not make you immune from the delusion that you can change a man.
Glad she finally wised up.
I always figured it was a PR relationship to rehab Tiger’s image and boost Lindsey’s profile. A mutual break up statement feeds into the idea IMO.
Oh well
Meh, you see breakups all the time around the three-year mark. She’s put in a lot of time with his kids also. A lot of women want a commitment after a certain period of time, and when no engagement happens, the breakup happens. Sometimes you see couples get back together and get engaged.
Yawn.
I’ve been reading Scandanavian gossip rags and rumours are he has his eye in another sportswoman on one of teams there.
Five will get you ten she looks like Elle. He has a type when it comes to his public partner.
Lucky girl!! (said sarcastically)
I think the worldwide derision she was subject to when she did that famewhore walkabout in a green gown and jewels at the Masters led to a huge fight and breakup.
At the time, I imagined that Tiger could not afford Lindsey getting him bad press and imagined she would be punished. Guess I was right.
Btw, this is totally tiger dumping her.
Lindsey Vonn getting Tiger bad press? On what planet? She’s a beautiful, talented, bright, superstar of a girl. He should be so lucky.
Gown & jewels?? She wore a sundress, sandals & a WATCH. I wear pretty much that exact same outfit to go grocery shopping. *eyeroll* The only article I found dissing her outfit was the Daily Mail. I watch a ton of golf and her outfit wasn’t unusal in the slightest.
My theory on this breakup is Lindsey’s career is red hot and poor has-been Tiger’s fragile ego can’t take being second fiddle in a relationship. He will never again be the dominant golfer he was, and he lost so many of his endorsements–which is where the real money comes from–that he’ll never be what he was athletically or financially (not like he’s not still richer than rich). He couldn’t take her being at her prime while he’s on the down swing of his career.
Hmm, disagree. If we’re assuming they’re breaking up for career reasons, I think it’s because Tiger’s feeling good, he did great at The Master’s, and he sees this as his window. Strike now, get back on your game now, or forever hold you peace. He has to WORK right now, or Jordan and Rory will leave him in the dust.
I was thinking the same thing! It had to be the hideousness of that green dress she wore to the Family Day at the Masters. Anyone who is involved with a professonal golfer or is a lover of the sport KNOWS that you are to wear the white pantsuit on the course for Family Day. The kids do it and the spouses do it. And here she comes prancing out there with that dress with a thong and no bra toting a pocketbook trying to look cute. Suprised he didn’t dump her then an there. I am sure Elin was laughing at her.
Wonder how Elin feels about this? By all accounts, she got along with Lindsay and the kids were comfortable with her. This must be one of the worst parts of co-parenting- explaining to little children how someone they have come to know and like is not going to be around anymore- and I am talking about Elin’s side of the issue.
They were together for a while before the photo shoot announcing them as a couple. You don’t do a shoot with someone you just met. It had probably been at least six months at that point.
Would Tiger risk cheating on Vonn with dozens of side pieces and getting caught again? I’m not so sure. It’s not that he has learned his lesson, it’s that he is probably focused on improving his game and fixing his shattered reputation. If it were ever known that he cheated on Vonn the same way that he did with Elin, I don’t think he would be able to recover both as a public figure and as an athlete. I don’t believe this was entirely a PR relationship. I’m sure that Tiger saw this as an opportunity to look better in the public eye, but the relationship seemed real and they both probably had mutual respect for each other. I also didn’t like how so many people piled on Vonn for giving Tiger a chance. Personally I would not date a guy like Tiger, but it is her choice, and let’s not pretend that there aren’t plenty of married “family” men in this world who don’t do the same or worse, only their wives turn a blind eye or they are famous so they never get publicly shamed.
“Did Lindsey finally open her eyes to the evidence that the world has known for years?”
_____________________________
Nope, she just decided to put-the-screws for a commitment to her ‘Ms. Future-Ex. Tiger Woods-Vonn Retirement Portfolio’ – especially after Nike made her wear that sea-foam ‘Helen-of-Troy w/Ray-Ban’s’ outfit to the Masters.
F the kids, this is business; sometimes a girl’s gotta cut her losses.
My eyes are rolling all the way back in my head at this one.
Sure, sure, they just had a pleasant little mutual split.
I’m sure there was no cheating involved, no, not a bit.
They are both completely unlikeable to me.
I find it funny that both statements use identical phrasing numerous times. They at least could have tried to make the statements different from one another so that it didn’t sound like the same person wrote both. Bad PR person. lol
First thing I noticed too!
Tiger is not just a changed man, he’s a shattered one.
Who knows if he’ll ever be able to put himself back together as the golfer he was. I can believe he’s too busy to make a relationship a priority right now. The window is closing on his chance to regain his stature in the sport, rather quickly.
Tiger’s issues are mostly mental. I bet he really did love Elin and once realized he screwed that up and lost her it’s like everything went downhill. But hey, you reap what you sow.