The Staggering Number Of Affairs Tiger Woods Had During His Elin Nordegren Marriage

In late 2009 and early 2010, one of the biggest stories across both sports and entertainment was the affair drama surrounding legendary golfer Tiger Woods. A series of disastrous events led to his then-wife, Elin Nordegren, exposing Woods' affair. But that might be understating things a bit because, much like Masters Tournament championships, Woods apparently couldn't stop at just one. All told, no fewer than nine women were alleged to be romantically involved with Woods while he was married to the Swedish model including media personality Rachel Uchitel. That said, the real number was reportedly staggering.

The National Enquirer reported in April 2010 (via the New York Post) that Woods had a whopping 120(!) mistresses during his marriage to Nordegren, which began in 2004. And while it's difficult to independently verify that figure, Uchitel — arguably the most famous of the golfer's lovers — noted during a 2021 interview with The New York Times that Woods' reputation preceded him by the time they met in 2008. "I knew him to be cheating on his wife from the first time I met him, well before we got together," the podcaster confirmed.

For his part, Woods did not directly acknowledge the reports that he had cheated on his wife with so many different women. Instead, the pro golfer issued a broad statement in which he admitted to rampant infidelity, and apologized profusely for his actions. "I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated," Woods said during a February 2010 press conference (via Speakola). He added, "What I did is not acceptable. [...] I am the only person to blame."

There was extensive news coverage of the Tiger Woods scandal when it initially broke, and it continued well into 2010. The creators of "South Park" even went made it the focal point of their Season 14 premiere, "Sexual Healing," which first aired in March 2010. The episode also takes aim at male celebrities who have been involved in similar scandals, including David Letterman and Bill Clinton, though the Woods debacle acts as the inciting incident. 

His inevitable divorce from Elin Nordegren was finalized in August 2010, just nine months after the golfer's rampant infidelity was exposed in dramatic fashion. Three years later, Woods started dating Olympic ski racer Lindsey Vonn, but the two called it quits in 2015. Granted, that breakup was far more amicable than the previous one, so, small victories. And, despite his scandalous past, Vonn spoke highly of Woods during their relationship, calling him an "an amazing father" to his two children during a 2015 interview with People. 

The legendary golfer later entered a relationship with, of all people, Vanessa Trump, the former wife of Donald Trump Jr. An insider confirmed their romance to People in March 2025. Still, Woods seems acutely aware that his fall from grace is still a part of him. "He still thinks about his sex scandal every day," a source disclosed to People in 2019. "It's always there, in the back of his mind. [...] But he persevered and made himself into a better man."