The festive period is a time for families to celebrate and connect with those cloeset to them. An embrace between Tiger Woods and his ex-wife Elin Nordegren at the PNC Championships in Florida showed that, despite their rancorous split 15 years ago, they still put family first.
Woods and his talented son Charlie, 15, came agonisingly close to winning the competition for the first time at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, but had to settle for second place.
The duo lost in a playoff to Bernhard Langer and his son Jason, with the golfing great agonisingly missing out on a tournament victory on his return to action after a sixth back surgery earlier this year.
When both Woods and his son walked away from the final hole they were greeted by a smiling Nordegran, who had been on the sidelines at the the 36-hole scramble event, cheering for them both.
The golf legend and his former flame are rarely seen publicly, so embracing in front of the world displayed how far the pair have come in the years since their nasty split.
However, while it may come a surprise to many to see Woods and Nordegran in such close proximity, their relationship has been repaired for many years for the sake of their children.
Tiger Woods and his ex-wife Elin Nordegren were spotted sharing a warm embrace on Sunday
Woods and Nordegren were married for six years before a messy divorce ensued in 2010
Woods and his son Charlie came second at the PNC Championships in Florida at the weekend
Woods and Nordegren famously divorced in 2010 after six years of marriage, months after a cheating bombshell which saw their relationship unravel in the public eye.
In November 2009, the now 48-year-old Swedish model discovered Woods was cheating on her during Thanksgiving week.
News of Woods’s infidelity was first reported by a National Enquirer who claimed he was having an affair with a woman named Rachel Uchitel. Two days later, a car crash outside his own Florida mansion would unearth the truth.
In the aftermath of the crash, Woods was found by police asleep in the road without shoes and socks on after Nordegren tried to smash her way into the car with a golf club.
Elin’s worst fears were then confirmed after she spotted a text on Woods’ phone while he lay unconscious, dosed up on sleeping pills. What followed was one of the most dramatic collapses of a star’s reputation across sport.
Not only did it cost Woods his marriage, but he also lost numerous lucrative sponsorship deals – even though Nike stood by him – and he went to rehab for sex addiction during a break from playing golf.
However, even after such an unpleasant split, the former couple have still found a way to work together as friends for the sake of their two children, Charlie and Sam.
‘Tiger and Elin have made it such a huge priority to protect the interests of their kids and their privacy,’ Notah Begay III told Golf.com.
The golf legend’s infamous cheating scandal brought his marriage with Nordegren to an end
Woods and Nordegren now come together to support their children and were seen celebrating Charlie’s golfing success in March (pictured)
Nordegren was stood on the sidelines supporting her ex-husband and their son at the PNC Championships
‘I talked about Tiger being at all those soccer games and youth activities—well, Elin’s right there and right next to them.’
The talents of Charlie on the golf course have certainly helped Woods and Nordegran reconcile, with the two supporting their son in his dreams of following his father’s footsteps.
The former couple were seen together in March this year as they celebrated son Charlie winning a high school state golf championship, however, photos seem to suggest they still kept their distance.
However, with Christmas fast approaching, they showed just how close they have become with a warm embrace on a special family occasion in Florida.
Nordegran famously disclosed to PEOPLE her emotions following her split with Woods, but now sources close to the model have told the same magazine how strong their relationship has become.
‘Everything that happened in the past is in the past,’ sources said. ‘They both decided to be adults and to do what was best for the kids. So they get along really well.
‘Tiger says really great things about Elin. He never complains about her, ever. The kids love them both.’
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