Friends claim Tiger's wife knew about mistresses

BY GEORGINA ROBINSON

Elin Nordegren will stand by Tiger Woods for the sake of their children according to US media reports.

Unnamed friends of the 29-year-old told the latest edition of People magazine, out today, that Nordegren knew of her husband's growing list of mistresses but would stay in their five-year-old marriage for the welfare of the couple's two children.

"Elin had talked to other golfers and their wives about Tiger's wild parties," one friend told the magazine.

"When she asked Tiger about it, he said he would stop doing it. And she believed him. But he never did."

The couple married in 2004 but their relationship has been rocky for a couple of years, People reports.

They have been spotted before arguing publicly in Stockholm, capital of Nordegren's native Sweden.

"Tiger has told Elin everything," another source told the magazine.

"Nothing that's coming out now is a surprise."

"She knows what he has done, and they've had some long talks about it.

"They are getting everything out in the open."

The article comes as the golfer's alleged mistresses continue to dish the details on their trysts and a legend of the sport speaks out in the 33-year-old's defence.

Model Jamie Jungers has attempted to trump cocktail waitress Jaimee Grubbs's television confessional with salacious details of her encounters with Woods.

The 26-year-old says their relationship began just eight months into Woods and Nordegren's marriage.

"The sex was amazing, just crazy," Jungers told The Sun.

"It got better the more we saw each other.

"And the more we saw each other, the more we had sex. He was amazing in bed."

She said Woods introduced himself at the exclusive Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas in June 2005.

"Tiger and I went back to the room and just started making out," Jungers said.

"It just went from one thing to the next. We ended up having crazy sex for two hours.

"Later I said to him, 'I don't know a whole lot about your marriage situation. I know it is very fresh. I know you just got married. I mean, is it going OK?'

"He said, 'Yes, it's fine, she's in Sweden with her family'."

Meantime, golfing great Jack Nicklaus has lent his support to Woods's silent crisis management strategy, telling reporters the younger star's private life was "none of my business".

Nicklaus, whose 18 major championship titles are a record that has inspired Woods, said he believed the 33-year-old superstar would regain the admiration of the public, but acknowledged the furor was hard on Woods' family.

"Our public is pretty forgiving at times," said 69-year-old Nicklaus.

"Time usually heals all wounds.

"I think the hardest thing is obviously his family. That's a private matter for him and his family."

Woods, owner of 14 major titles, has been lying low since the November 27 crash near his home in the suburbs of Orlando, Florida, in which he hit a fire hydrant and then a neighbour's tree.

Woods stayed away from his own charity tournament, the Chevron World Challenge, in California last week, and has acknowledged "transgressions" on his website.

"He's a great athlete," Nicklaus said.

"He'll figure it out."

Nicklaus's first public comments about Woods' predicament came after an event honoring The Benjamin School's golf team, recent winners of a Florida state championship.

Nicklaus's son, Gary, played on a championship-winning team at the school 26 years ago.

- © Fairfax NZ News