Tiger continues affair with Uchitel - friend

Tiger Woods is reportedly still having sex with one of his alleged mistresses.

Reports today, quoting "In Touch" magazine say the world's number one golfer has been continuing his affair with Rachel Uchitel throughout the entire extra-marital affairs scandal which began to unfold in late November.

Uchitel was the first name linked to Woods as the scandal developed with the list of alleged mistresses growing to 14 and including porn stars, party girls and cocktail waitresses.

Woods was reported to be heading to the Bahamas on his NZ$30 million luxury yacht, Privacy, but In Touch suggests otherwise.

"They have been sleeping together the entire time since the scandal broke,'' the magazine reports a friend saying. "They hooked up in a condo she's been staying at in Palm Beach.''

It has been alleged that Tiger has bought Uchitel's silence with a multi-million dollar payout with New York party hostess reported to have saved hundreds of emails, voicemails and text messages from Woods.

The friend also revealed Tiger's yacht was moored in the port as a decoy, with Woods staying on another boat nearby.

"Rachel’s condo is 500 feet from where Tiger’s boat is docked. He has been visiting her there."

According to the friend, Tiger even secretly flew out to Los Angeles on December 4 just so he could spend time with her.

"She's madly in love with him, and she believes that he loves her as well,'' the friend said.

It has also emerged today that Woods' closest friends knew of his affairs, but, despite reportedly warning him to be more careful, they all kept quiet according to a report in the New York Daily News today.

The article says that long-time friends Bryon Bell, Jerry Chang and DJ Hanlon have also stood by him after his reckless behaviour was exposed but maintained "a code of silence that has characterised their relationship" with golf's number one player.

"A lot of us who love him saw this coming," a friend who's known Tiger since he was 18 told the Daily News.

"We said, 'You've got to be careful. It's really getting too raggedy.' In his own mind, he may not have thought he was doing anything wrong," the friend said.

"He was under a lot of pressure. He thought he was just letting off steam. He thought of it as a perk."

The newspaper also reported claims that Bell - a Woods friend since high school - was middleman for Tiger, helping plan some of the affairs and even contacting a Hollywood madam Michelle Braun to set up "introductions" with models.

"He would co-ordinate my flight itineraries and make sure I was all set up to see Tiger," the NY Daily News reported mistress Jamie Jungers saying. "He was a very nice guy."

Meanwhile, website RadarOnLine.com is reporting that members of Jungers' family have made claims she has naked pictures of Woods.

Jungers was angry when questioned over the claims made by members of her family - an aunt and uncle - that she had taken naked pictures of Woods after he passed out when they had sex and that she had "bragged for years" about them.

The Woods camp is so concerned about the possible emergence of such photos that they they have already obtained a court order in England barring publication of any such photos.

As Christmas approaches it appears Tiger and his wife, Elin Nordegren, have gone their separate ways for the holidays with reports saying Woods was on his yacht with friends in the Bahamas while Elin had headed to Sweden with their two children.

The News of the World has reported that Elin is still planning a divorce and wants sole custody of the children plus 50 percent of their empire, said to worth over NZ$700 million.

Such developments, however, have come with a warning that Nordegren could quickly damage her image and be portrayed as a money-grubbing gold digger.

Sports image consultant Marc Ganis, president of the Chicago-based Sports Corp, told the Boston Herald he thinks the golfer may find redemption once his wife looks money hungry.

"Once his wife appears greedy in a divorce settlement, men will give Tiger sympathy,'' Ganis said.

''Watch how fast mens' attitudes change. We're a very forgiving society.'

Another sports consultant, Jim Delaney , of Boston-based Activate Sports and Entertainment, told the Boston Herald that Woods would find acceptance through his performance on the golf course.

"This is nothing the public hasn't seen before. His redemption can come if he performs up to his standards on the golf course," he said.

"But it has forced him into a much tougher comeback.''

But Ganis said even if Woods wins back the public it will be difficult to shake the image of womaniser.

"He's got to expect for the rest of his life that if he smiles and shakes hands with a girl, she'll say she slept with him," he said.

Woods' mum, Kutilda, has reportedly been left "angry and disappointed" by her son's behaviour – but has vowed to help her son though the ordeal.

The 65-year-old – who was cheated on herself by Tiger’s dad Earl Woods – said she would stand by her son amid claims he has had at least 14 mistresses.

The family friend - as reported by the Daily Mirror - said: "She is hurt, angry and disappointed in Tiger. She wants to know how he could do this to his family.

"It was devastating to her. She likes Elin and adores her grandchildren. She doesn't want to see them hurt."

- © Fairfax NZ News