Tiger Woods, golf's number one gossip target as well as the sport's top athlete, was in the news again last week amid rumors that his ex-wife, Elin Nordegren, hates Woods' new girlfriend Lindsey Vonn and doesn't believe he should be able to see his children with Vonn present.
Us Weekly reported that a source told the magazine Nordegren "hates Vonn and everything about their relationship," which became public several months ago. The same source was quoted as saying Nordegren is "angry Tiger even has visitation rights to the kids." Woods and Nordegren have two children, Sam, 5 and Charle, 4. Nordegren's been romantically linked to coal big shot Chris Cline, although she has kept a relatively low profile since her nasty split from Woods.
U.S. Open oddsmakers, though, are receiving this news with deaf ears as Woods is still checking in as a 9-2 favorite to win the tournament. Woods will be paired with the 2012 Masters champ Adam Scott and No. 2 Rory McIlroy for the first two rounds of the U.S. Open.
When asked about his pairing with Woods and the presence of McIlroy, Scott said, "Absolutely, (there's going to be) some energy and electricity, playing with him at any time there always is. And given the hype around this grouping and being a major, it's going to be an intense couple of days."
Woods is known to instill fear in those playing with him, or players ahead of him by manageable margins on the leaderboard. Mental images of Woods lurking in striking distance has been rumored to affect golfers as tournaments wear on, allowing Woods to catch and pass them.
This could be why he is still a heavy favorite despite the almost neverending attention paid to his private, romantic life. Do not expect Scott, though, to show intimidation.
"That's why you spend the hours and test yourself. And I'm looking forward to that Thursday and Friday," Scott said.
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