Tiger Woods couldn’t live up to his defending championship title at the AT&T National this week at Aronimink Golf Course in Philadelphia. The world number one placed 46th, closing with a 1-over 71 following scores of 73-70-70.
Woods failed to break par in any of the competitions four rounds. Woods hasn’t done this since the Bay Hill Invitational 11 years ago. He made three birdies and four bogeys on Saturday, and came in 14 strokes behind champion Justin Rose. Woods is riding out his longest win-less streak since 2004.
The only ray of hope for Woods career is how well he drove the ball. “I drove it pretty good this week. It was fun.” Woods boasted of the only thing he did worth boasting about in the past eight months. Woods has high hopes for the British Open at St. Andrews next week. “I love playing there,” he said of the Scottish golf course, the oldest in the world.
Woods won the British Open in 2000 and 2005, so next week’s tournament would be a great time for a comeback. Woods has also dominated on the St. Andrews course, and will participate in the Champions Challenge, a four hole game for previous British Open winners, that takes place the day before the tournament begins.
The AT&T National was Woods sixth tournament since returning to professional golf after his 20 week leave of absence. The self imposed exile was initiated so Woods could work on his marriage with soon to be ex-wife Elin Nordegren. Though he remained the title athlete for the AT&T tournament with benefits going to the Tiger Woods Foundation, Woods did not host the event as he was dropped by AT&T last year.
Woods is in the process of closing a $100 million divorce settlement with Nordegren. The payment is ten times more than Woods allegedly paid mistress Rachel Uchitel to ensure she did not “reveal all” about the illicit affair. Nordegren, 30, is a former model and was not present at the tournament last week or the US Open at Pebble Beach.
The Woods divorce settlement is amongst the ten most expensive celebrity divorces of all time. It’s been reported that Woods will not retain primary custody of his two children with Nordegren, Sam Alexis, 3, and Charlie Axel, 17 months.
In addition to the divorce settlement, Nordegren will also receive substantial child benefit payments. Reports speculate Woods will be eligible to renegotiate the custody terms after five years. Woods is also forbidden from introducing his children to any women he is romantically linked with, unless he is married to her.
Nordegren is expected to return to Sweden with the children for an undisclosed period of time, though she will maintain property in Florida. She would like to bring the children up in Sweden where they will be sheltered from the paparazzi. A condition of the divorce settlement states Nordegren sign a confidentiality agreement never to speak of their marriage, the affairs, or the aftermath.
Woods, 34, is keeping their home on Jupiter Island in Florida, a 155ft $19.75 million yacht named Privacy, and a LA apartment valued at $3.3 million. Woods will have custody for at least one weekend a month or possibly longer periods of time scattered throughout the year.
It was first estimated by the London Sun that Woods was going to pay Nordegren $750 million, a rumor promptly put to rest by Forbes. The financial magazine confirmed the impossibility of such a settlement since Woods is only worth $600 million as of the 2008-09 year.
In the event of their marriage lasting 10 years, Nordegren signed a pre-nup agreement that would land her $20 million dollars. She is walking away with more than that in cash and assets, along with a share of Woods future earnings. The divorce will be drawn up in the next seven days.
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