Elin Maria Pernilla Nordegren was born on January 1, 1980, in Stockholm, Sweden. Her mother, Barbro Holmberg, is a politician who served as migration and asylum policy minister of Sweden, while her father, Thomas, is a radio journalist who has served as bureau chief in Washington D.C. for the Swedish Broadcasting media. Elin has an identical twin sister named Josefin, and the family resided in the coastal town of Waxholm, near Stockholm, while the girls were growing up.
An avid physical fitness enthusiast with classic Scandinavian good looks, Nordegren began modeling during her teens, often working as a swimsuit or sports model. Her career was moderately successful, though she opted to continue her post-secondary studies in order to have something to fall back on.
She enrolled in university in Berlin, where she studied psychology for a time. In addition to modeling, she and her sister also worked as "au pairs," or nannies. They were employed by Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik to mind his four children, and often accompanied his family to international tournaments.
elin nordegren meets tiger
While accompanying Parnevik during the 2001 British Open at Royal
m in England, Nordegren was introduced to Tiger Woods by her employer, and the pair soon began dating on a regular basis.
While they tried to keep the prying eyes of the press and paparazzi out of their affair, the cat was let out of the bag when, a couple of days before the 2002 Players Championship in March of that year, the Swedish media announced to the world at large that she and the champion golfer were indeed an item.
In November 2003, as they attended the President's Cup tournament near the South African coastal city of Port Elizabeth, the two became officially engaged after Woods popped the question at the luxury Shamwari game reserve.
the elin & tiger tabloid fiascos
Now the subject of tabloid and gossip fodder, Woods dispelled rumors that their relationship was over before they made it to the altar. The speculation arose from the noticeable absence of Nordegren during a 2004 tournament at the Players Club in Boston. It was reported in a Boston Herald column that the two "may have called it quits," stemming from remarks made by an anonymous source who was reputed to be close to the golfer.
Woods went on the record in September of 2004, denying the alleged "huge resolved blowup" between he and his fiance, stating the rumors were "100% false, actually." Nordegren was seen by his side at the Ryder Cup shortly after the report was published.
elin & tiger married
In early October, the couple headed to the Sandy Lane Resort on the west coast of Barbados. Amid speculation from reports in Barbadian and Irish newspapers that they were there for more than a vacation, Woods declined to comment on the rumor of an impending wedding.
There had been prior speculation that Nordegren and Woods would tie the knot in her native Sweden, but on October 5, 2004, they exchanged vows at the 19th hole of the Sandy Lane Golf Resort.
The ceremony was reputed to have a price tag of between $1.5 to $2 million U.S. A $57 million yacht named Privacy accommodated the 150 guests, including Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Oprah Winfrey, and Bill Gates, while rock group Hootie & the Blowfish provided the music. Armed security guards kept the paparazzi and curious onlookers from penetrating the private party.
The couple honeymooned aboard the luxury 155-foot yacht, including full crew, which they hired for
nying the alleged "huge resolved blowup" between he and his fiance, stating the rumors were "100% false, actually." Nordegren was seen by his side at the Ryder Cup shortly after the report was published.
elin & tiger married
In early October, the couple headed to the Sandy Lane Resort on the west coast of Barbados. Amid speculation from reports in Barbadian and Irish newspapers that they were there for more than a vacation, Woods declined to comment on the rumor of an impending wedding.
There had been prior speculation that Nordegren and Woods would tie the knot in her native Sweden, but on October 5, 2004, they exchanged vows at the 19th hole of the Sandy Lane Golf Resort.
The ceremony was reputed to have a price tag of between $1.5 to $2 million U.S. A $57 million yacht named Privacy accommodated the 150 guests, including Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Oprah Winfrey, and Bill Gates, while rock group Hootie & the Blowfish provided the music. Armed security guards kept the paparazzi and curious onlookers from penetrating the private party.
The couple honeymooned aboard the luxury 155-foot yacht, including full crew, which they hired for two weeks at a cost of $140,000 U.S.
About a week into the honeymoon, on October 14, the newlyweds were detained in San Juan, Puerto Rico after Privacy entered the port without having secured a required four-day notice. The high profile couple was allowed to continue honeymooning after the matter was quickly sorted out.
Elin and her husband currently divide their time between residences in Florida and California, and plan to start a family in the near
