In this 2013 photo provided by Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn, golfer Tiger Woods and skier Lindsey Vonn pose for a portrait. Two months after rumors began circulating in Europe, Woods and Vonn posted separate items on their Facebook pages Monday, March 18, 2013, to announce their relationship. (AP Photo/Courtesy Tiger Woods/Lindsey Vonn) MANDATORY CREDIT TO COURTESY TIGER WOODS/LINDSEY VONNThe Associated Press
Lindsey Vonn and Tiger Woods. Well, who would have thought?
Actually, given Woods's reputation as a serial cheater who betrayed ex-wife Elin Nordegren, would have thought any woman would be eager to enter a romantic relationship with the golfer, let alone a celebrated Olympic skiing gold medalist?
It is perhaps due to Woods's sordid past that many have responded with surprise and cynicism to the news that he and Vonn are dating. As the Globe reported yesterday, the pair announced their courtship over Twitter and Facebook, prompting plenty of skepticism. (The Atlantic Wire even suggested that the photos they posted online seemed like advertisements for their corporate sponsors.)
But is it really so hard to believe that Vonn and Woods, both of whom are divorced, have found love with each other? Well, sort of.
Sure, the two look fresh-faced and smiley together, showing off pearly white grins in their Facebook photos. And more than 34,000 followers "like" the snapshots, many wishing the couple well.
Moreover, to give Woods the benefit of the doubt, it's possible that he is now a reformed man. After all, in the aftermath of the spectacular reports of his infidelities, Woods sought professional help for sex addiction.
But even though all that happened more than three years ago, the golfer has struggled to reclaim his past glory. And as The New York Times points out, even Vonn had taken a couple pot shots at Woods during the height of his sex scandal, saying she hoped to appear on "Saturday Night Live" to poke fun at the golfer.
So what prompted her to change her tune? Is all of this lovey-dovey stuff a cheap publicity stunt? Or has this couple genuinely found a second chance at romance?
Whatever the answer, Vonn and Woods's plea for privacy is unlikely to be heeded, considering both are high-profile athletes. Meanwhile, the public is eager to offer its two cents:
"Tiger ain't changing his stripes," one reader, jcoll, wrote on the Globe's website.
"The real question is: who else is dating Tiger Woods?" another, going by the name Gullister, quipped.
What do you think? Are Vonn and Woods the real deal?
Wency Leung