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Ahigh-ranking CEO of an American media company has testified to purchasing images of Tiger Woods allegedly cheating on his ex-wife as the golfer’s sex scandal is dredged up once again.

Woods, 48, had long been rumored to have been unfaithful to Elin Nordegren when they were married before the infamous Thanksgiving weekend in 2009.

It was speculated that Woods had been with his alleged mistress Mindy Lawton, with photos apparently showing the pair together, although they were never published.

READ MORE NEWS :Tiger Woods apparently injured ankle puts his The Masters participation in question

That was because the National Enquirer agreed not to put them into the public sphere, following a negotiation with Woods’ camp that he would feature on the cover of Men’s Fitness as part of a 12-page feature with the magazine.

Tiger Woods' new logo makes Masters debut following Nike split

And according to CEO David Pecker, testifying in the New York vs Trump trial, the speculated photos of Woods were real.

Pecker, who was the chief of the company that owned Men’s Fitness at the time, claims he purchased the photos of Woods and Lawton in the parking lot of a church.

JUST IN :Charlie Woods will struggle to emulate his father Tiger after his AJGA finish

The 72-year-old later used them as blackmail to get Woods to discuss his diet, workout routine and marriage. However, they were only of use for a limited time because his affair with another woman, Rachel Uchitel, became public in 2009.

Tiger Woods relationships and who he is dating now?

Tiger Woods' 2024 Masters filled with special, hidden moments

The American, widely recognized as the greatest golfer of all-time, has had a string of controversial relationships since his divorce from Nordegren, which cost him him an estimated $100million.

Woods has been in and out of relationships since then, including with Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn. The pair dated for three years before Vonn called quits on their relationship.

His most recent relationship with Erica Herman ended on a sour note when he was accused by her of sexual harassment. She later dropped the case after admitting she wasn’t sexually abused by Woods.

RELATED NEWS :Tiger Woods comparisons ‘inevitable’ for Scottie Scheffler after Players Championship win

The 15-time Major winner, who has one two children with Nordegren, 16-year-old daughter Sam and son, Charlie, 15 – is now thought to be single.

It had long been rumored Tiger Woods was unfaithful to ex-wife Elin Nordegren a couple of years before that fateful Thanksgiving weekend in 2009.

The speculation was that photos of Woods and alleged mistress Mindy Lawton were never published after the National Enquirer and Woods negotiated a deal that would put him on the cover of Men’s Fitness.

Turns out that speculation is the truth, according to David Pecker.

READ MORE NEWS :Tiger Woods apparently injured ankle puts his The Masters participation in question

At the time of the Lawton incident, Pecker was the CEO of American Media Inc., which operated the Enquirer and Men’s Fitness.

Pecker, testifying at the New York v. Trump trial in New York, said he bought the photos and buried them in return for Woods appearing on the magazine.

Tiger Woods calls his recovery more painful than anything he’s ever  experienced

Pecker says he bought the pictures of the two in the parking lot of a church and used them as blackmail. Woods was on the cover of the magazine with a 12-page story about his diet, workout regimen and marriage.

The deal only bought Woods so much time, though, as his affair with Rachel Uchitel became very public in 2009, which led to Nordegren swinging a golf club at Woods’ vehicle.

As the argument became news, dozens of women came forward describing relationships with Woods. His divorce reportedly cost Woods almost $100 million.

JUST IN :Tiger Woods will NOT play the Players Championship next week as 15-time major winner misses the deadline to commit to the $25million tournament at TPC Sawgrass

Woods has been in and out of relationships since then, including with Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn. His most recent relationship with Erica Herman ended badly when she accused Woods of sexual harassment and making her sign a non-disclosure agreement.

Tiger Woods, Nike end partnership after more than 27 years - The Boston  Globe

Woods recently played in The Masters and made his record 24th consecutive cut. But in the third round, he shot an 82, his worst score ever at Augusta, which resulted in a finish of dead last.

Rory McIlroy is in line to receive about $50m as the wait for an agreement with the Saudi Public Investment Fund goes on

Tiger Woods has received an email from Sawgrass HQ informing him that he will receive up to $100 million in equity for staying loyal to the PGA Tour, with Rory McIlroy benefitting possibly to the tune of $50m for not joining LIV.

Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour commissioner, pressed the button on the ultra-personal messages that have been eagerly awaited since Strategic Sports Group – a consortium of US investors led by Liverpool FC owner Fenway Sports – pumped $1.5 billion into PGA Tour Enterprises, the new for-profit company, three months ago.

READ MORE :Tiger Woods apparently injured ankle puts his The Masters participation in question

Approximately two thirds of that figure will be divvied up as equity to 193 golfers, although with $750 million to be split among the 36 superstars adjudged by the circuit to be most deserving the sums will be wildly different. Little wonder, therefore, that Monahan and his management team have been at pains to keep the breakdown confidential.

Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy to receive massive loyalty payouts from PGA Tour  after equity investment, per report - CBSSports.com

The Tour has already explained to its members that a primary factor in determining who obtains what is a metric called ‘career points’, which, as it says on the tin, awards marks for achievements on Tour for however long the players have been competing.

Other factors will be how they have fared in the Player Impact Program(PIP) – introduced three years ago largely to stave off the threat of the breakaway league – which rewards players who have had the largest impact on the Tour’s business: tickets, sponsorships, media consumption and fan engagement. Woods has already received $35 million in PIP payments, while McIlroy, who topped last year’s program, has pulled in $30.5 million from this source of income.

UPDATE :TIGER WOODS LISTED AS ACTIVE FOR MASTERS GOLF TOURNAMENT, FUELING SPECULATION OF AUGUSTA NATIONAL RETURN

Inevitably, Woods, with 82 Tour titles, will be miles clear in the overall standings and insiders forecast he could secure as much as two times more than any other player in the sliding-scale system.

PGA Giving Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Others Massive Payouts

Phil Mickelson would have been second had he not jumped ship to LIV – the rebels are obviously excluded – although the new entity and this scheme would almost certainly not have come to fruition but for the formation of the Saudi-funded league and, in part, Mickelson’s role in the sporting civil war.

With three victories in the FedEx Cup – basically the PGA Tour money list – McIlroy will be Woods’s nearest pursuer and there will follow the likes of Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, who will be due equity worth about $30 million.

Annual equity awards for other PGA players

Of course, with Jon Rahm landing an upfront fee of $450 million to defect late last year, all of these names would have acquired far, far more if they had succumbed to the Saudi offers. And this record payday does not mean money in the bank. The recipients will be told how many equity units they have been granted and what the fair market value is at this juncture. They will not be able to cash in immediately and then suddenly sign for LIV.

Inside Tiger Woods' blueprint for a massive 2024

After four years, 50 per cent of their equity will be vested, with another 25 per cent two years later and the remaining amount two years after that. They will also have to fall in line with the rules, which as well as not decamping, involve meeting the minimum requirements for Tour membership and, if not, providing services such as sponsors meets and media appearances.

RELATED :Tiger Woods: How the absence of the heartbeat of golf at The Players Championship is being felt

The lucky three dozen will rub their hands, but the next 64 players will also collect $75 million in equity between them. The next tranche will see a total of 57 players sharing $30 million and another $75 million will be carved up between the 36 players considered living legends who have retired. In each group, career points will be the overriding determinant. Going forward, the Tour has pledged to award equity of $100 million on an annual basis rewarding those such as second-year sensation Ludvig Aberg who are quickly picking up career points.

Tiger Woods faces the loss of a most valuable tool—his competitive edge |  Golf News and Tour Information | GolfDigest.com

Naturally, the equity will grow, despite the Tour’s recent poor TV ratings as the dilution of talent because of the split takes its toll. Nobody is expecting it to fall. And if the Tour can agree a deal with the Saudi Public Investment Fund in the ongoing negotiations then the players hope their stocks could explode. If that remains uncertain then at least one thing appears assured: the current batch of professionals are not going poor anytime soon.

Korea’s Tom Kim will play alongside Tiger Woods in the first season of the TGL for the four-man Jupiter Links Golf Club, the club and the PGA announced in a press release Monday.

Joining them on the roster are Max Homa, a six-time PGA champion, and Kevin Kisner, with four PGA wins.

Kim, 21, was previously confirmed to be on the roster for the TGL, a team golf league backed by Woods and Rory McIlroy set to launch in January 2025, but was not yet committed to a team.

READ MORE :Tiger Woods apparently injured ankle puts his The Masters participation in question

“I am so excited about playing in the TGL format with this group of guys. Obviously, I grew up inspired by Tiger Woods, but Max and Kevin are two of my favorite guys out on Tour. Both are genuinely good guys, but both also have a similar competitive fire.” Kim said in the press release Monday. “It will be incredible to join these guys as teammates. To talk strategy with Tiger in a true competition is something I never dreamed could happen.”

Tom Kim tells hilarious childhood story of his first interaction with Tiger  Woods | This is the Loop | GolfDigest.com

Kim, with three career wins on the PGA Tour, is the youngest player on the team. He won his first two, the Wyndham Championship in 2022 and the first Shriners Children’s Open of 2023, before turning 21 years old, becoming the youngest player to achieve that feat since Woods, who did it five years before Kim was born.

“Tom is so good and a very underrated player in my opinion. He stepped up for the International Team at the Presidents Cup [in 2022] when they needed it, which as a rookie, is no easy task. I’m excited to have him on the team,” Woods said in the press release.

UPDATE :TIGER WOODS LISTED AS ACTIVE FOR MASTERS GOLF TOURNAMENT, FUELING SPECULATION OF AUGUSTA NATIONAL RETURN

The TGL is set to pit six teams of players on the PGA Tour against one another at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida in a faster-paced, teched-out version of the sport. The golf league will run in a format similar to professional team sports, earning points for wins and a chance to move up on a six-team table.

The best of the action from day four of the Shriners Children's Open at TPC  Summerlin in Las Vegas.

Each team, representing clubs based in Jupiter, Atlanta, Boston, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, will play five matches for a spot in the playoffs. Each player will be hooked up to a mic.

The first three matches of the TGL have been scheduled to premiere on consecutive Tuesdays in January and will also be broadcast on ESPN.

JUST IN :Tiger Woods: How the absence of the heartbeat of golf at The Players Championship is being felt

The first match is scheduled for January 7, 2025.

Salacious rumors about Tiger Woods possibly using performance-enhancing drugs in the midst of his stellar golf career have been around for years.

Former PGA Tour star Mark Lye mentioned the rumors again on Monday in an interview with OutKick’s “Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich.” Dakich asked whether “it was felt by many around golf – people that really know – that Tiger Woods has used ‘roids in the past or may have used ‘roids in the past?”

READ MORE :Tiger Woods celebrates with his son Charlie as 15-year-old receives high school state championship ring days before dad is expected to make much anticipated return at The Masters

“Yes, that is. It is except for the people in Tiger’s corner. ‘You better shut up about it.’ Nobody ever gone out like that,” Lye said. “Nobody’s ever said that like I’m saying it right now. There’s just no doubt. And I would say about 80 or 90% of the people out there know something ain’t right.”

Tiger Woods' new Masters reality filled with special, hidden moments

Lye, who won on the PGA Tour in 1983 and finished tied for sixth at the 1984 Masters, didn’t get into specifics, but rumors about Woods and steroids have popped up in the past.

Woods’ treatment from controversial Canadian doctor Anthony Galea was detailed in the 2014 book “Blood Sport: Alex Rodriguez, Biogenesis and the Quest to End Baseball’s Steroid Era.” Woods’ former swing coach, Hank Haney, told Golf Digest at the time he never saw Woods do “anything like that” and was unsure “how it would help him.”

JUST IN :TIGER WOODS LISTED AS ACTIVE FOR MASTERS GOLF TOURNAMENT, FUELING SPECULATION OF AUGUSTA NATIONAL RETURN

Former PGA Tour player Dan Olsen said in July 2015, without evidence, that Woods was secretly suspended from the organization for failing a drug test.

Tiger Woods Makes History at 2024 Masters Tournament with 24th Consecutive  Cut

Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg, and the PGA Tour both denied the claim. Steinberg said at the time that the claims were “absolutely, unequivocally and completely false.” Olsen later retracted his claim.

RELATED :Tiger Woods: How the absence of ‘the heartbeat of golf at The Players Championship is being felt

Steinberg didn’t immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on Lye’s remarks.

Tiger Woods’ ankle is not looking good lately with The Masters in sight

Despite Tiger Woods‘ attempts to return to his best form in recent years, the reality is that he really struggles with multiple types of physical pains or problems. Right now, the Masters is starting next week and Tiger’s participation is suddenly in question due to a new injury. the legendary golfer has been suffering from a plantar fascitis injury that has kept him away from the game for a while. In 2023, Woods only completed a total of 43 holes during last-years tournament. The Augusta National is one of the most complicated golf courses in the world with a grueling walk from all accounts. Amid his ongoing issues, there is a possibility Tiger Woods doesn’t even make it to this tournament.

The Masters: Tiger Woods unreal 2019 win CBS Sports Special revealed -  SBNation.com

Folks with low mobility or physical issues that affects their walking are the ones who struggle the most in Augusta. Currently, reports confirmed that Tiger Woods has absolutely no mobility in one of his ankles. With that problem in mind, there is a good chance Tiger will have to wait for next week to see if the pain is no longer there. No announcement has come from the golf legend about this yet. The Masters has a whopping 72 holes, which mans he will have to prepare himself for next week. Woods has Augusta as the next tournament on his schedule but we still have to hear from him directly. He is supposed to speak to the media later on Friday.

Tiger Woods’ close friend thinks he will miss the tournament

Tiger Woods to Unveil 'Next Chapter' After Nike Deal | BoF

Woods’ friend Notah Begay III said this in a conference call: “He’s trying to formulate a strategy and approach that he can work within given the constraints that he’s presented with. And he’s got some constraints. He’s got zero mobility in that left ankle and really has low-back challenges now, which he knew he was going to have. For the past couple months, he’s been trying to find a way to recover. He can play the golf. We always knew the question was going to be: ‘Can he walk the 72 (holes)?’ That’s still up in the air. But can he recover, from one round to the next? That’s the biggest question that I really don’t know and he’s not going to know either until he gets out there and figures out whether the way he’s prepared for this year’s Masters is going to work for him.”

Tiger Woods is going all in for his Masters return.

Except for the one thing that the golfing legend is reportedly cutting out.

The 15-time major winner is set to compete for the first time since the Genesis Invitational in February, where he withdrew in round two due to illness.

READ MORE :TIGER WOODS LISTED AS ACTIVE FOR MASTERS GOLF TOURNAMENT, FUELING SPECULATION OF AUGUSTA NATIONAL RETURN

Woods has only played in one serious event since undergoing ankle surgery after pulling out of the 2023 Masters.

To keep up with the biggest modern names in golf, the 48-year-old is reportedly making a big change to his lifestyle for Masters week.

Tiger Woods pulls out ‘wildest move in golf history’ during long-drive  contest with podcaster

“He’s focused,” a friend of Woods told the New York Post. “He’s working really hard in the gym. He’s eating right. He’s even eliminated sex.

“He does that now when he’s preparing: no sex until the tournament is over. He doesn’t want anything to take away his focus.”

JUST IN :Tiger Woods: How the absence of ‘the heartbeat of golf’ at The Players Championship is being felt

Woods’ golf career has been off track in recent years after a life-threatening car accident in February 2022.

Many expected his professional golf career to be over but the American has managed to get himself in incredible shape.

While Woods now only competes in the biggest events, his legacy is secure: he’s won 82 PGA Tour events, made more than £120million on Tour, and has five Masters wins (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2019).

Tiger Woods | Biography, Majors, Masters, Leg Injury, & Facts | Britannica

That last Masters title still gives current fans hope that Woods can regain the form that once made him the undisputed greatest golfer in the world and a must-watch any time he was on TV.

When Woods hits the course next week in Augusta, he will be making his 26th Masters appearance.

Woods is one of only three golfers in history with at least four Green Jackets, joining Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.

RELATED :Pro golfers lament Tiger Woods absence in the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass

According to his friend, Woods has supreme focus as most highly-anticipated tournament of the golfing calendar approaches.

Tour Confidential: Tiger Woods' Masters prep, Nelly's streak, Scottie's  month

“The Masters is Tiger’s must-play event every year,” the friend said. “He’s working very hard, spending hours in the gym, practicing, taking care of himself. He wants to play, and he always plays to win.

There aren’t many names that go together better than Tiger Woods and the Masters.

With Woods likely to make his next competitive appearance next month at Augusta National, we dug back into the archives of GOLF Subpar to check out stories from some of our guests about the five-time Masters champ.

Keep reading below for some of the best Tiger Woods Masters stories you may have missed from Tony Finau, Xander Schauffele, Paul Casey and Justin Thomas.

Tony Finau shot a third-round 64 at the 2019 Masters that jumped him into contention for his first major title. But that also meant, due to the final-round tee times being pushed to the morning due to weather, that he’d be in the final threesome with Woods.

READ MORE ;Tiger Woods celebrates with his son Charlie as 15-year-old receives high school state championship ring days before dad is expected to make much anticipated return at The Masters

“I’ve dreamed since I was a kid of competing against Tiger, playing against him in the final group, being paired with him in the final group of a Masters or a U.S. Open,” Finau told Knost and Stoltz in 2020. “Of course I was nervous, but, you know, it didn’t feel the way I thought it would on Sunday.”

Charlie Woods gets championship ring while Tiger Woods, Elin watch

If he was expecting Woods to be chatty while he chased down his 15th major, he was mistaken. After the two exchanged pleasantries on the 1st hole, Finau said he didn’t hear a word from Woods until No. 7.

“Tiger and I are walking next to each other off the tee and I said, ‘Hey, Tiger,’” Finau said. “You know, it’s kind of awkward. I’m like, how come he’s not talking to you? Yeah. I should say something to him. So I’m like, ‘Hey, Tiger, how’s the kids,’ you know?

RELATED ;Tiger Woods Registered for 2024 Masters Tournament; Full Player List Revealed

“And he’s like, ‘Oh, they’re doing fine.’ And he just laser-eyed, straight down the fairway and just kept on walking. And from that point on I said, ‘Well, I guess I know where his attitudes are.’”

Finau said he didn’t speak to Woods again until he congratulated him on the victory.

Finau ended up tying for fifth that week, Xander Schauffele was one of the three runners-up to Woods.

4 awesome Tiger Woods Masters stories you might have missed

“It’s funny, finishing second there doesn’t hurt as much, I think, as other finishes I’ve had, just because at the end of the day, you know, I sat there waiting for him to go into scoring,” Schauffele said. “Basically it was a historical moment.”

UPDATE ;Charlie Woods will struggle to emulate his father Tiger after his AJGA finish

Schauffele said the scene of fans erupting when Woods came in from the final green was like a basketball game.

Charlie Woods has some bling on his finger – celebrating his high school state championship in golf with The Benjamin School in Palm Beach, Florida.

Images of a beaming Charlie and his fellow teammates made the rounds as ‘the Bucs’ enjoyed the fruits of their success.

READ MORE ;TIGER WOODS LISTED AS ACTIVE FOR MASTERS GOLF TOURNAMENT, FUELING SPECULATION OF AUGUSTA NATIONAL RETURN

Tiger and his ex-wife Elin were there to celebrate alongside their son as he slipped the championship ring onto his finger with his friends.

Charlie shot a 78-76 over the course of two days while playing for The Benjamin School as his teammates won the FHSAA Class A boys golf state championship on Wednesday at Mission Inn Resort in Howey-In-The-Hills, Florida.

The 14-year-old Charlie was the fourth-best player on the five-man golf team and finished T-26 overall.

Tiger Woods' son, Charlie, chides legendary dad about his golf game | Fox  News

The Benjamin School clinched the title after sophomore Jake Valentine carded a birdie on hole 17 and sank a title-winning putt on the last hole.

Tiger watched on and cheered for Charlie throughout the tournament – where his son did something he never did while attending Western High School in Anaheim, California.

RELATED ;Tiger Woods comparisons inevitable for Scottie Scheffler after Players Championship win

At the time, the California Interscholastic Federation did not conduct a state championship.

Instead, he won the CIF’s SoCal Regional in 1991 and earned the title of Southern Section medalist in 1991, 1993, and 1994.

Tiger, Charlie Woods upstaged by Langer duo at PNC Championship - Los  Angeles Times

Woods also was the then-youngest golfer to win the US Junior Amateur in 1991.

UPDATE ;Tiger Woods: How the absence of the heartbeat of golf at The Players Championship is being felt

Tiger is expected to be playing at The Masters in just a few weeks time. The 15-time major champion’s name is on the list of competitors expected to roll up to Augusta National, but Woods hasn’t formally revealed his plans.

Charlie Woods had a rather unremarkable start to his American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) career at the Will Lowery Junior Championship, posting rounds of 78, 81, and 78, respectively. His combined score of 21-over par over the 54-hole event landed him in a tie for 32nd place out of 51 competitors.

Meanwhile, Patmon Malcom dominated the tournament, finishing a notable eight strokes ahead of the competition with an impressive score of 7-under par after consistent rounds of 69, 70, and 70.

READ MORE ;Tiger Woods comparisons inevitable for Scottie Scheffler after Players Championship win

Charlie, who recently turned 15, received a sponsor’s invitation to participate in the tournament. Notably, his father, Tiger Woods, made a special appearance to support him, interrupting his schedule after holding discussions with LIV Golf chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan.

Charlie’s performance throughout the tournament was a mixed bag. In the first round, he managed to card birdies on the 6th, 7th, and 14th holes but struggled with five bogeys and consecutive double bogeys on the 2nd and 3rd holes, resulting in a 6-over 78.

Tiger Woods' son, Charlie, chides legendary dad about his golf game | Fox  News

How did Woods perform in the second round?

His struggles continued into the second round, marked by eight bogeys and another double bogey, with only one birdie to balance his score, leaving him at 15-over par and tied for 40th place.

UPDATE ;Tiger Woods Registered for 2024 Masters Tournament; Full Player List Revealed

During the final round, Charlie faced another challenging start with early bogeys and double bogeys. Despite a birdie on the 17th and consecutive birdies on the 3rd and 4th holes, he struggled to maintain consistency, ultimately finishing with a 6-over 78 for the round and maintaining his T32 position overall.

Tiger Woods Caddies for Son Charlie, 14, as He Earns Spot in Golf  Championship

While it was undoubtedly a tough debut for Charlie, the experience serves as a valuable learning opportunity for the young golfer. Notably, his inclusion in the tournament garnered significant media and fan attention, leading to heightened security measures at the event, likely in response to previous incidents of unruly fan behavior during his attempts to qualify for PGA Tour events. Despite the challenges, Charlie’s debut in the AJGA showcases his potential and sets the stage for future growth and development in his golfing career.