Not his best day on the greens, but Charlie Woods had his mother by his side. Elin Nordegren was in attendance as Charlie Woods fell short in his bid to qualify for a PGA Tour event qualifier.
At the Lost Lake Golf Club, the 15-year-old shot 16-over 86, thanks to a 12 on the par-4 7th, to miss the mark. While also putting up with unruly spectator behavior, Woods Jr. was without the team that generally accompanies him on the course.
Apart from his entourage during school events, Tiger Woods has been on his bag several times. With the 15-time Major champion recovering from influenza, Charlie Woods had his mother rooting for him. This, however, was not the first time Elin Nordegren came to cheer for her kids after her split with Tiger Woods in 2010.
Elin Nordegren was present at the 2020 PNC Championship
At the 2020 PNC Championship, Charlie Woods made his debut in front of the world. It has become a yearly outing for the Woods family since, with Sam Woods joining the father-son duo as their caddie in the 2023 edition. With 2020 being the first time Tiger and Charlie played together, Elin Nordegren made it a point to be there to support Team Woods as her son embarked on the journey to follow Tiger’s footsteps. She also had her daughter Sam for company outside the ropes.
That was the first testament that Woods and Nordegren had mastered the art of co-parenting. Notah Begay III, a close family friend, told Golf.com at that time, “Tiger and Elin have made it such a huge priority to protect the interests of their kids and their privacy.” Begay added, “I talked about Tiger being at all those soccer games and youth activities—well, Elin’s right there and right next to them.”
Speaking of soccer, Tiger Woods said this in 2019: “They’re keen into soccer. If they want to play golf, that’s great. If they don’t, that’s fine, too. It’s so much fun to see how happy and passionate they are about soccer.” While Charlie switched lanes to golf, Sam seems to have stuck to soccer. And her mother’s been there for her as well!
Nordegren became a soccer coach for her daughter
Sam Woods may be a varsity soccer player for the Benjamin Buccaneers now, but her journey started long ago. And Nordegren has been there throughout. In 2013 – when Sam was 5 and Charlie was 3 – the former model was spotted on a soccer field in Jupiter, Florida, sitting on the sidelines and cheering for her kids. As the Woods siblings played their match, a striking detail caught everyone’s attention.
While her twin sister, Josefin, accompanied her in an athleisure outfit, Elin was sporting a jersey, sweatpants, and a baseball cap. But the “COACH” clearly visible on her jersey pointed to the fact that she was the coach for her daughter’s team. Apart from her love for skiing, golf, and participating in the occasional triathlon, it seems like the former model is also a fan of soccer. It’s no wonder where Sam got her talent from.
Unsurprisingly, this wasn’t the only time she accompanied her children to the soccer field.
Elin Nordegren took her kids to soccer practice
While she was Sam’s coach in their 2013 outing, she likely just played the role of a supportive parent in 2021. This time, she was accompanying Charlie to a soccer practice the same week Tiger Woods was in a near-fatal car accident. Sam tagged along with them, and Nordegren also took her 1-year-old baby, Arthur, whom she had with Jordan Cameron.
Despite their split, Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren have been the parent figures their children needed them to be. And they still are. Part of the reason is the relationship they still have. In a 2015 interview with TIME, Tiger revealed, “She’s one of my best friends. We’re able to pick up the phone, and we talk to each other all the time. We both know that the most important things in our lives are our kids. She is one of my best friends now, and it’s all because of my kids. We’ve worked so hard at co-parenting.”