Tiger Woods and girlfriend Vanessa Trump are five months into a relationship they have managed to keep very private.
The golf legend has been enjoying the company of President Donald Trump’s former daughter-in-law while nursing his torn Achilles tendon in Florida.
Their low-key romance is going strong, boasting movie nights, takeout and time spent with their children. But Woods’ friends initially warned him against dating Trump because of politics, the Daily Mail can reveal.
A source said his inner circle confronted him with ‘concerns’ that the link could tarnish his brand.
But, they said, he had a blunt response: ‘F*** what people think.’
Now, the two are enjoying dating like any normal couple, the source said, but they lay off the public displays of affection when making rare appearances in public.
Tiger Woods and Vanessa Trump posted PDA-packed photos together after news of their relationship became public
‘Tiger has always been publicly apolitical,’ the insider told the Daily Mail.
‘He has his beliefs and opinions, of course, but he doesn’t make a public spectacle of his political leanings. And dating someone in a political family looks like he’s choosing a side.’
The source says Woods, who has known the president for years, understood the concerns but ultimately ignored them.
‘He didn’t care one bit.’
‘You can’t really tell Tiger to do something he doesn’t want to do,’ the insider added.
‘And he felt like this was an important enough relationship to go public with. If someone has a problem, that’s on them, not him.’
‘He still doesn’t think of it as being anything political – she’s his girlfriend who happens to have the Trump last name.’
Woods, 49, and Trump, 47, initially went to great lengths to keep their romance under wraps by avoiding public places and not talking about each other with their friends.
The couple, who started dating around Thanksgiving, got their children’s blessings before moving into something serious.
Vanessa has five children with ex-husband, Donald Trump Jr., whom she married in 2005. The couple divorced in 2018.
Woods shares two children with ex-wife Elin Nordegren, to whom he was married from 2004 to 2010. They split after dozens of women alleged they had slept with the golfer, leading to a high profile and devastating sex scandal.
Despite the drama, Woods and Trump’s respective families have been largely supportive of their new romance.
‘The kids understood and were happy, and still are happy,’ says the insider. ‘It was more people thinking about his professional brand who worried about what would happen when the news came out.’
Last month, the Daily Mail exclusively broke the news of the relationship.
While it came as a surprise to the general public, it was an open secret at the $38,595 Benjamin School in Palm Beach, where both Woods and Trump send their children.
On March 23, Woods posted pictures with Vanessa on his Instagram and X accounts.
One snap showed them posed in front of a vine-filled wall while another captured them cuddling on a hammock.
‘Love is in the air and life is better with you by my side! We look forward to our journey through life together,’ Woods wrote at the time. ‘At this time we would appreciate privacy for all those close to our hearts.’
Despite the controversy that often surrounds the Trump name, the posts were generally well-received, garnering hundreds of thousands of likes and mostly positive comments.
One of the people to congratulate them was Vanessa’s former sister-in-law Ivanka Trump, who commented ‘So happy for you both’ followed by several heart emojis.
Kai Trump, Vanessa’s oldest daughter, also liked the post.
Woods had not had a high-profile romance in nearly two years before dating Vanessa Trump
Kai Trump, Vanessa’s oldest daughter has publicly expressed approval of her mother’s relationship with the golfer
President Donald Trump and Tiger Woods (in 2019) have been friendly for more than a decade
Woods and Trump have tried to keep a low profile in their Florida community
Even the President has weighed in on the relationship, telling reporters he was pleased with the pairing.
‘He told me about it, and I said, ‘Tiger, that’s good, that’s good.’ I’m very happy for you both. Just let them both be happy. Let them both be happy. They’re both great,’ Trump told reporters in early April.
Woods and Vanessa live approximately 20 minutes apart in Palm Beach, Florida. They generally avoid public places, opting to hang out at each other’s homes.
‘Movie nights, binge watching shows, eating take out – that makes them happy,’ said the insider. ‘They’re honestly just like everyone else in their dating life.
‘When they do go out in public, like they have for two different golf tournaments, they lay off the PDA.
‘Tiger has done a lot of crazy things with people, flown around the world,’ says the insider ‘So has Vanessa. It can be a lot.’
‘Now it’s nice to have someone who wants to stay home and chill. It’s a nice change for him.’
