Golf legend Tiger Woods made a surprise appearance at the White House on Thursday. It was his first visit to Washington, D.C. since he publicized his romance with Vanessa, ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr.
A photo posted by Indiana Senator Jim Banks showed him posing alongside the 15-time major champion. The reason for Woods' visit was unclear, but he has attended meetings with the President amid ongoing negotiations between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.
This public sighting is one of the few since Woods, 49, suffered an Achilles rupture in March, which raised concerns about his golfing future. In March, Woods made his relationship with Vanessa public on social media.
President Trump expressed his approval of the couple, saying, "I love Tiger and I love Vanessa," and wished them well. "Tiger actually called me a few months ago. I have a very special relationship with Tiger. He's a fanatic guy. He told me about it, and I said, 'Tiger, that's good, that's good.' I'm very happy for both. Just let them both be happy. Let them both be happy. They're both great.", reports the Irish Star.
President Trump expressed his disappointment over the end of his son's marriage to 47 year old Vanessa. The couple, who tied the knot in 2005, decided to part ways in 2018. The President attributes their split to the intense scrutiny Donald Jr. faced during a 2016 "witch hunt," when he was under fire for meeting with a Russian lawyer.
This incident sparked allegations of collusion with the Kremlin, which the President believes played a significant role in the dissolution of their marriage.
"[Donald Jr. and Vanessa] had a great relationship," President Trump stated. "I happen to think the relationship with my son was hurt very badly with the witch hunt. 'Russia, Russia, Russia'. All the c— they put Don through. Vanessa and Don have a great relationship. Five great children. They broke up quite a while ago, which to me was very sad."
In March 2023, Woods made his relationship with Vanessa public via a social media post. He shared two photos of them together and wrote: "Love is in the air and life is better with you by my side! We look forward to our journey through life together. At this time we would appreciate privacy for all those close to our hearts."
Woods and the President share a long-standing friendship, thanks to the latter's passion for golf. They even played a round together in Florida in February, right before the Super Bowl. After their game, Trump flew to New Orleans to watch the match.
Woods has been out of the professional golf scene since he missed the cut at last year's Open Championship at Royal Troon. He did make a few cameos in his newly-formed simulator golf league, TGL, earlier this year before he was sidelined by an injury. The setback is likely to keep him out for the remainder of the season.
The golf icon was stepping up his efforts to get back on the green when disaster struck. Woods shared, "As I began to ramp up my own training and practice at home, I felt a sharp pain in my left Achilles, which was deemed to be ruptured," making the announcement on March 11.
Later, Woods revealed, "This morning, Dr. Charlton Stucken of Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach, Florida performed a minimally-invasive Achilles tendon repair for a ruptured tendon. I am back home now and plan to focus on my recovery and rehab, thank you for all the support."
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Tiger Woods visits White House for first time since Donald Trump relationship emerged – The Mirror US
