Tiger named 'Athlete of the Decade"

Last updated: 17th December 2009

Sex scandal not withstanding, Tiger Woods has been named the 'Athlete of the Decade' in an Associated Press poll of US newspaper editors.

In their report of his latest accolade, senior PA reporter By Doug Ferguson wrote: "Even after a shocking sex scandal that tarnished Tiger Woods, it was tough to ignore what he achieved on the golf course."

Woods received 56 of the 142 votes cast by the editors of US newspapers that are members of the AP.

More than half of the ballots were returned after Wood's November 27 car accident outside his Florida home and a good many of those during the breaking news of the string of revelations about the extra-marital affairs he allegedly engaged in.

During the decade in question, Ferguson points out, Woods won 64 times around the world, 12 of these victories being in the majors and 14 others in World Golf Championship events.

He lost only one major after holding the lead going into the final round, this to Korean YE Yang at this year's PGA championship, and his 56 PGA Tour victories exceeded those of all other golfers over a decade and, indeed, all other golfers' career totals, save four of the greatest of all time.

He was No.1 in the world rankings for all but 32 weeks in the decade and earned prize money worth $81,547,410 which together with some of sports's largest endorsements, made him the world's first sports billionaire.

Woods, who has gone to ground since the accident and has issued only three statements on his website, was not available to comment about the AP award at a time when this good news for him may have been soured by the growing belief that Elin Nordegren, his estranged Swedish wife, is preparing to divorce him.

These claims stem from reports that she has been photographed in public without her wedding rings, that she has bought a luxury $2million dollar home on an island in Sweden, that a moving van was spotted at Woods' home on Tuesday and that she is planning to take the couple's children to her family in Sweden for the holidays.

On top of these, there is also a report in the latest People Magazine in which an unnamed 'source close to Nordegren' is quoted as saying: "She plans to leave Tiger.''

The same magazine quotes another 'reliable source' as saying, "She's made up her mind. There's nothing to think about: he's never going to change."