'Love is in the air': Woods confirms Vanessa Trump romance

Tiger Woods has confirmed his relationship with the former daughter-in-law of US President Donald Trump, publishing two images to social media in a post that said: "Love is in the air."

Woods and Vanessa Trump, who was married to Donald Trump Jr, had been seen at Torrey Pines in San Diego along with her daughter, Kai, when Woods arrived for the final round to hand out the trophy to the winner of the Genesis Invitational. He is the tournament host.

Kai Trump goes to the Benjamin School with Woods' two children, Sam and Charlie. She and Charlie competed by invitation at a high-profile junior golf tournament last week.

"Love is in the air and life is better with you by my side! We look forward to our journey through life together," Woods said on X, where he has 6.4 million followers.

He added: "At this time we would appreciate privacy for all those close to our hearts."

One photo shows Woods and Vanessa Trump lying in a hammock with her arm draped across his chest as he gazes skyward.

Woods and Vanessa Trump have featured in gossip columns for the last several weeks. She was married to Donald Trump Jr for 12 years. They had five children together.

Woods announced on March 11 that he had ruptured his left Achilles tendon, knocking him out of the Masters and likely for the rest of the year.

It was not clear what prompted Woods, who keeps his personal life fiercely private, to publish photos confirming the relationship. It was reminiscent of 2013, when he and Lindsey Vonn both posted photos of themselves together to confirm they were dating.

Woods said at the time that he and Vonn "wanted to limit the 'stalkarazzi' and all those sleazy websites that are out there following us", saying it could lead to dangerous situations involving his children. He also said their photos would devalue anything the paparazzi had.

Woods has two children from his marriage to Elin Nordegren, who divorced him 2010 after it was exposed he'd engaged in multiple extramarital affairs.

His only other public relationship was with Erica Herman, which lasted about seven years until he ended it in October 2022. It was a messy split, and Herman eventually dismissed lawsuits against Woods and the trust that owns his south Florida estate, where she had been living.

Agencies via Xinhua