Tiger's College Sweetheart: He Deserves a Second Chance

Tiger's college girlfriend speaks out about the golfer's scandal

Tiger Woods' ex-girlfriend thinks the storm surrounding the golfer's admission of infidelity "will only make him stronger," People.com reported.

Irene Folstrom, 35, dated the golfer while they were undergrads at Stanford. They broke up when he left the school and turned pro after his sophomore year.

"He is an ironman. He gets thru adversity. Those other players, they better watch out," she said of Woods' eventual return to golf.

Folstrom hasn't spoken to Woods in more than 10 years, but she thinks he deserves a second chance, according to People. She explained that a mutual friend in closer contact with the golfer assures her that he is dedicated to repairing his relationship with his wife, model Elin Nordegren. "He is willing to do whatever it takes to salvage his marriage and his reputation and his professional life," she says.

"It was a complete surprise because the Tiger I know would never have done anything like this," she said. "He has so much self-control and is so disciplined. When he married Elin, I thought he would settle down ... I don't know where it fell apart.

She said he never cheated on her and remembers Woods as a "dork" who was "scrawny and wore thick glasses" who didn't have "a lot of female attention."

But she also recalled Woods as a focused athlete who was up at 6:30 a.m. practicing his game. "He had an immense amount of self-control," she said. 

Sports Connection

Connecting you to your favorite North Texas sports teams as well as sports news around the globe.

Watch kids adorably fill out Sweet 16 bracket based on team mascots

Kids make March Madness picks based on mascots

"He was never a party animal, never reckless," she said. "He was always very guarded of himself and his friends. He kept his circle very tight and that's the way it is right now."

Folstrom said she "supports him 100%." And while she doesn't approve of his prowling, she is confident that he'll soon return to dominate the golf course.

Contact Us