Tiger Woods, Elin Nordegren, Charlie Woods get together to celebrate

The Palm Beach Post
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Tiger Woods and his ex-wife Elin Nordegren attended their son Charlie's high school ring celebration on Tuesday, March 26 commemorating the school's 2023 state championship in boys golf.

Charlie is a 15-year-old freshman at The Benjamin School, a prestigious private school with two campuses in Palm Beach County; one in Palm Beach Gardens, the other in North Palm Beach.

Tiger, 48, lives in Jupiter Island on the Martin County/Palm Beach County border, about 16 miles from Benjamin's North Palm Beach campus. Nordegren, 44, lives in Palm Beach Gardens.

During Tuesday's celebration at Benjamin's Upper Campus in Palm Beach Gardens, head coach Toby Harbeck, who has led the program to four state titles in 40 years, choked back tears during a passionate speech.

More: With latest addition, half of the world's top 10 golfers now call Palm Beach County home

"I told myself I wasn't going to do this," Harbeck said, wiping a wet cheek with his sleeve before telling the story of the night before the last match of the season when the team came back from four shots behind with six holes left to win the 1A title by a single stroke.

The day before that match, Harbeck said, "We sat in the hotel room and we talked about what we had to do ... I told them that when you win a state championship, no one can ever take that away from you.

"You can be 75 years old sitting in a chair with your grandkids on you and you can tell them, 'I was a state champion.' "

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Tiger Woods has won 15 major championships on the PGA Tour, second only to Jack Nicklaus, who lives in North Palm Beach. But Tiger Woods and his ex-wife were just parents Tuesday as they gleamed with pride as Charlie rocked the ring box back and forth in his hands, watching light dance on the jewelry's diamonds.

"You know, we don't call him Tiger. We call him Dad because he's Dad," Harbeck said. "And Charlie's not Tiger Woods' son, but he's Charlie, and that's the way they want it to be."

"Tiger's been there a lot — it's great to have him watching."

Harbeck recalled a story about Tiger. During a home match this season, the coach and the golfer were sitting together as the team shot a course-record 15-under. After the last shot, Tiger turned to Harbeck and said, 'What did we shoot, coach?' "

When told of the course record, Tiger said "Are you kidding me?," Harbeck recalled. Tiger then proceeded to shake all of the players' hands.

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Charlie has been in the spotlight recently because of his golfing; he tried but failed to qualify for the Cognizant Classic (formerly the Honda Classic) in February. The Cognizant Classic is played at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens; In December, father and son played in the PNC Championship in Orlando, the fourth consecutive year they've played in the parent-child scramble, according to PGATour.com.

Elin Nordegren, proud mother, watches her son Charlie's golf ring celebration

Elin Nordegren, left, poses for a picture with her son, Charlie Woods, to her right, as his father, Tiger Woods smiles during a ceremony to celebrate The Benjamin School boys golf team's 2023 state championship on March 26, 2024 in Palm Beach Gardens.
Elin Nordegren, left, poses for a picture with her son, Charlie Woods, to her right, as his father, Tiger Woods smiles during a ceremony to celebrate The Benjamin School boys golf team's 2023 state championship on March 26, 2024 in Palm Beach Gardens.

Nordegren, who modeled for a bit as a teen in her native Sweden, met Tiger through another pro golfer, Jesper Parnevik, who also is from Sweden.

Parnevik and his wife employed Nordegren as a nanny at their home in the exclusive Jupiter neighborhood of Indian Hills. Nordegren lived in a four-bedroom guest house on the property. Parnevik introduced Tiger to Nordegren.

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Jesper Parnevik is rushed by two of his daughters, 5-year-old Peg (left), and 3-year-old Penny, on the 18th green after winning the Honda Classic by a stroke on March 11, 2001 at the TPC at Heron Bay in Coral Springs. The Honda Classic eventually moved to PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens and is now called the Cognizant Classic.
Jesper Parnevik is rushed by two of his daughters, 5-year-old Peg (left), and 3-year-old Penny, on the 18th green after winning the Honda Classic by a stroke on March 11, 2001 at the TPC at Heron Bay in Coral Springs. The Honda Classic eventually moved to PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens and is now called the Cognizant Classic.

Woods and Nordegren married in 2004. Along with Charlie (middle name Axel), they also have a daughter, Sam Alexis. The couple, then living in the Orlando area, divorced in 2010 after the golf star's infidelities came to light.

After her divorce, Nordegren lived in a 26,000-square-foot house with 200 feet of shoreline in the Seminole Landing community in an unincorporated area near North Palm Beach. She sold it in 2020 for $28.6 million to Rockstar Energy Drink creator Russell Weiner.

Nordegren then paid $9.9 million for a six-bedroom, 16,841 square-foot house on two acres in the Old Palm Golf Club development in Palm Beach Gardens.

After the divorce, Nordegren earned a psychology degree from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, taking one class at a time until she graduated in 2014, according to People.com.

She gave her graduating class's commencement address, People.com reported.

"Education has been the only consistent part of my life the last nine years. And it has offered me comfort. Education is one thing that no one can take away from you," she said.

Where does Tiger Woods live?

Woods's estate is located just north of the Palm Beach-Martin county line. The 12-acre property stretches from the Intracoastal Waterway to the Atlantic Ocean. Woods’ backyard hosts a practice facility, a putting green, a 100-foot lap pool, a 60-foot diving pool, a spa and tennis and basketball courts. Woods reportedly paid $40 million.

Tiger Woods' businesses in Palm Beach County

Tiger Woods' restaurant called The Woods at Harbourside Place in Jupiter.
Tiger Woods' restaurant called The Woods at Harbourside Place in Jupiter.

Tiger Woods' The Woods restaurant in Harbourside Place, Jupiter

Tiger opened a restaurant at Harbourside Place in Jupiter in 2015 called The Woods.

Rumor has it that many pro golfers — and there are many who live in Palm Beach County — like to frequent the place.

According to a 2015 review of the place by Palm Beach Post food writer Liz Balmaseda, "The rib-eye sandwich is one of the best items on the menu, steak that is tender and flavorful and topped with Drunken Goat cheese. The bone-in pork chop is prepared to perfection. Even the prime burger needs nothing but its brioche bun – the patty is seasoned with bacon and onions."

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Tiger Woods is an investor in PopStroke, a tech-infused mini-golf course

Tiger Woods is an investor in Jupiter-based PopStroke miniature golf. Founded in 2018, it is a technology-infused sleek putting course, offering visitors “experiential golf.”

A PopStroke location opened in November 2023 in Delray Beach. Another is being built near Palm Beach International Airport near West Palm Beach.

More: Sneak peek at West Palm's new PopStroke: Restaurant, rooftop pool, putting greens, airport view

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Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy helped start tech golf league based in Gardens

Rendering of a metal golf arena planned to open January 2025 on the Palm Beach State College campus in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Rendering of a metal golf arena planned to open January 2025 on the Palm Beach State College campus in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Tiger Woods, along with fellow pro golfing star Rory McIlroy of Jupiter, are co-founders of an interactive golf league called TGL that will play in an arena on the Palm Beach Gardens campus of Palm Beach State College.

Play will begin in early 2025 at the arena, which will be called the SoFi Center.

Palm Beach Post sports reporter Emilee Smarr contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Tiger Woods, Elin Nordegren celebrate son Charlie's golf ring ceremony