Tiger Woods and Michael Phelps are considered two of the greatest athletes in the United States of America.
Tiger Woods [R] and Michael Phelps [L] Credit: USA TODAY Sports
Where Woods has won a record-tying 82 PGA Tour titles, including 15 major titles, Phelps is the most successful Olympian with 28 medals consisting of 23 gold medals. But are these two greatest of all-time friends?
Well, yes! Both Woods and Phelps are really good friends. Even in 2019, the Flying Fish was seen cheering for the legendary golfer during the Masters Tournament. The television camera captured both of them watching the ball while the golfer was seen murmuring, “Come on. Come on. Come on.”
Interestingly, both Tiger Woods and Michael Phelps had a mid-career crisis due to tarnishing public image. Back in 2004, the 28-time Olympic medal winner was arrested on the charges of DUI. Later on, an image of him went viral for using a smoking bong in 2008. However, that did not have any effect on his swimming career.
On the other hand, it was claimed that Woods had an extramarital affair while he was married to Elin Nordegren in 2009. Just days later, he met with an accident halting his career for a while. As time passed, multiple other women claimed to have had affairs with the golfer. Later on, in 2010, he and his wife filed a divorce. But that was not all for the legendary golfer, he was arrested for DUI in 2017. Despite multiple controversies around him, the American went on to win the Masters Tournament in 2019.
When Michael Phelps Came Out In Support Of Tiger Woods
Back in 2009, when multiple women came out claiming to have had affairs with Woods, the golfer saw a huge blow to his public image. During that time Phelps, in an interview, shared an empathetic statement for the PGA Tour pro. On Demand News shared the video on YouTube in which the Flying Fish said,
“I’d be the first to admit I’ve made a lot of mistakes both in and out of the pool. But of the mistakes, I’ve made I’ve never made the same mistake again. I’ve become a much stronger person, and I’ve helped other people not make the same mistakes.”
Michael Phelps advised Tiger Woods to look out for his “actual friends” and wished the best to him and his family.
“You see who your actual friends are and who supports you. I will say I’m wishing the best for him and his family at a time like this”
This was not the only time when Michael Phelps talked about Tiger Woods. Even after the golfer won the 2019 Masters, the 28-time Olympic medal heaped praises for the fellow compatriot. This shows the kind of friendship these two greatest American athletes share.