Tiger's story gets better and better

[doc mercer]

While drama surrounding Tiger Woods' affair continues to be played out in the media, two sources close to Tiger Woods' wife are filling in the blanks about what triggered the Thanksgiving Day scandal. The Daily Beast's Gerald Posner reveals that days before the National Enquirer released a story claiming Woods had an affair with Rachel Uchitel, Woods swore to Elin Nordegren it was completely false.

To further cover up his lies, Woods convinced Uchitel to talk to Elin and deny they were having an affair. The two women spoke by phone for about half an hour, but Elin wasn't ready to accept that the relationship was just platonic and plotted a "sting operation."The following day, Elin learned some of the Enquirer's specifics about the alleged affair, leading to another argument. The sources claim Woods decided to end the bickering by taking Ambien and going to sleep. After he fell asleep, Elin looked through his cellphone and discovered one text message sent to Uchitel that said, "You are the only one I've loved."

Shortly after 1 a.m. in Florida, Elin began texting Uchitel, pretending to be Tiger. Elin wrote, "I miss you," and asked, "When are we seeing each other again?" Uchitel texted back, seemingly surprised that Woods was awake. To Elin, the response indicated that the two of them spoke earlier that night, before Tiger took went to bed. At that point, Elin called Uchitel, who answered thinking it was Tiger calling. Both sources said that Elin said something approximating, "I knew it was you." Uchitel's surprised reply, according to what Elin told one source: "Oh f--k." She immediately hung up.

In a rage, Elin reportedly woke up Woods, who immediately locked himself in the bathroom. When he came out, Elin grabbed his phone and found a text he sent Uchitel warning her that Elin had discovered the affair and implying that divorce was imminent.

"She simply exploded, trying to hit him on the chest and arms with her fists, and then finally chasing him from the house while she wielded a golf club. Shoeless, he ran into the car and barreled out of the driveway before careening off a fire hydrant and then smashing into a tree," the Daily Beast reports.

Neither source said they knew the details of how the rear windows in the Escalade were knocked out, though one source says that the story Tiger told police at the accident scene about Elin smashing them in an attempt to free him from the wreck was a lie designed to protect his wife so she wouldn't be guilty of battery charges.

Over the weekend, Elin reportedly spent several days with her husband at Gentle Path in Hattiesburg, Mississippi where she participated in his treatment program. Elin was there for five days and hired private security to keep her from being photographed by the paparazzi. "The marriage is not over. They both want to save it," a source familiar with the situation told RadarOnline.

• •