NBC Today Show
January 19, 2021
Elin Nordgren interview
Savannah Guthrie: Good morning, everyone. It seems like forever ago, but just under three weeks ago, only on NBC, two of Tiger Woods' former women, Elin Nordgren .... his, of course, ex-wife .... and Lindsay Vonn, the Olympic medal-winning skiier, engaged in an absolute exhilarating, thrilling New Year's Eve fistfight. We had HOPED to interview the two combatants .... the two ladies .... later that week. But as many of you have heard, both women needed to be hospitalized after their battle .... well, their war, really .... but one of those ladies was released last evening .... the winner, as you might expect ..... Elin Nordgren .... and she is here with me this morning to give her perspective on the big fight. Elin, welcome, how are you feeling?
Elin Nordgren: Good morning, Savannah. I'm feeling well. I'm anxious to get back home to Sweden, of course. But no regrets, none whatsoever.
SG: I notice the bite marks on your chin.....
EN: Well, as they say Savannah, you should see the other girl.
SG: And, of course, many of us have seen the hospital photos of Lindsay .... who, I might add, remains hospitalized ..... Elin, did you anticipate that your fight with Lindsay would get so .... vicious?
EN: Well, Savannah .... a fight is a fight .... any girlfight ..... but when a broken marriage is involved, anything goes. I flew 8,000 miles for this fight and it was, .... what? 11 years in the making? ..... so I was going to get my money's worth, once I got my hands on Lindsay. And I expect, of course, that she felt the same.
SG: Elin, the timing of this fight was interesting, because HBO is of course airing a multi-part special on Tiger, and one of the many surprises of that series has been the loyalty shown to Tiger .... to this day ..... by the many former associates .... including lovers and gitlfriends .... that he has jettisoned over the years, sometimes in quite .... circumstances of betrayal. Elin, was the antagonism Lindsay and you demonstrated to each other in your fistfight part of that loyalty?
EN: Well, Savannah, I will say ..... I don't know that I fully understand your question ..... nor, I will add, have I been watching the HBO series .... but in the case of Lindsay .... I think you might be mixing topics, Savannah .... Lindsay wasn't one of the women Tiger dated during his marriage to me ..... so she and I never shared him, there was no overlap....
SG: So .... fair point, Elin ..... I guess what my question is .... Well, what WAS it??..... what IS it??.... the hate between you and her ..... just, obvious, visceral hatred ..... where is that coming from, Elin?
EN: Well, I think what you have with Lindsay Vonn is ..... and you've seen this with other ex-Olympians .... Michael Phelps has spoken to this, even Bruce Jenner, a bit .... they train train train train for the Olympics, and then .... whoosh ..... nothing. It's all gone. <<snaps fingers>> Gone. All at once. So I think they fill the void ..... they grasp for something to fill the void with. And with Lindsay, it was someone .... blonde .... worldly ... that she can't measure up to.
SG: Which is you?
EN: Which is me. Which, Savannah I happily reciprocate. I hate that bitch. So, we had at it .... had at each other. All out. It was great.
SG: And.... so where do things stand now between you and her?
EN: I guess you'll have to ask her. But if she's not over it .... well, I guess we go again. We've all been there, Savannah, right? That bitch you just can't stand? Well, maybe I'm that to her.
SG: Elin, you KNOW I'll ask her that. Hopefully soon.
EN: The sooner the better.
