Scandal-hit Tiger Woods and wife divorce

The world's No. 1 golfer Tiger Woods and his Swedish wife Elin Nordegren said on Monday they had divorced following the torrid sex scandal that engulfed Woods late last year.

The news of the divorce between Woods, who is reputed to be the world's wealthiest sports star, and his wife, a blond former model and nanny, had been widely anticipated for months following his public confession of infidelity in a blaze of media publicity.

The pair were present at the Bay County Circuit Court in Florida when their marriage was dissolved.

Woods and Nordegren issued a statement that made no mention of any monetary settlement involved in the divorce and their lawyers declined to comment on the subject.

The statement said the divorce judgment provided for shared parenting of their two young children and asking for privacy for the family.

"We are sad that our marriage is over and we wish each other the very best for the future," said the joint statement, which was also posted on Wood's website http://web.tigerwoods.com.

Woods, a 14-time major champion, returned to the game in April after losing up to $35 million sponsorship revenue as his private life unraveled over allegations that surfaced in late November and December about affairs between him and several women. The revelations surfaced after a bizarre middle-of-the-night minor car accident at the couple's luxury Florida home.

"While we are no longer married, we are the parents of two wonderful children and their happiness has been, and will always be, of paramount importance to both of us," Woods and Nordegren said.

"The weeks and months ahead will not be easy for them as we adjust to a new family situation, which is why our privacy must be a principal concern."

Wood's golf game has been erratic since his return to the sport, which analysts said had hurt his income and market worth.

Woods had his worst finish on the US PGA Tour circuit at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational earlier this month, stringing together four over-par rounds to finish near the bottom.