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Tiger Woods has won The Tour Championship, securing his first PGA tour win in five years. Woods has the support of his family — including his two kids, Sam and Charlie — and that of his girlfriend, Erica Herman. Herman was on-hand to congratulate her boyfriend after his historic comeback victory on Sunday, September 23.
Woods and Herman first stepped out together in early 2017. Although they didn’t go public with their relationship in any kind of official way, the paparazzi caught them on various dates in California and in Florida.
This year, Herman, who met Woods through work (she was the manager of his Florida-based restaurant called The Woods), has been spotted cheering for Woods from the gallery at various courses.
Here is what you need to know:
1. She Has Been Dating Woods for More Than a Year & Kissed Him After His 2018 Tour Championship Win
Tiger Woods girlfriend: Moment Tiger whispers ‘I Love You’ to Erica Herman after HUGE win
Woods and Herman have been dating for more than a year and seem to be going strong, despite keeping their personal lives private. On September 23, the two shared a special moment together after Woods won the Tour Championship.
The pair were spotted together at the Presidents Cup last fall. Herman was wearing a “Player Spouse” badge as she clung to Woods’ side, which you can see in the photo below.
Herman, 33, has accompanied Woods to many other events since and has often been seen cheering him on from the gallery at various tournaments throughout the past year. Back in December, for example, Herman was seen with Woods’ two children at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.
“No one has signed any paperwork. It’s not like they’re pledging their lives to each other. But she’s really nice and Tiger likes her. Tiger doesn’t like to be alone… But he doesn’t like to settle. Not anymore. So when he’s with someone, he really needs to be into her,” a source told People Magazine in April.
2. She Was on Woods’ Arm at a World Series Game in Los Angeles Last October
In October 2017, Woods attended Game 2 of the World Series with Herman. The two were spotted together at Dodgers Stadium, and watched the Los Angeles Dodgers fall to the Houston Astros 7-6.
“They’re having fun. He’s not looking for anything serious now. She’s cool and he likes her,” a source told People Magazine.
Two days later, Woods was scheduled to plead guilty to a reckless driving charge in Jupiter, Florida.
“Woods was arrested May 29 when officers found him unconscious in his parked Mercedes-Benz. A toxicology report showed he had the active ingredient for marijuana, two painkillers, a sleep drug and an anti-anxiety drug but no alcohol in his system,” the Associated Press reported.
3. She Works in the Restaurant Business & Was the General Manager of The Woods
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Herman may have met Woods through her job. She has worked as the general manager of Tiger’s restaurant, located in Jupiter, Florida, for several months.
Back in February, Woods opened a pop-up restaurant at the Genesis Open at The Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles. The eatery was called The Woods at 10 and was a sort of mini-version of Woods’ larger restaurant called The Woods.
“TGR is debuting the first The Woods pop-up restaurant located just left of the exciting and drivable par-4 10th hole and near the driving range. It will also introduce a free interactive satellite Learning Lab for youth ages 9-17,” read a post on Woods’ website, the week of the pop-up’s grand opening.
Not only did Woods have executive chef Carmine DiCandia from The Woods in town for The Woods at 10, but general manager Erica Herman was also involved.
“We are bringing the TGR expertise and experience to a live event. It’s just a taste of our menu. This is a way of sharing what we have learned and done. It’s a great opportunity for people to see what we can do,” Herman was quoted as saying about The Woods at 10.
According to TMZ, however, she no longer works at the establishment.
4. She Was Previously Linked to Jesse Newton
Jesse Newton
Herman dated Jesse Newton long before she met Woods. According to Radar Online, Herman and Newton were a couple and were also business partners.
According to his LinkedIn page, Newton obtained a degree from the University of Central Florida. He is the president and CEO of Jin & Tonic Hospitality Group and works out of Orlando, Florida.
“A consummate professional with extensive experience in all facets of business and more specifically, the luxury brand, hospitality, and tourism markets. Earned a Master of Science from the University of Central Florida’s Rosen School of Hospitality as well as nominated for Orlando’s Top 40 Under 40 from the Orlando Business Journal,” reads his bio on LinkedIn.
Tiger Woods split from his previous girlfriend, Kristin Smith, in 2017, confirming in August that they had parted ways. Woods and Smith were together for almost a year.
According to Radar Online, Woods and Smith parted ways because of his recent legal troubles.
“He screws up and she gets pulled into it and she can’t handle the pressure of it all. She seems very overwhelmed and stressed to people who really know her,” a source told the outlet.
Before that, Woods dated Olympic skier, Lindsey Vonn, for nearly three years.
5. Radar Online Reported that She Has a ‘Troubled Past’
According to Radar Online, Herman has a “troubled past.” The site refers to Herman as a “hard partier” and a “gold digger.”
“Erica is a big partier,” a source told the outlet. That unnamed source allegedly worked with Herman for five years at a bar in Florida and added that Herman met Woods at a popular nightspot that he visited on a regular basis. “Erica was all over him,” the source added.
The source went on to say that Herman had her eyes on Woods for years and even suggested that Woods and Herman may have been acquainted whilst Woods was still married to Nordegren.
“Erica’s been chasing Tiger around like a puppy for close to 10 years. I’m not sure if his wife knew, but I’m not sure how she couldn’t know. I can’t believe Tiger’s out in public with her now,” the source explained.
Radar Online goes on to report that Herman’s family has been in trouble as well and that she has had family members arrested on drug-related charges. However, Radar had to dig for information. They cited a 2000 arrest of Herman’s brother, Scott, who was busted for marijuana possession. Radar says that Scott was arrested on suspicion of “peddling cocaine” years later.
Lastly, the site reports that Herman has had “financial woes” and a source told the outlet that many people believe that Woods helped her out of the hole at one point.
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Erica Herman, Tiger Woods’ Girlfriend: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know