Golf: Inside the night when everything unravelled for Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods and Rachel Uchitel. Photos / Getty, Instagram

Intimate details of the night Tiger Woods' life fell apart have reemerged, including a trap his wife laid to uncover his infidelity.

Ahead of his first appearance since his historic Masters win in April, the NY Post published an extract from the best-selling biography Tiger Woods by Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian.

The extract reveals the moment everything unravelled for Woods, and the resulting emotional fallout that – coupled with an escalating back issue – would keep him in the wilderness until his incredible victory at Augusta - his first major win in 11 years.

THE QUOTE THAT STARTED IT ALL

When the National Enquirer revealed Woods' cheating, he was left needing to convince his wife Elin Nordegren that the tabloid was a lie.

The story outlined an affair between Woods and his regular girlfriend Rachel Uchitel.

Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren were married for six years before splitting up in 2009. Photo / Getty

It was that exposé that started putting doubts in the mind of Nordegren.

"But on Monday, November 23, in advance of publication, the Uchitel exposé began circulating on the internet," writes Benedict and Keteyian.

"It contained a quote attributed to her that read like a dagger directed at Elin: 'It's Tiger Woods. I don't care about his wife! We're in love'.

"Blindsided, Elin didn't know what to believe … In need of someone to confide in, she called the one person she trusted above all — her identical twin, Josefin. They had been best friends since childhood. Elin knew Josefin would know what to do."

WOODS ARRANGES PHONE CALL

Woods later tried to fix the situation by shockingly arranging a phone call between Nordegren and Uchitel, who helped Woods cover up their relationship.

"Unconvinced, Elin wanted to see Tiger's phone. Afraid that she would find out about the other women in his life, Tiger frantically tried to cover his tracks."

Nordegren eventually caught Woods by searching his text history after he fell asleep.

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"Elin remained fixated on Tiger's phone," writes Benedict and Keteyian. "After he fell into an Ambien-induced sleep on Thanksgiving night, she searched his text history. She found one from him that said: "You are the only one I've ever loved." He had not sent that text to her.

"Unsure of the recipient's identity, Elin sent a text to the person from Tiger's phone. It read, "I miss you. When are we seeing each other again?"

"Before long, a reply came back. While her husband slept, Elin called the mysterious number, and Uchitel picked up. Immediately recognising her voice, Elin lost it.

"I knew it," Elin shouted. "I knew it!"

"Oh, f***," Uchitel said.

"Moments later, Elin's shouting roused Woods from his slumber. Stumbling half-dazed out of bed, he took his phone and retreated to the bathroom."

"She knows," he texted Uchitel.

According to the book, Woods left the house wearing shorts and a T-shirt.

Nordegren reportedly gave chase with a golf club in hand.

"In an attempt to get away, Tiger hustled into his Cadillac Escalade and sped out of the driveway, immediately crossing over a concrete kerb and onto a grass median. Swinging the club, Elin shattered the rear driver's side and rear passenger's side windows."

Woods and Nordegren separated in 2009, sparking his fall from grace.

Tiger Woods celebrates winning the Masters - his first major title in 11 years. Photo / Getty

When Woods, 43, won the Masters for the first time in 14 years last month, he was spotted giving his girlfriend Erica Herman a public kiss.

The pair's PDA has since cemented Herman as the woman who put the troubled golf star back on the path to redemption, with The Sun even labelling her as Woods' "saviour".