Tiger Woods Confirms Lindsey Vonn Relationship

Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn have made it official.

After weeks of media speculation, the two top athletes have confirmed they are dating.

The golfer, 37, made the announcement on his Facebook page, posting a message and a series of photographs of the couple.

"This season has been great so far and I'm happy with my wins at Torrey and Doral. Something nice that's happened off the course was meeting Lindsey Vonn," he said.

"Lindsey and I have been friends for some time, but over the last few months we have become very close and are now dating.

"We thank you for your support and for respecting our privacy.

"We want to continue our relationship, privately, as an ordinary couple and continue to compete as athletes."

On her own Facebook page, Vonn, 28, also acknowledged the relationship and made a similar plea for privacy.

"I guess it wasn't a well-kept secret but yes, I am dating Tiger Woods," she said.

"Our relationship evolved from a friendship into something more over these past few months and it has made me very happy.

"I don't plan on addressing this further as I would like to keep that part of my life between us, my family and close friends."

World-champion skier Vonn became the first US woman to win the gold medal in the downhill event when she took the top spot at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

She announced her divorce from one-time coach Thomas Vonn in January after more than four years of marriage.

When she tore knee ligaments and a fractured a shin in a crash last month during the Alpine World Championships in Austria, it was Woods who sent his private jet to fly her home to Colorado.

Woods, the youngest-ever golfer to win the PGA Masters tournament, divorced wife Elin Nordegren in 2010 after a cheating scandal revealed he had conducted several extramarital affairs.

The pair share custody of their two young children.

After a period of poor tournament performances, Woods is again hitting his stride on the links with two tournament wins already under his belt in 2013.