In a revelation that sounds more like celebrity fan fiction than royal biography, The Telegraph has reported that Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, once had a very real crush on Tiger Woods — and allegedly tried to pursue him romantically.
The claims come from Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, a new book by royal biographer Andrew Lownie, who suggests that Fergie considered the 15-time major champion “gorgeous” and made a bold attempt to meet him.
So bold, in fact, she reportedly flew more than 1,500 miles after learning his whereabouts, hoping to win him over — this, of course, long before Woods met and married Elin Nordegren in 2004, before they later divorced in 2010.
Ferguson, now 65, married Prince Andrew in 1986, becoming the Duchess of York — only for their relationship to end in a high-profile divorce in 1992.
Following her royal exit, she remained in the media spotlight and, according to Lownie, became enamoured with a number of high-profile American men.
Alongside Woods, the book claims she also pursued John F. Kennedy Jr., George Clooney and Kevin Costner.
On one trip to New York, Ferguson is said to have instructed her staff to find out whether JFK Jr. was in town.
Once they did, she allegedly invited him for drinks or dinner at her hotel — an offer he accepted, though the meeting never took place.
But when it came to Woods, their paths did cross — and the pair went on to strike up a genuine friendship.
In 1997, Ferguson was photographed beside the PGA Tour superstar after his victory at the Byron Nelson Tournament.
Their connection reportedly continued in the years that followed, with Ferguson offering public support for Woods through both triumphs and controversies.
Most notably, she celebrated Woods’ incredible comeback to win the 2019 Masters with a heartfelt post on Instagram, writing: “Never have I been more proud. Good days and bad days, Tiger’s heart is loyal, steadfast, and he is an amazing friend.”
While representatives for the Duchess declined to comment on the claims when approached by The Telegraph, the story has already sparked widespread interest, adding another surprising layer to the already colourful public life of Ferguson.
As for Woods, the 49-year-old golf legend is currently recovering from surgery on his left Achilles tendon and is expected to return to competition in early 2026, when he’ll become eligible for the PGA Tour Champions.
There’s speculation he may tee it up with his son Charlie Woods, 16, at the annual PNC Championship later this year — if his recovery allows.
In the meantime, Woods has found love again.
He recently confirmed a new relationship with Vanessa Trump — the former wife of Donald Trump Jr. — via a joint Instagram post that attracted more than 500,000 likes.
The couple have requested for privacy as their romance blossoms.
Woods recently hit back at critics of his relationship with Vanessa, according to one source.
In a recent update from a source, Woods is reportedly planning to propose to Trump in the near future.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.golfmagic.com ’
