Rooting for Tiger: divorce just the beginning?

The settlement comes after nine months of scandal, beginning with a now-infamous car accident that saw Nordegren swinging at car windows with a golf club. The day before, the first news of Woods' repeated infidelities had surfaced. The result was a media frenzy that mottled both the golfer's image and, eventually, his game.

After, the two's desperate struggle to repair a badly broken marriage - and, for Woods, his reputation - became fodder for more gossip: Woods' therapy and, in February, his public apology to fans. The "distractions," as Woods describes the media circus surrounding the affair in his blog, also proved damaging to his golf. Even at Sunday's Masters, just before the divorce announcement, Woods was left with a disappointing fourth place (Phil Mickelson took first).

Nonetheless, the divorce may signal an end to the hoopla and the name bashing that have surrounded Woods since the accident. Indeed, Monday's statement called in part for privacy to allow the family, particularly the couple's two children, time to recover.

"Once we came to the decision that our marriage was at an end," the statement on Woods' blog read, "the primary focus of our amicable discussions has been to ensure [the children's] future well-being. 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."

The exact terms of the settlement are as yet unclear, although most media outlets agree that Nordegren will be receiving a sum in the millions. There are also indications that the discussions between the two were less than amicable; Yahoo Sports reports that both Woods and Nordegren had hired multiple attorneys for the case. There have also been suggestions that the generous settlement terms depended on Nordegren keeping quiet on Woods' private life - although it's not clear what else might be said that could possibly bring down the golfer's already rock-bottomed reputation.

Woods hasn't taken a single title in the PGA tours this year, and he's been on the outs in the majors. And yet, despite it all - the slew of women, the clumsy apologies, the repeated failures - everyone still seems to be rooting for Tiger. He may have stumbled a bit with his injury in 2008, then fallen face down into the dirt with his scandal in 2009, but fans and commentators alike seem to be waiting for the sports star to regain his title. After all, who isn't hoping that he'll eventually catch up to Jack Nicklaus' 18 major championships?

Woods has spent the days since Sunday's Masters recuperating. Next week, though, he's back in the spotlight at the Quail Hallow Championship in North Carolina. And he's already committed to both THE PLAYERS Championship and the AT&T National. And maybe, just maybe, as his private life becomes just that - private - Woods can return to become the player everyone wants him to be.