Tiger Woods Allegedly Thinks About Affair Scandal ‘Every Day’

You could say Tiger Woods is haunted by the cheating scandal that became synonymous with his name nearly 10 years ago.

A source told PEOPLE that the world-class golfer, who won his first Major in 11 years at the 2019 Masters Tournament on Sunday afternoon, “still thinks about his sex scandal every day.”

“It’s always there, in the back of his mind. He doesn’t like to talk about it — or even anything that was happening at that time of his life,” the source continued. “It’s painful to him. But he persevered and made himself into a better man.”

The day after Thanksgiving 2009, Woods crashed his Cadillac Escalade outside of his and then-wife Elin Nordegren‘s Florida mansion. She used two golf clubs to shatter the rear windows of the vehicle, later telling police she broke them to help rescue an incoherent Woods from the vehicle. Despite her statement, there was widespread speculation that she broke the windows during an argument.

Soon, dozens of women came forward, alleging that they had sexual relationships with the golfer, to whom was married to Nordegren since 2004. Woods lost most of his sponsors within months, which didn’t help when his golf game began to decline due to physical ailments and a loss of focus.

“He lost everything,” the source said. “And it was really rough for a really long time. He really found out who his friends were. He’s been left with a lot of scars.”

Multiple surgeries on his back, including a spinal fusion, have relieved the pain in his back and legs, which had been plaguing him for years. A year after the spinal fusion in April 2017, he returned to the golf course with a vengeance at the Valspar Championship in Florida, then the 2018 Open Championship, then again at the Tour Championship. Come April 2019, Woods won the Masters, his first major championship win since 2008 and his 15th major overall.

His son Charlie Axel, 10, and daughter Sam Alexis, 11, were there to witness his triumph. The photograph of Woods embracing Charlie after sinking the putt on the 18th hole next to the photo of Woods’ late father, Earl, embracing Tiger at that same hole years ago has since gone viral.

“It means the world to me. Their love and their support, I just can’t say enough how much that meant to me throughout my struggles when I really just had a hard time moving around,” he told reporters of his kids at his winner’s press conference. “Just their infectiousness of happiness; you know, I was going through a tough time physically. There was a lot of times when I really couldn’t move and so that in itself is difficult.”

The source said that Woods’ kids, whom she shares custody of with Nordegren, “really work together well now.”

“They are both mature adults who have figured out what works best for them and for the kids. There is no real friction, and everyone gets along well. They went through a very dark time as a family, and although the family looks different, it is happy and functional and thriving.”

The insider added that Woods is focused and energized after his Masters win. “He’s a completely different person than he was in 2009. He was an overgrown boy back then. Now he’s a man.”