Tiger Woods and his wife Elin Nordegren have divorced, the couple said in a statement posted on the world number one golfer’s website:

“Elin Nordegren and Tiger Woods confirmed today that they have divorced.  Judgment was entered today in Bay County (Florida) Circuit Court dissolving the marriage.  The Judgment provides for shared parenting of their two children.

Ms. Nordegren and Mr. Woods issued this joint statement:

We are sad that our marriage is over and we wish each other the very best for the future.  While we are no longer married, we are the parents of two wonderful children and their happiness has been, and will always be, of paramount importance to both of us.  Once we came to the decision that our marriage was at an end, the primary focus of our amicable discussions has been to ensure their 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 divorce was granted in Bay County Circuit Court in Panama City, Florida, about 375 miles away from their Isleworth home outside Orlando. The couple married in October 2004 in Barbados and have a 3-year-old daughter, Sam, and a 19-month-old son, Charlie.

Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg, declined to comment when asked about the terms of settlement or if the couple had a prenuptial agreement. The petition said the marriage was “irretrievably broken” and that Woods’ wife asked to have her maiden name — Elin Maria Pernilla Nordegren — restored.

In November 2009 Woods, the world’s wealthiest athlete, was involved in a single-vehicle accident outside his Florida home.

Soon after, several women came forward and claimed they had had affairs with him.

He subsequently lost several major sponsors, including AT&T and Gatorade. In February he publicly apologised and admitted that he had been unfaithful to Ms Nordegren, a former model.