Elin Maria Pernilla Nordegren was born on January 1, 1980, in Stockholm, Sweden, and grew up in the coastal town of Waxholm. She began modeling as a teenager, and following high school she briefly studied psychology at university in Berlin, Germany. She and her twin sister, Josefin, were also employed as nannies back home, and were hired by a high-profile client.

The Nordegren sisters began minding Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik's four children, frequently accompanying the family to wherever he competed on the international tournament circuit. Shortly after being introduced to Tiger Woods during the 2001 British Open, Elin Nordegren and the American golfing sensation became an item. The relationship was kept secret for months until the Swedish press broke news of the pairing just days prior to the Players Championship in March 2002. The couple were engaged in November 2003.

As the fiancee of the world's top golfer, Elin Nordegren soon started feeling the pressure of being thrust into the celebrity spotlight. As rumors of the end of their relationship spread through the tabloids following her conspicuous absence from the 2004 Player's Cup, Tiger Woods felt it was necessary to go on record in September 2004 to deny all allegations of an alleged blow-up between the couple. Elin Nordegren was seen accompanying the golfer to the Ryder Cup not long after he issued his statement.

On October 5, 2004, the couple exchanged vows at the 19th hole of the Sandy Lane Golf Resort in Barbados in a ceremony that was said to have cost around $2 million. Among the 150 guests were Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates and Michael Jordan, who enjoyed the use of a $57 million yacht. The luxury ship also served as the newlyweds' honeymoon love boat, which they hired for two weeks at a cost of $140,000 to island-hop around the Caribbean.

Elin Nordegren gave birth to the couple's first child, daughter Sam Alexis Woods, on June 18, 2007, the day after Tiger finished second at the U.S. Open. In December of the same year, she won a lawsuit against The Dubliner, an Irish magazine that had published nude photos they claimed to be of Elin Nordegren, but which were actually pictures of Playboy model Kim Hiott. The images appeared in a September 2006 edition of the publication just prior to that year's Ryder Cup at the K. Club. The Dubliner was forced to issue a lengthy apology and pay out a settlement. Elin Nordegren stated that the undisclosed amount she'll receive from the decision will be donated to charities.

In 2008, Elin Nordegren's beauty landed her a spot at No. 42 on AskMen.com's Top 99 list of Most Desirable Women. Soon after, she was once again pregnant with her second child, this time a boy, and gave birth to Charlie Axel on February 8, 2009.