Woods and skier Lindsey Vonn announce they are dating

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Golfer Tiger Woods and downhill skier Lindsey Vonn pose in this undated handout photo made available on www.tigerwoods.com. Woods announced on his website on Monday that the two are dating and has asked that their privacy is respected.??[Photo/Agencies]

Golfer Tiger Woods and Olympic skiing champion Lindsey Vonn confirmed on Monday they are dating.

Woods released a statement and photographs of the pair on his website and Facebook page before Vonn posted similar messages on her social media accounts.

"Lindsey and I have been friends for some time, but over the last few months we have become very close and are now dating," said Woods.

"We thank you for your support and for respecting our privacy. We want to continue our relationship, privately, as an ordinary couple and continue to compete as athletes."

Vonn also posted a note and pictures on her Facebook page, confirming rumours they were romantically linked.

"I guess it wasn't a well-kept secret but yes, I am dating Tiger Woods," she said. "Our relationship evolved from a friendship into something more over these past few months and it has made me very happy."

Woods, a winner of 14 golf majors, divorced from his Swedish wife, Elin Nordegren, in 2010 after a highly-publicised sex scandal in which he publicly admitted to infidelity.

Vonn, who won the women's downhill gold medal at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, divorced from her husband Thomas Vonn in January.?