Washington, December 2 (ANI): A former reporter who covered Tiger Woods on several occasions has claimed having seen the ace golfer leave a Florida hotel room with an unidentified woman in 2008.

The source said the 33-year-old star has for years taken “extraordinary efforts” to keep his private life out of public eye, even before marrying Elin Nordegren in 2004.

“Tiger never wanted to be a huge public figure. He has a security unit that takes care of him when he’s traveling, and they keep him safe and shaded from even the prying eyes of fans and paparazzi,” Fox News quoted the source as saying.

But the insider added that the security failed to live up to the sportsman’s expectations on one occasion.

The source said: “A little over a year ago Tiger was in a room at a hotel in Miami, about 90 minutes from his home. The room was guarded by two guards with earpieces looking very professional in suits.

“Tiger exited the room with a dark-haired woman, not his wife, giving his security guards the evil eye when he realized someone else was in the hall seeing him.”

Woods has been amid rumours of romance with New York socialite Rachel Uchitel.

He was said to have had a heated argument with Nordegren over the alleged affair seconds before he crashed his car outside his 1.5 million-pound mansion in Florida.

Both Woods and Uchitel have denied the reports of an affair. (ANI)