Cori Rist attends ‘Chiambretti Night’ Italian TV Show in 2010.
The former lingerie model first met Woods at the New York celebrity hangout Butter around 2006, she said.
One of Tiger Woods’ former mistresses says she’s praying for the links legend and hopes people will stop teeing off on him over his DUI arrest.
“I was definitely surprised and saddened when I heard the news this morning. I don’t like to see people suffer,” Cori Rist, 38, told the Daily News Monday.
People woke up this morning and used this man’s life for their daily entertainment.
I hope everyone will realize there is a human being on the other end of this story…A man who has feelings and two small children wh adore him and love him very much,” she said
I don’t know about anyone else, but I am praying for him,” she added. “I would encourage people to take the high road here and offer their support.”
The former lingerie model first met Woods at the New York celebrity hangout Butter around 2006, she said.
He was married to former wife Elin Nordegren at the time but spent considerable resources wooing Rist, sources previously told The News.
“One thing led to another, and, pretty soon, Tiger was flying her to hook up with him on tour.”
The fling lasted about six months, ending when Rist grew tired of his secretive ways. Their liaison became headline news after his sex scandal exploded in 2009 and led to his divorce.
Rist said Monday she hopes people will show “compassion” toward the formerly top-ranked golfer after police in Jupiter, Florida, took him into custody on suspicion of DUI around 3 a.m.
“I wish people would be more empathetic to his situation,” she said, referring to the rough patch he’s hit professionally.
This is a man who dedicated his life to golf. His self-worth and identity was molded from his ability to perform on the golf course.
He loves this sport, and to lose that must be a very difficult thing to deal with,” she said.
“This is a crucial moment for Tiger, and we must give him the chance to grow and transition to the next phase of his life.”
She expressed a hope that people would allow him the space to develop and learn from mistakes, just like everyone else.
“Rist suggested that Woods should maintain a sense of pride despite the ongoing negativity.”
“He is facing a critical decision point in his life, and he feels overwhelmed by the constant scrutiny and judgment from others. She expressed concern about the possibility of a tragic outcome resulting from the situation.”
“Words have the power to cause emotional pain and harm, no matter how resilient you may think you are, so it is important to choose your words carefully.”