ORLANDO, Fla. (CBS Tampa/AP) — Tiger Woods says he went public with his relationship with Olympic ski champion Lindsey Vonn to devalue any photos of sports’ latest power couple.

The star athletes simultaneously posted messages on their Facebook pages saying they are dating. Woods included four studio photos of himself and Vonn.

“Lindsey and I have been friends for some time, but over the last few months we have become very close and are now dating,” Woods posted on his Facebook page Monday. “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.”

He says being chased by photographers can be dangerous to his two children. He also said Wednesday at Bay Hill that by publishing his own pictures of his new girlfriend, the paparazzi would not be able to make as much money on whatever photos they get. Woods referred to them as “stalkarazzi.”

It’s the first confirmation from Woods of a relationship since his wife divorced him in 2010.

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