London, Dec 30 (IANS) Furman Bisher, one of America's most respected sports journalists, claims that Golfer Tiger Woods needed his face rebuilding after his angry wife Elin Nordegren hit him with a golf club, reports The Sun.

Bisher, described as the country's top golf writer, said the nine iron smashed the golf legend's cheek bone and that his two front teeth were almost knocked out, reported the newspaper website thesun.co.uk. He also claimed the injuries are the real reason Woods has not been seen in public since his mysterious car smash early Nov 27.

The journalist posted on his blog that Tiger spent America's Thanksgiving Day, Nov 26, exchanging texts with mistress Rachel Uchitel. He then went out to play poker with friends, but left his mobile phone behind and Elin read one of the messages.

Woods returned at midnight and there was a "heated discussion".

"Tiger sat in a chair in the living room. Elin sat across from him, urging Tiger to just come clean. Tiger stayed to his guns and denied everything," Bisher posted.

"At one point Tiger turned away to look at the TV and as he turned back Elin hit him on the right side of the face with the head of a nine iron.

"She put a huge gash in the right side of his face next to his nose, causing his nose to bruise some, virtually knocking two of his upper teeth out and breaking the bone on the upper right side," he added.

The blog also revealed that as Woods tried to drive off, Elin smashed the car windows. He hit a tree outside their home in Orlando, Florida.

Bisher said the golfer took a private jet to Phoenix, Arizona, to see a plastic surgeon and cosmetic dentist for reconstructive procedures.

Tiger has now been linked to at least 14 women and has publicly apologised to his wife for cheating on her. While Elin is said to have seen a divorce lawyer and spent Christmas with her family in her native Sweden.