Tiger Woods and Vanessa Trump’s ‘Awkward Interaction’ While Cameras Rolled Picked Apart

Golfer Tiger Woods and his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, have been pretty low-key and rarely seen in public together after confirming their relationship in March 2025. But that changed when the two showed up at the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles last month and cozied up to each other. However, some on social media began questioning their PDA appearance at the event and have labeled it as “awkward.”

Now, an expert is weighing in and dissecting the couple’s interaction.

Judi James is a body language and behavioral expert who has authored more than a dozen books. She told the Daily Mail, “[Woods’] expression appears wary after he finishes his solo posing and prepares to immerse himself in the family stuff. Vanessa arrives ‘oven-ready’ with a beaming smile on her face and her arm held out in an announcement gesture to signal intention to adopt a loving and affectionate look.

“She flicks her hair back over her shoulders in a breezy preparation of posing here, but it is a while before the couple’s smiles achieve a mirrored look and Woods continues to look a little awkward while Vanessa appears in charge of the posing and the choreography.”

The expert added, “[Vanessa] waves her daughter into shot to create the suggestion of a strong family unit, and we can see Vanessa upgrade the emotional content by forming a possessive ritual with her arms while tilting her head in towards Woods in an act of closeness and trust … The final money shot will look like a close, loving family photo, although the building of the pose throws up signals of awkwardness and even some wariness.”

Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges that conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds