The revelation that Elin Woods' weapon-of-choice in administering a little summary justice to her philandering husband was the humble nine-iron brought back memories of another, recent spat between champion male golfer and jilted partner. In fact, the circumstances surrounding the two men - both world No.1s - and their close encounters with the nine-iron have eerie similarities.

For Nick Faldo, the Englishman who dominated golf before a certain E (that's Eldrick, not Elin) Woods came along, left his second wife, Gill, in 1996 for a University of Arizona student by the name of Brenna Cepelak. He was 39 at the time, Cepelak 20.

Faldo had just started playing the US Tour full-time and met Cepelak, a college golfer, at a tournament in Arizona. The pair enjoyed a three-year relationship until 1998, when he began seeing the woman who became his third wife, Valerie Bercher.

Cepelak responded badly to news of the break-up. In fact, she was livid and immediately reached for Old Faithful - yep, the trusty nine-iron - and took to Faldo's new Porsche with gusto, swinging lustily and menacingly.

She reportedly smashed the windscreen but had less success in destroying the rest of the car.

"It was a nine-iron," recalled Faldo some years later. ‘It was a very special car. It was so hi-tech, it was made of plastic. The club kept bouncing off. It wouldn't leave a dent. I auctioned it off in the end."

At least Faldo suffered no physical harm from the encounter other than wounded pride and, of course, a painfully large repair bill.

The same, alas, cannot be said of Tiger and his recent meeting with an out-of-control nine-iron - a Nike VR TW blade, no less.

For, if the reports emanating from the US overnight are correct, Mrs Woods delivered a massive blow to the side of her husband's face with the club after discovering text messages on his phone from girls named Bambi, Cindi and Candy (but not, as far as we know, Ebony). The blow caused ‘a huge gash to the right side of his face ... virtually knocking two of his upper teeth out," injuries that have required plastic surgery and cosmetic dentistry. And also seemingly forced him into seclusion while the wounds heal.

Which is no laughing matter, of course. But golfers out there, you've been warned. Play up at your peril. And if you insist on seeing nightclub hostesses, cocktail waitresses, soft-porn stars and 20-year-old college students - none of whom fit the description of your wife - be sure to take the nine-iron out of your golf bag first.