The golfer Tiger Woods has missed the baptism in Sweden of his three-month-old daughter, Sam, according to Swedish media reports.

Woods is married to the Swedish model Elin Nordegren, whose family turned out in force for the christening ceremony in Stockholm yesterday. But one source close to the family said: "“Everybody was very surprised over the fact that Tiger did not show up.”

Quite why Woods missed the event is not clear and a spokeswoman for the golfer declined to comment. The Associated Press ran pictures early on Sunday morning, European time, of Woods attending a charity event in California.

Baby Sam Alexis Woods was born in Florida in June, the day after Woods tied for second place in the US Open.

Among the baptism guests were Elin's twin sister Josefin, who picked up the golfer's wife as she arrived in a private jet. The two sisters, accompanied by bodyguards, attracted a lot of attention when they went shopping in Stockholm, buying beer and wine for the baptism party.

To avoid media attention the baptism did not take place in the church but in a gym. “Elin had removed the equipment in the gym and made into a baptism facility”, one source said.

Tiger’s father-in-law, Thomas Nordegren, arrived with the baptism bowl - the same bowl that was used when Elin and her sister were baptised.

Elin's mother, Barbro Holmberg, a former government minister, was among the first to arrive, carrying a pink baptism gown.

Woods and met his future wife in 2001 when she was was working as a nanny at the Florida mansion of Jesper Parnevki, the Swedish golfer.

They were seen in public for the first time in South Africa 2003 and were married at an exclusive golf resort in Barbados the following year.

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