from www.suntimes.com – As the Tiger Woods scandal continues to make headlines, I’ve learned that what the golfer calls his ”indiscretions” are nothing new. Virtually since Woods married Elin Nordegren in 2004, sources in Las Vegas, Orlando and even here in Chicago tell me the sports icon’s ”boy scout” image thinly veiled a repeated pattern of behavior not appropriate for a married man — especially so early in his wedded life.

In numerous conversations with key managers and other staff members at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay resort, The Bank nightclub, MGM Grand Hotel & Casino and The Wynn uber-luxe resort, a pattern of Woods clearly seeking out female companionship the past five years has emerged.

Sources both at the MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay told me Thursday that Woods’ usual procedure was to use one of his bodyguards to approach women he found appealing. ”It didn’t take much. After all, he’s Tiger Woods,” said the MGM Grand staffer. ”Once the girls went to his table — he’d just take it from there.”

• A source who worked at the Morton’s steakhouse in west suburban Westchester — when Woods was here for the PGA Western Open at Cog Hill in 2005 — gave me an earful Thursday. ”I was completely shocked — both by his bad language and repeated use of the f-word, and his extremely inappropriate comments to one of our servers. She handled it well, and just treated it like a joke. But several other employees were as shocked as I was, especially given it was only like a year after he was married.”

• As for Woods’ jaunts in Vegas, I’ve also learned he hasn’t been exactly a superstar when it comes to winning at gambling. Sources from the casinos mentioned above were unanimous in remembering Woods losing large amounts.

”One night in particular, I’ll bet he lost something like 100 grand. . . . He truly walked out of there [MGM Grand] like a Tiger with his tail between his legs,” quipped the source. ”Of course, $100,000 to Tiger is chicken feed,” he added.

• While much has been made of Woods’ major sponsors, including Nike, American Express and Gatorade, sticking with him, ”That all could change overnight, depending on how this story continues to unfold,” a longtime top Chicago advertising executive said Thursday. ”From what I’m hearing, everyone is standing firm, but I doubt you’ll see many Tiger TV commercials running in the coming week. It’s like they’re all in a holding pattern.”