Tiger's wife (for now) ELIN NORDEGREN surfaced over the weekend for the first time since her supposed Thanksgiving meltdown. She was photographed pumping gas near her home in Florida. And she WASN'T WEARING HER WEDDING RING.

(--Of course I'm going down this road. Have you met me? This story isn't going away any time soon. Get used to disappointment. Here's a picture . . .)

This doesn't necessarily mean that Elin is leaving TIGER WOODS . . . but some people say she is. And even though this comes from an admitted tabloid, don't be surprised if it rings true sooner rather than later. The tabloids get more right than they used to.

Britain's "Sun" tabloid says Elin is planning a TRIAL SEPARATION after the holidays . . . and she's even talking to divorce lawyers.

Meanwhile, Tiger allegedly tried to convince her to have another baby to patch up the marriage . . . an idea that Elin is, quote, "horrified" by.

(--Wow, good call: She already feels terrible. Add to that nine months of feeling all bloated-up and unattractive. If Tiger really did suggest that, he's a MAJOR TOOL.)