Tiger Woods has announced the death of his mother, Kultida Woods, at the age of 78. Just last week, Kultida accompanied her son to participate in the TGL tournament held in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The proud mother always defined herself as Tiger’s “biggest fan”.“My mother was a force of nature in her own right, her spirit was simply undeniable,” Woods’ heartfelt message reads
She was quick with the needle and laughed. She was my biggest fan, my biggest supporter, without her none of my personal achievements would have been possible
“She was loved by many, but especially by her two grandchildren, Sam and Charlie. Thank you all for your support, prayers and privacy at this difficult time for me and my family. I love you, mom,” he added
Tiger Woods’ mother’s influence on his golf career
While Earl Woods was considered to be the forger of Tiger’s talent during his childhood and to strengthen his competitive spirit that allowed him to become one of the best golfers in history, Tiger actually pointed to his mother as “the enforcer” of this work throughout his career.
Tiger has said on several occasions that he used to dress in red on Sundays under the influence of his mother, who told him that it was his “power color”, as a tradition inherited from her native Thailand, a country where people choose the colors they will wear throughout the week and the color for Sunday is red.
“It all started with mom,” Woods said during the presentation of his Sun Day Red clothing line in February last year: “Mom thought that being a Capricorn, my power color was red, so I wore red when I was a junior golfer and won some tournaments.”
I go to a university that is red, Stanford is red. We wore red on the last day of each of the tournaments, and then in all the tournaments I’ve played as a professional I’ve worn red. It has become synonymous with me
Kultida Woods was born in Thailand and worked in the US Army office in Bangkok in the 1960s when she met Earl Woods, a US Army Special Forces soldier. She moved with him to the United States in 1968. They married in New York and moved to Cypress, California, where Tiger was born in 1975.
Kultida and Earl Woods were married for 37 years until he died of cancer in May 2006 at the age of 74.
However, throughout his career, Tiger has always appreciated his mother’s influence in his life. Last year, when he received the Bob Jones Award, the highest honor given by the United States Golf Association, Tiger thanked his mother for being a force of stability in their home.
I accept it with humility and incredible respect for the previous winners, but I also accept it for my mom. She has allowed me to get here. She allowed me to do these things, to pursue my dreams and the support and love; I didn’t do this alone. I had the greatest support any kid could have: my mom. Thank you, mom
Kultida Woods was very close to the 18th green at Augusta National Golf Club with her grandchildren, Sam and Charlie, when Tiger won the last major championship of his career, the 2019 Masters
“My mom doesn’t get enough credit,” Woods said in 2024. “Everyone thought it was my dad when I went on tour, which it was, but mom was at home. Mom has been there all my life. She’s always been there through thick and thin.“
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