Tiger Woods announces death of his mother with moving tribute: ‘My biggest fan’

Tiger Woods has announced the death of his mother, Kultida Woods, who passed away suddenly on Tuesday morning.

In a post on social media, Woods wrote: ‘It is with heartfelt sadness that I want to share that my dear mother, Kultida Woods, passed away early this morning.

‘My Mom was a force of nature all her own, her spirit was simply undeniable. She was quick with the needle and a laugh.

‘She was my biggest fan, greatest supporter, without her none of my personal achievements would have been possible.

‘She was loved by so 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. Love you Mom.’

Woods’ mother was seen in public just last week for her son’s maiden appearance in his latest golfing venture, the TGL.

Kultida, known more commonly as Tida, was born in Thailand and met Earl Woods – Tiger’s father – at a Bangkok U.S. Army base when he was serving in the military during the Vietnam War.

The pair would eventually return to America where they married before settling down in Orange County, California, where Earl taught Tiger to play golf. Earl passed away back in 2006.

Throughout Tiger’s storied career, which has seen him win 15 majors to date, his mother was often seen greenside in support of her son, including for his last major victory at the 2019 Masters.

But she was also a constant presence throughout some of Woods’ more turbulent times away from the course, most famously seen sitting in the front row when he delivered a televised statement apologising for his infidelity against his then-wife Elin Nordegren in 2010.

Back in 2024, Woods paid tribute to his mother’s impact on his career when he was awarded the Bob Jones Award by the USGA.

‘My mom doesn’t get enough credit,’ he said at the time. ‘Everyone thought that it was my dad when I went on the road, which it was, but Mom was at home. If you don’t know, Mom has been there my entire life.

‘This award, I accept it in humbleness and just unbelievable regard for the past recipients, but I also accept it for my mommy, too. 

‘She allowed me to get here. She allowed me to do these things, chase my dreams, and the support and love – I didn’t do this alone. I had the greatest rock that any child could possibly have: my mom. Thank you, Mommy.’ 

Kultida was also the influence behind Woods’ decision to wear red clothing for each of his final rounds.

‘It started with mum [Kultida]. She thought being a Capricorn that my power colour was red, so I wore red as a junior golfer and I won some tournaments,’ Woods recalled when launching his own line of apparel, Sun Day Red, in 2024.

‘Lo and behold, I go to a university that is red, Stanford is red. We wore red on the final day of every single tournament, and then every single tournament I’ve played as a professional I’ve worn red. It’s just become synonymous with me.’

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