Getty Tiger Woods mom, Kultida Woods, pictured at the 2018 Masters.
Tiger Woods’ mom, Kultida Woods and dad, Earl Woods, played a big role in shaping the golfer. Many know about Tiger’s relationship with his late father, but it is his mother that he fears. Golfweek detailed Tiger discussing the differences in his parents.
As we said in our family, my mom was the hand, and my dad was the voice. I could negotiate with him, but not with my mom. There was no middle ground with Mom…My dad was always the person who would plant seeds and give me encouragement but also would say things that would fester inside me that wouldn’t come to fruition for a while. He was very worldly and deep in his thinking. My mom was the enforcer. My dad may have been in the Special Forces, but I was never afraid of him. My mom’s still here, and I’m still deathly afraid of her. She’s a very tough, tough old lady, very demanding. She was the hand, she was the one, I love her so much, but she was tough. There was zero negotiation.
Tiger’s father died in 2006 and the tragedy hit the golfer hard. Kultida is still living and can be seen supporting her son at tournaments from time to time.
Tiger Woods’ Dad Felt He Would Either Be a Golfer or Special Operations Soldier
After Earl’s death, Tiger’s fascination with the military went to a new level, and the golfer secretly trained with Navy Seals. Tiger’s father believed his son would either be a golfer or a special operations officer. ESPN’s Wright Thompson detailed Tiger’s training with the SEALS.
He tried the SR-25 sniper rifle and the SEALs’ pistol of choice, the Sig Sauer P226. One of the instructors was Petty Officer 1st Class John Brown, whose father also served as a Green Beret in Vietnam. Brown pulled Tiger aside. The sun was shining, a nice day, and the two men talked, standing on the northeast corner of a shooting facility.
“Why are you here?” Brown remembers asking.
“My dad,” Tiger said, explaining that Earl had told him he’d either end up being a golfer or a special operations soldier. “My dad told me I had two paths to choose from.”
Contrary to some thought, Tiger’s parents never divorced but did live in separate houses, per ESPN.
Early in Tiger’s Career, His Mom, Kultida, Would Give Him a New Tiger Headcover Each Year With a Personal Message on the Inside
The golfer’s Tiger headcover has become a signature part of his game. Early in Tiger’s career, Kultida had a tradition of giving her son a new headcover for each year with a personal message on the inside. The Associated Press detailed the family tradition back in 2002.
Keeping with a tradition that started when Tiger Woods turned pro, his mother gave him a new
Tiger headcover Wednesday for the 2003 season.The Tiger headcovers are different than those sold in golf shops because Kultida Woods stitches a message in Thai: “Love From
Mom.”
