Tiger Woods is experiencing a gut-wrenching loss.
The golf legend recently shared his mom Kultida Woods died in the early hours of Feb. 4. She was 81 years old.
“It is with heartfelt sadness that I want to share that my dear mother, Kultida Woods, passed away early this morning,” Tiger said in a statement shared to his social media accounts Feb. 4. “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.”
Tiger—who shares kids Sam, 17, and Charlie, 15, with ex-wife Elin Nordegren—continued, “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.”
Throughout his career, the 48-year-old has opened up about the influence his parents have had on his career, noting that while his dad Earl Woods “would plant seeds,” his mom was an undeniable presence.
“He was very worldly and deep in his thinking,” he told USA TODAY Sports in 2017. “My mom was the enforcer. My dad may have been in the Special Forces, but I was never afraid of him.”
As he explained, “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.”
However, for her stern nature, the professional golfer has also praised her for being his “biggest supporter and the rock in our family.”
“Thank you for your continuous love and for still being that smile in the crowd I look for after the 18th hole,” he shared in a May 2019 Instagram post. “Love you Mom.”
