Tiger Woods, With the Death of His Mother, Kultida, Loses His ‘Biggest Fan, Greatest Supporter’

It was the day the world found out just how special Tiger Woods would be. It was Saturday of the 1997 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club and a cocky Scot Colin Montgomerie suggested Mr. Woods’s lack of experience would be detrimental to winning his first major championshipThe two were paired in the third round where Mr. Montgomerie, a pre-tournament favorite, shot a mediocre 74 and Mr. Woods, 21, pieced together one of the greatest rounds in golf history by shooting a brilliant 65. It gave Woods a nine-shot lead into the final round, which he dominated for a record 12-stroke victory. “It was the easiest 65 I’ve ever seen,” Mr. Montgomerie would later say. In the gallery, walking every hole and watching every shot was Tiger Woods’s mother, Kultida Woods, who was a constant presence throughout the golfer’s extraordinary career. While Earl Woods, Tiger’s father, was always in front of the camera, Kultida, was a quiet presence who displayed a fierce loyalty through the highs and lows of her famous son’s career.From the 1997 Masters to Tiger Woods’ appearance in his new TGL venture last week, Kultida Woods was normally close by or in the gallery, which is why the golf world was stunned when Tiger Woods announced his mother had died early Tuesday at the age of 78.“My Mom was a force of nature all her own, her spirit was undeniable,” Tiger Woods posted on social media. “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.”Short in stature, Ms. Woods could be swallowed by the galleries following her famous son. Yet, she was easily recognized and walked the fairways with grace. She commanded respect, something Tiger Woods learned from a young age.“My dad may have been in the Special Forces, but I was never afraid of him,” Mr. Woods once told People magazine. “My mom’s still here and I’m still deathly afraid of her. She’s very tough, tough, old lady, very demanding. I love her so much. But she was tough.”Earl Woods, a Vietnam veteran, met Kultida, his second wife, while stationed in Thailand. They married in 1969. Tiger Woods was born in 1975.Earl Woods took most of the credit for Tiger Woods ascending from prodigy to greatest of all-time. He taught his son the game. Taught him to be mentally tough. Taught him to embrace being the greatest and boasted to the media about how his son would “change the course of humanity.” It was Earl Woods who bear-hugged Tiger Woods in 1997 as he triumphantly walked off the 18th green at Augusta National following a record 12-stroke victory. It’s one of sport’s greatest father-son moments.Tigermania was at its peak in 2006 when Earl Woods died of a heart attack. Four later a sex scandal would ruin Tiger Woods’ reputation and marriage. It was his mother, Kultida, who helped navigate him through the turmoil. The woman who drove him to tournaments as a kid and dropped him with enough money for a hot dog stayed just as committed when he was making millions and being scrutinized.“Kultida Woods was an amazing influence on Tiger, and gave him much of his strength and brilliance,” President Trump posted. “Melania and I send our love and prayers to Tiger and his incredible family.”It was Kultida Woods who suggested her son wear red in the final rounds of his golf tournaments, believing it was his power color. At the height of Mr. Woods’ dominance, appearing in his red shirt intimidated more than half the field before the round was underway.“Mom thought being a Capricorn that my power color was red, so I wore red as a junior golfer and I won some tournaments,” Mr. Woods said while launching his Sun Day Red brand. “I go to a university that is red-Stanford. 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.”And synonymous with mom.

Tiger Woods, With the Death of His Mother, Kultida, Loses His ‘Biggest Fan, Greatest Supporter’

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