Tiger Woods reveals sad family tragedy
Tiger Woods announced on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT) that his mother Kultida Woods had passed away at the age of 81.
"It is with heartfelt sadness that I want to share that my dear mother, Kultida Woods, passed away early this morning," the legendary golfer began his tribute shared on social media.
"My Mum was a force of nature all her own, her spirit was simply undeniable," he continued.
"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."
The athlete added: "She was loved by so many, but especially by her two grandchildren, Sam and Charlie," Tiger's children with ex-wife Elin Nordegren, before thanking everyone for their "support, prayers and privacy at this difficult time".
He signed off the message with: "Love you Mum," and a photo of his mum smiling.
Her cause of death has not been revealed.
Tiger's post was flooded with messages of condolences from stars in the sporting world, including NFL great Tom Brady, and A-List stars including Justin Timberlake and Mark Wahlberg.
"So sorry for your loss. I send you a big hug ❤️" former tennis champion Rafael Nadal wrote.
"We're so sorry for your loss, Tiger," the official United States Golf Association said.
Woods once described his mother as the "enforcer" who was very "tough" on him in a 2017 interview.
“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,” Woods said.
“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."
Over the years Kultida has supported her son through his golfing achievements and career milestone, including in 2019 when he was awarded a Medal Of Freedom in Washington by President Donald Trump.
In 2022, she attended his World Golf Hall of Fame Induction, and up until last week she reportedly attended her son's TGL match in Florida.
Image: SHAWN THEW/EPA-EFE/ Shutterstock Editorial