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Tiger Woods opened up on the close bond his children Charlie and Sam shared with their grandmother Kutilda following her passing on Wednesday.

Woods announced the death of his mother in a statement to his social media followers, and in doing so revealed the love she shared in both his life and that of his children. “It is with heartfelt sadness that I want to share that my dear mother, Kultida Woods, passed away early this morning,” he wrote.

“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 Woods Kultida Woods

READ: Kultida Woods cause of death: Tiger Woods mourns the loss of his 78-year-old mother

“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 was seen in public with his late mom just last week after she was seen in the crowd of the 82-time PGA Tour winner’s TGL victory for Jupiter Links over Boston Common, as was his son Charlie. Kutilda’s was announced just hours before the latest TGL match between Boston and Los Angeles got underway at the SoFi Center.

Following the news both teams showed their respects by holding a minute silence before the start of play in the SoFi Center. The 15-time major champion’s TGL co-founder and rival Rory McIlroy paid tribute to Kutilda, also known as Tilda, on the back of the match in Florida.

“Yeah, obviously very sad, sort of surreal. She was here last Monday night. Yeah, it seemed sudden,” McIlroy said. “I got to know Tita a little bit. She was always very warm, very courteous, and generous with her time. Yeah, it was always a delight to see her at tournaments.

“As time went on, you sort of saw her less and less, and you’d bump into her in player dining and it was always nice to see her. She always had a big smile. Yeah, you obviously feel for Tiger and Sam, and Charlie and wish them all the best. Yeah, it’s a sad day.”

Tilda had played an important role in the phenomenal career of her son, drawing a tribute from the PGA Tour and commissioner Jay Monahan. “The PGA Tour family is saddened by the passing of Kultida Woods,” Monahan said in a statement.

“Those of us who have been lucky enough to have a firsthand view of Tiger Woods’ career know how much both his greatness and his humanity have stemmed from the love and support of his mother. We will cherish our memories of her and our thoughts are with Tiger, his children Sam and Charlie, and their entire family as they mourn her loss.”

Tiger Woods shared heartbreaking news on social media, announcing the passing of his beloved mother, Kultida Woods, at the age of 78.

The legendary golfer released a heartfelt statement on behalf of his family, including his children, Sam and Charlie whom he shares with his ex-wife Elin Nordegren.

“It is with heartfelt sadness that I want to share that my dear mother, Kultida Woods, passed away early this morning,” Woods wrote. “My Mom was a force of nature all her own, her spirit was simply undeniable.”

Tiger Woods announces his mother, Kultida Woods, has died

READ: Rory McIlroy makes surprise LIV Golf remark after Pebble Beach win for 27th PGA Tour title

He went on to express the deep impact she had on his life, acknowledging her unwavering support throughout his career.

“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.”

In his statement, Woods also emphasized how much his mother adored her grandchildren, Sam and Charlie.

“She was loved by so many, but especially by her two grandchildren. Thank you all for your support, prayers, and privacy at this difficult time for me and my family,” he noted.

Accompanying his tribute, Tiger shared a cherished photograph of Kultida, reflecting on the profound bond they shared. As the only child of Earl and Kultida Woods, Tiger often spoke of his mother’s influence in shaping his career, her strength, and her unwavering dedication to his success.

Though she preferred to stay out of the limelight, Kultida was frequently seen supporting Tiger at major golf events.

Kultida Woods played an essential role in her son’s journey, helping guide his development both as a golfer and a person.

When he received the prestigious Bob Jones Award in 2024, the highest honor in American golf, Tiger took the moment to express his deep gratitude for his mother, who was present at the event alongside his children.

“My mom doesn’t get enough credit,” he said in his speech. “Everyone thought that it was my dad who took me on the road, and he did. But Mom was at home. If you don’t know, Mom has been there my entire life.

“Now imagine if I had lost the damn thing, right?” he joked, before reflecting on the emotional moment. “When I made that winning putt, who was the first person I hugged? Right, Mommy? It was you.

“I didn’t do this alone. I had the greatest rock that any child could possibly have: my mom. Thank you, Mommy.”

Who wouldn’t know the family of Tiger Woods?

Fans know every detail about the 15-time major champion. Be it his family, kid’s history, or his early life, fans read every available information. However, now Charlie Woods, son of Tiger Woods, is in the same sports, fans are eager to see him play and expect the same results from him too.

Whether junior Woods has stood up to the expectations is still debatable as the amateur golfer is in the phase of turning professional. But what is sure is his impact on the events. Even with just his appearance, there is an enormous wave of fans that join in the junior-level golf tournament.

JUST IN: A Journey Inside Tiger Woods’ competitive genius

Talking on a similar line, the host of the AJGA tournament Will Lowery during the Par 3 Podcast shared about his debut. The host Stephen Malbon asked Lowery, “Talk about the North Carolina tournament. What is the tournament?” Sharing for which the former professional golfer shared his gratitude for getting the opportunity to host the tournament. He said, “I was fortunate enough to have a great relationship with AJGA. You know, Jason Etzen, and Stephen Hamblin, they allowed me to, you know, host the AJGA Tournament. I have North Carolina.”

Sharing further about the impact of Charlie Woods, he shared, “A buzz came last year, my second year when Tiger Woods’s son Charlie played in it for the first time. So that was his first-ever AJGA event. Word got out and that kind of, you know, skyrocketed, took off from there.” The impact of the 15-year-olds’ participation led to the success of the Will Lowery Junior Championship and that same impact can be seen in multiple events as well.

The event which took place in March 2024, saw security personnel and armed police protect Junior Woods from an overwhelming crowd. Even earlier, during the Cognizant Classic, the large number of fans swarming Woods affected his play. However, even though the fans in large numbers expect him to follow in the footsteps of his father. Some critics have addressed him as failing to fill in Tiger Woods’s shoes.

Being the son of the most successful golfer brings in expectations. Even at 15, people expect the amateur golfer to perform like his father, a feat he has struggled with. Starting from the 2024 season, junior Woods missed the cut at the Cognizant Classic and the U.S. Open qualifier for which he was positioned at the 124th position.

His struggle continued as he finished T103 at the Future Masters at Dothan Country Club with two rounds recording 73-76, respectively. The performance of Charlie Woods, when compared with Tiger Woods’s glorious career, will always feel less intimidating as he is in the phase of evolving as a junior golfer.

However, during his last appearance with his father at the PNC Championship, the 15-year-old had shut down the criticisms with his performance. He even recorded his first-ever hole-in-one, which was a great relief for the fans who were expecting the best from Charlie Woods.

Charlie Woods couldn’t contain his laughter after watching his father make a comical error during his TGL debut on Tuesday night.

Woods is the co-founder of golf’s hi-tech revolution – alongside Rory McIlroy – and this week it was the 49-year-old’s turn to tee it up in Florida.

His Jupiter Links team – which also featured Max Homa and Kevin Kisner – suffered a heavy 12-1 loss to a Los Angeles team made up of Sahith Theegala, Collin Morikawa and Justin Rose.

Tiger Woods' Son Charlie Laughs as His Dad Gets Thrashed in First TGL Game

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And the omens weren’t good as early as the second hole. On the 582-yard par five, Woods hit an approach from 101 yards out.

But the 1,500-strong crowd watched as his shot flew all the way over the back of the green – and into the water.

Woods stared at the ground – and then at the simulator screen – before cameras caught his son’s hilarious reaction.

As most of the crowd sighed and howled with disappointment, the 15-year-old could be seen laughing and pointing towards his father.

Later in the night, Woods Sr. also broke down in laughter after his teammate Kisner made a dreadful blunder from the sand.

On the penultimate hole, during his singles match against Collin Morikawa, Kisner found himself in the greenside bunker.

But he thinned his shot and watched it fly into the flagstick, prompting a hilarious reaction from his teammates.

Homa crouched in panic as the ball ricocheted off into the air, while Woods doubled over in fits of laughter.

Tiger Woods’ absence was keenly felt on the PGA Tour, but during his recent appearance, there was a significant surge in viewership.

Last weekend saw Woods teaming up with his son Charlie at the PNC Championship in Orlando, Florida.

This event marked Tiger’s first competitive play since his sixth lower-back surgery in September.

Rory McIlroy's fears justified after latest Tiger Woods injury return -  Irish Star

READ: WATCH: Tiger Woods and ex-wife Elin Nordegrens passionate embrace at PNC Championship speaks volumes after cheating drama

Before this Father/Son Challenge, Woods hadn’t played in a tournament since The Open Championship in July. Injuries have plagued him, resulting in only 13 starts on the PGA Tour over the past four seasons.

As accusations of ‘cheating’ fly at Bernhard Langer and the PGA Tour anticipates another lift from Woods’ presence, fans revelled in the highlights provided by Team Woods – not least of which was Charlie’s first ace at the fourth hole par-3.

“That was the thrill of a lifetime to be able to have that moment with Charlie, make his first hole-in-one, [daughter] Sam on the bag, just our family and friends. That’s what this event is about. It’s about bonding and family,” Woods expressed.

He further acknowledged the competitive spirit of the event, stating, “I know we didn’t win, but it was the fact that we competed. No one really made a mistake out there. We had to earn it, and that’s what you want to have. Hats off to Langers. They played amazing.”

Tiger Woods’ impressive showing at the PNC Championship, alongside his son, drew a massive audience, with Sports Media Watch reporting that day one of the event pulled in an average of 2.92 million viewers across Nielsen and Adobe Analytics.

This figure represents a staggering 147% increase from the previous year and is the highest for the tournament’s opening day since its inception in 1995. The following day also saw a significant boost, with an average of 1.42 million viewers, marking a 32% rise from 2023.

The ‘Tiger effect’ is thought to be behind the PNC Championship’s robust viewership numbers, which stand in sharp contrast to the declining figures seen at other major golf tournaments this year. For instance, the 152nd Open Championship in July attracted its smallest audience since 2015, with just 3.39 million viewers.

Similarly, the Masters’ final round earlier in the year experienced a 20% drop in viewership compared to the previous year.

Rory McIlroy has commented on the downward trend, linking it to the ongoing dispute between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. “If you look at the TV ratings of the PGA Tour this year, they’re down 20 percent across the board. That’s a fifth. That’s big. I would say the numbers on LIV aren’t great either in terms of the people tuning in,” he remarked earlier this year.

“I just think with the fighting and everything that’s gone on over the past couple of years, people are just getting fatigued, and it’s turning people off men’s professional golf, and that’s not a good thing for anyone.”

Tiger Woods and 15-year-old son Charlie ran off five straight birdies on the back nine as a 13-under 59 gave them a share of the lead in the PNC Championship in Woods’ first competition since back surgery in September.

Woods said he scheduled that surgery – the sixth on his lower back in the last 10 years – to be sure he recovered in time to play with his son for the fifth straight year.

This is the first time they have shared the lead after the opening round, joined by the last two champions – Bernhard Langer and son Jason, and Vijay Singh and son Qass.

READ: Tiger Woods’ immediate goal: Keep his son from beating him in golf for 18 holes

Woods hit an array of good shots, including a wedge to inches on the short par-four seventh, but otherwise downplayed his game by suggesting he still had a lot of rust.

This was more about spending a brisk day at the Ritz-Carlton Club Orlando with his son, a sophomore at Benjamin School in North Palm Beach.

His daughter, Sam, caddied for her father for the second straight year, while their mother, Elin, was among those in the gallery in a tournament that is all about family.

“We’re trying to pull off each and every shot for each other, and to ham-and-egg,” Woods said. “And I think we did that great pretty much the entire day.

“We picked each other up, which was great, and Charlie made pretty much most of the putts today.”

It helped playing in the same group with former British Open champion Justin Leonard and his son, Luke, a senior and team-mate with Charlie at Benjamin School.

Langer extended his astonishing record on the PGA Tour Champions this year by winning for an 18th consecutive season. He and his son made eight birdies in a nine-hole stretch in the middle of the round, and they had an eagle on the 14th hole.

Singh and his son, who won this event in 2022, shot 28 on the back nine.

“There’s so many teams in the hunt,” Langer said. “It’s anybody’s game that is within three or four shots of the leaders, which is most of the field.”

Padraig Harrington and son Paddy, and Tom Lehman and son Sean, were at 12-under 60. The Lehmans looked to be leading when they were around the green on the par-five 18th, but then it took them four shots to get down in the scramble format, taking bogey.

Tiger Woods turns 49 at the end of the month and he has one pressing goal that relates to his golf. He wants to prolong that inevitable day when his son beats him over 18 holes.

They will be playing with — not against — each other this week for the fifth straight year at the PNC Championship, a 36-hole tournament so meaningful to them and everyone else in the field that Woods was determined to play for the first time since a sixth back surgery in September.

Word got out, however, that 15-year-old Charlie finally beat his 15-time major champion dad.

Tiger Woods drops truth bomb on son Charlie's future at PNC Championship

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“He beat me for nine holes,” Woods said, an important clarification to him. “He has yet to beat me for 18 holes. That day is coming. I’m just prolonging it as long as I possibly can.”

As for the details, Woods talked about the typical banter between them and how much fun they have. It was clear he was not going to share the hole-by-hole of the loss.

Winning is a goal, but not the priority, at the PNC Championship. It’s a happy end of the year for all 20 teams at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Orlando, an event that pairs the winners of majors or The Players Championship with a family member.

Woods played five tournaments this year and completed only one of them, making the cut at the Masters for a record 24th consecutive year. He had to play 23 holes on Friday at Augusta National in a raging wind, posting a 72 for his best round of the year. He followed that with an 82, an example of ups and downs from a player whose body has been wracked with injury.

“I’m not going to feel what I’m used to feeling,” Woods said. “The recovery has gotten to be the hardest part. But over the course of rounds, weeks, months, it gets harder.”

He missed the cut in the next three majors and then had surgery on his lower back in September to alleviate some of the spasms he had been feeling. The timing of the surgery was related to the PNC Championship.

Woods chose not to play the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas two weeks ago, saying he wasn’t competitively sharp enough to handle Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay and Justin Thomas among a 20-man field of players from the top 40 in the world.

This might as well be his fifth major because he plays with his son.

“That was one of the reasons why I had the surgery done earlier, so that hopefully I could give myself the best chance to be with Charlie and be able to play,” Woods said. “I’m not competitive right now, but I just want to be able to have the experience again. This has always been one of the bigger highlights of the year for us as a family, and now we get to have that moment together again.”

The surgery was on his back, but Woods said his right leg, which was mangled in a February 2021 car crash outside Los Angeles, remains the biggest physical obstacle.

Even so, he chose to walk the pro-am on Friday instead of riding a cart, which is allowed for players because the tournament is co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour Champions.

Team Woods has yet to win since they began playing in 2020. They finished second the following year by two shots to John Daly and his college son, when Charlie was 12. He is adding inches to his height every year, filling out and pounding the golf ball. Woods plans to rely on his son’s tee shots in the scramble format.

They will play the opening round Saturday with Justin Leonard and son Luke, who goes to The Benjamin School in North Palm Beach with Charlie and is going to Villanova next year.

Charlie Woods went through U.S. Open qualifying for the first time this year and failed to advance out of the first stage. He qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur at Oakland Hills but didn’t come close to making it to match play.

Woods appreciated that his son is under a spotlight few others his age face.

“I was always reminding him, ‘Just be you.’ Charlie is Charlie. Yes, he’s my son. He’s going to have my last name and it’s going to be part of his core. But I just want him to be just himself and be his own person. That’s what we can only do,” Woods said.

“I always encourage it, for him to carve his own name, carve his own path and have his own journey,” he said. “I think he’s doing a great job. In this day and age where everyone is basically media, with all the phones, being constantly filmed and constantly people watching, that’s just part of his generation, and that’s part of the world that he has to maneuver through.”

The chaos surrounding his father at every tournament is affecting Charlie’s game.

Being the son of a golf legend comes with both perks and pitfallsCharlie Woods, the young golfing prodigy, is experiencing firsthand the intense scrutiny that comes with being a Woods.

Recently, Charlie participated in the USGA Championship, where he was accompanied by his famous father. The mere presence of Tiger Woods drew massive crowds, making it difficult for Charlie to focus on his game. The constant attention and the pressure to perform have been a significant challenge for the young golfer.

The chaos reached such a point that the event’s management had to deploy several bodyguards to look after Tiger and keep him safe from the crowds that gathered around him. All of this, as expected, took its toll on Woods Jr.

A tornado named TigerTiger Woods PNC Championship

Hunter Mayhem, a PGA Tour Pro, empathized with Charlie’s situation. He described the experience of playing with Tiger Woods as being “inside a tornado.” The constant chaos and the overwhelming attention can be incredibly stressful, especially for a young athlete like Charlie.

“It’s just insanity, and he deals with it every day. He has to go out and play, um, it’s a lot of that, he sort of like dealt with that, and he just sort of made peace with it,” said Mayhem in statemens for the Par 3 Podcast.

The golf great highlighted, “It’s wild, and as a player, you’re used to being in control, but when you’re playing with Tiger, or in Charlie’s case, being his son, it’s a whole different story.”

Charlie has also faced similar challenges during other tournaments. At the Cognizant Classic pre-qualifier, unruly fans disrupted his game, further highlighting the difficulties he faces. Some fans even went to extreme lengths, pulling their children out of school to catch a glimpse of the young golfer.

As Charlie continues to pursue his golfing career, he will undoubtedly face more pressure and scrutiny. The question remains: Can he break free from his father’s shadow and establish his own identity in the world of golf?

Tiger Woods is returning to the PNC Championship with 15-year-old son Charlie, his first competition since the British Open in July and after having a sixth surgery on his back three months ago.

Woods has played the 36-hole PNC Championship with Charlie every year since 2020. The tournament invites players who have won majors or The Players Championship with family members, typically their children.

“Playing together is something we look forward to and it’s always more special when you’re surrounded by friends and family,” Woods said.

Tiger Woods Son Charlie

READ: A Look Back at Tiger Woods Last World Challenge Win

The PNC Championship is Dec. 21-22 at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Florida, for 20 teams. New to the tournament this year are Fred Couples and stepson Hunter Hannemann, and Trevor Immelman and son Jacob.

Because the tournament is sanctioned by the PGA Tour Champions, Woods will be able to ride in a cart, key to him playing. He chose to sit out last week at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, where he is the tournament host, because he said his game was not sharp enough to compete against a field of the top 40 players in the world.

Woods set a Masters record in April by making his 24th consecutive cut, but he missed the cut in the other three majors. He had a microdiscectomy in September to alleviate pain down his legs, his sixth surgery on his lower back.

The biggest one was fusion surgery in 2017, and he followed that by winning the Tour Championship a year later and capturing his 15th major with a fifth Masters title in 2019. His last victory was the Zozo Championship in Japan in the fall of 2019, tying Sam Snead for the PGA Tour’s record of 82 career titles.

But there is no indication how often he can play in 2025.

“Whether my commitment going forward is once a month, yeah, I could say that all over again,” Woods said last week. “But I truly don’t know. I’m just trying to rehab and still get stronger and better and feel better, really give myself the best chance I can going into next year.”

The PNC Championship features 13-year-old Will McGee, the son of Annika Sorenstam, and 89-year-old Gary Player. Nelly Korda returns to play with her father, former tennis Grand Slam champion Petr Korda.

The Hero World Challenge, an unofficial PGA Tour event hosted by Woods, tees off today at Albany, featuring 20 players from the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Woods isn’t playing this year, but as a host, he is there. And as always, the event kicked off with a pro-am and the customary press conference. During media interactions, Scheffler gave us a little peek behind the scenes. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t all business.

The PGA Tour feels like it’s on fire these days, doesn’t it? New formats, that ongoing merger saga, the snail’s pace of play debates, and so much more. Pretty much anyone in the golf world has something to say about it. And it makes sense—big changes can feel like a lot when one season’s ending and another is gearing up. So, when you get two big names like former World No. 1 Tiger Woods and current No. 1 Scottie Scheffler met on the course, they were not knee-deep in these hot topics. They talked about their kids.

READ: Tiger Woods reveals when he might next play golf

“Talked about his kids,” Scheffler said with a grin. “It’s really exciting, when you ask somebody about their kids, they always get so excited and that’s really fun for me to be able to do with people because they get so excited and it’s fun to share what’s going on. Tiger’s the same way, he always gets excited when he gets to talk about his kids.”

If you’ve followed Woods even a little, you know how much he adores his kids, Charlie and Sam. It’s the kind of thing that melts even the toughest hearts in the golf world. So did he give some parenting advice to first-time dad Scheffler? “There was no advice. If I did, I’m sure neither of us would probably want to be sharing it publicly,” revealed the #1.

We’ve all seen Woods’ love for his kids. Whether it’s Charlie’s golf swing or Sam’s proud moments, his passion as a dad is undeniable. “I just love being with them and seeing what they’re doing, what they’re capable of doing—the joys, just the shifts of interest. It’s just fun. We have a great time together,” Woods shared back in 2011, and it still rings true.

Well, its not like they only talked about their kids. They talked about the ongoing matters of the golf world as well. “I think most of the time we just talk about money and how the purses need to be bigger,” Scheffler said. “Today we really grinded on the Ryder Cup and how it’s just such BS that we’ve never gotten paid. Tiger was really frustrated; he feels like he hasn’t made enough money in his career. I feel the same way; I feel like last year I didn’t get paid 4 enough for what I did. Mostly that, just a bunch of griping.”

Woods feeling that he has not made enough money would come as a shocker to many. He is the richest golfer with the most amount earned from the Tour. Scheffler made the most this year, nearly $29.2 million from tournaments. Sure, Woods is one of the greatest golfers of all time, but it’s the bond he shares with Sam and Charlie that shows how great a dad he really is.

We all love Woods on the course, but if you ask him, his favorite role is definitely being a dad. Through all the highs and lows—majors won, injuries, comebacks—his bond with his kids, Sam and Charlie, has been the real constant. And honestly, it’s a side of Woods that’s just as impressive as his golf game.

By the time Charlie and Sam were toddlers, Woods’s world got pretty messy with a very public scandal and divorce in 2010. But even in the middle of all that chaos, he put his kids first. In a 2015 interview with TIME, he admitted he was upfront with them in the simplest way: ‘Guys, the reason why we’re not in the same house, why we don’t live under the same roof, Mommy and Daddy, is because Daddy made some mistakes.’ It wasn’t flashy or complicated—just an honest dad trying to explain a tough situation.

Sam has been cheering her dad on since she was six months old, and in December 2023, she even caddied for him during the PNC Championship. Meanwhile, Charlie is shaping up to be a mini version of his dad. The two first competed together in the 2020 PNC Championship, and fans couldn’t help but notice their eerily similar mannerisms. Even Charlie’s coach sees the resemblance, both in his game and his demeanor.

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