Tiger Woods reveals sad family tragedy
<p>Tiger Woods announced on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT) that his mother Kultida Woods had passed away at the age of 81. </p>
<p>"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. </p>
<p>"My Mum was a force of nature all her own, her spirit was simply undeniable," he continued.</p>
<p>"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."</p>
<p>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".</p>
<p>He signed off the message with: "Love you Mum," and a photo of his mum smiling. </p>
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<p>Her cause of death has not been revealed. </p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>"So sorry for your loss. I send you a big hug ❤️" former tennis champion Rafael Nadal wrote.</p>
<p>"We're so sorry for your loss, Tiger," the official United States Golf Association said.</p>
<p>Woods once described his mother as the "enforcer" who was very "tough" on him in a 2017 interview. </p>
<p>“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.</p>
<p>“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.</p>
<p>“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."</p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>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. </p>
<p><em>Image: SHAWN THEW/EPA-EFE/ Shutterstock Editorial</em></p>
