Legendary golfer Tiger Woods came forward today with heartbreaking news surrounding his family.
Woods announced today that his mother, Kultida, has died. She was 78.
He made the announcement today on X, with an attached statement and a picture of her in the post. He asked for privacy for him and his family.
It is with heartfelt sadness that I want to share that my dear mother, Kultida Woods, passed away early this morning. 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,… pic.twitter.com/RoKd0fsM9J
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) February 4, 2025
“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. 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.
“Thank you all for your support, prayers and privacy at this difficult time for me and my family. Love you Mom.”
Tiger was Kultida and Earl Woods’ only child together. Tiger has a few half-siblings from his father’s first marriage. Kultida met Earl while he was on tour of duty in the military in Thailand. She was of Thai, Chinese and Dutch descent.
Kultida and Earl moved to Brooklyn, New York, after they were married, and then to Cypress, California, where Tiger was born.
ESPN noted that Tiger, whose real name is Eldrick, was named after his mother and father. The name Eldrick began with an E – in honor of Earl – and ended with a K – in honor of Kultida.
While Earl Woods was front and center in Tiger’s life and golf development, Tiger himself has said that without his mother and her strong personality, he wouldn’t have had the success he had professionaly.
Woods once described his mother as an “enforcer” during a 2017 interview with USA Today.
“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.
“There was zero negotiation.”