After Infant Daughter’s Terrifying Health Scare, Tiger Woods’s Niece Cheyenne Details ‘Stressful’ Life as New Mom

Behind every athlete’s mother lies an untold story of juggling professional excellence with the consuming demands of parenthood. For Cheyenne Woods, niece of golf legend Tiger Woods, this reality has taken on new meaning as she navigates the challenges of motherhood while staying connected to the sport that defined her career. Her journey has been particularly poignant through 2024 as she managed her daughter Maya’s significant health challenges, including severe reflux and laryngomalacia that required surgery and tube feeding.

The past year tested Woods’s resilience as a mother, with Maya depending entirely on tube feeds for 10 months, experiencing more than 15 episodes of sickness daily. Now, as Maya’s health shows improvement, Woods has found herself facing a different kind of challenge—one that bridges her golf world with motherhood. As an on-course broadcaster for high-profile events like “The Match,” working alongside personalities like Charles Barkley and Trevor Immelman, she’s discovering new dimensions to her golf journey.

A mother’s perspective on tournament challenges

“Trying to keep 2 toddlers quiet at golf tournament is 100% more stressful than actually playing,” Woods recently shared in an Instagram story, capturing a moment with her children in strollers at a golf course. This lighthearted observation marks a significant milestone for Woods, particularly considering that just months ago, Maya’s severe health issues had made even leaving the house a challenge. The journey from managing Maya’s feeding tube and constant medical appointments to now handling both toddlers at a golf event shows remarkable progress.

This candid admission from someone who last competed at the 2021 Cambia Portland Classic offers a striking contrast between her past pressures as a player and her current reality as a mother. Since welcoming Cameron in April 2022 and Maya in October 2023, Woods has navigated not only the traditional challenges of motherhood but also Maya’s complex medical needs, making their presence at golf events a testament to both children’s resilience and their mother’s determination.

The transition reflects her evolution in the sport, from competitive player to broadcast voice while managing the complex dynamics of family life. Through Maya’s difficult health journey, including months of tube dependency and multiple daily health episodes, Woods has found ways to maintain her connection to golf. Her broadcasting role has offered a unique vantage point, allowing her to stay engaged with the sport while prioritizing her children’s needs, particularly Maya’s ongoing recovery.

Evolution of support for playing mothers

The LPGA Tour’s support system for mothers has come long since establishing the Smucker LPGA Child Development Center in 1993, the first traveling childcare center in professional sports. With three full-time credentialed child development staff members at North American events and comprehensive maternity policies, the tour has created an environment that acknowledges the dual roles of its athletes. Players can take maternity leave in the year of childbirth and the following year, with the option to retain their pre-maternity leave status for 12 months upon return.

These developments reflect the tour’s commitment to supporting players through different life stages. All five majors now include maternity clauses, and the flexible return-to-play options demonstrate an understanding of the challenges faced by new mothers. Two-time major champion Stacy Lewis’s positive experience with the daycare program, particularly during the 2022 U.S. Open when she fell ill, exemplifies the practical impact of these support systems.

Woods’s journey from managing Maya’s health crisis to finding her footing as a golf mom represents the evolving nature of women’s roles in professional golf. While she hasn’t ruled out a return to competitive play, possibly eyeing the U.S. Women’s Open and select events in the future, her story highlights how success in golf can take many forms. Her transition from player to broadcaster to mother showcases the sport’s growing capacity to embrace and support women through every stage of their lives, both on and off the course.