Emotional Tiger Woods Honors Mom Kultida’s Sacrifices Ahead of the U.S. Open: ‘Didn’t Do This Alone’

Earl Woods has been a central character in the Tiger Woods lore. But the 15-time major champion believes his mother, Kultida, doesn’t get the recognition she deserves. While receiving the Bob Jones Award, the United States Golf Association’s most prestigious accolade, at Pinehurst, the three-time U.S. Open winner revealed that during eight of nine consecutive USGA titles, his mother wasn’t present. However, at the 1996 US Amateur’s Open, Kultida was at the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club. 

Woods already created history by netting three consecutive U.S. Junior Amateur’s Open. And, at Pumpkin Ridge, then 20-year-old was standing at the cusp of a historic six-peat. “There she was in a Stanford sweatshirt; imagine if I had lost? But who did I hug first after I won, right, Mommy? It was you,” the 15-time major champion said. 

For all the influence Kultida had on Woods, what gets overlooked is the killer instinct and ruthless mentality Woods had. Woods once jokingly said, “He [Earl Woods] never had to spank me growing up as a kid. Because Mom beat the hell out of my ass. I’ve still got the handprints.”

Humor aside, Kultida was as invested in the young golf prodigy as was her husband. From outside the ropes, from outside the media spotlight. In 2010, after Woods’s personal troubles took center stage, Kultida told Doug Ferguson of AP, “Some of media, especially tabloid, hurt my son bad. He didn’t do anything illegal. He didn’t kill anybody. But he try to improve himself.”

The 82-time PGA Tour winner said from Pinehurst, “My mom doesn’t get enough credit. It was Dad and I on the road, but my mom has been there my entire life, has always been there through thick and thin.” After honoring the previous recipient the 48-year-old added, “She [Kultida Woods] allowed me to get here, to do these things, to chase my dreams, with support and love. I didn’t do this alone, I had the greatest rock that any child could possibly have. Thank you, Mommy.”

It was reminiscent of Woods’s Hall of Fame speech, where the veteran golfer revealed that his parents had to take a second mortgage to fund his dream of becoming an ace golfer. Woods said, nothing would’ve been possible “Without the sacrifices of mom, who took me to all the tournaments. And dad, who’s not here, but who instilled in me this work ethic to fight for what I believe in, chase after my dreams.

While she supported her son’s pursuit of greatness, Kultida Woods also had some curious contributions to the Woods lore. The famous Nike red polos that landed Woods 15 majors including all three U.S. Open titles, was her mother’s idea. Woods, who now is associated with a clothing line with the same name, revealed how he had a disagreement with his mother about the ‘power color’ but later fell in line. 

Tiger Woods revealed the Kultida connection to Sun Day Red

Make no mistake, like you and me and everyone else in their teenage years, Tiger Woods was also a rebellious kid. So, when his mothers suggested he should wear red – because Woods was Capricorn, and red was his power color – the teenager swatted aside the suggestion as nonsense. 

Tiger Woods said on NBC’s Today Show last month, “It’s a nice little tie to mom. In some of the junior golf events in So Cal, I would wear red, and I won. Then, in spite, I wore blue at other tournaments – I didn’t win. So I then switched to red, and I had a lot more success wearing red.”

In his first U.S. Open appearance since missing the cut in 2020 at Winged Foot, Tiger Woods believes he has the strength and ability to do it. Not making the cut, but winning his 16th major. Another trait Woods learned from his mother. The nine-time USGA champion will tee off at 7.29 AM ET on Thursday with Matt Fitzpatrick and Will Zalatoris.