‘Happens Almost Every Day’: Troubled by Discomfort, Tiger Woods’ Niece Cheyenne Made an Open Confession in 2015

To the golf world, it sometimes seems like golf skills can be inherited. Especially when it comes to the Woods family, golf somehow seems to be embedded in their DNA. The golf legend Tiger Woods has a niece, Cheyenne Woods, who is also a professional golfer. There’s also his son, Charlie Woods, who plays in the junior golf leagues. But does Tiger’s legendary name affect the other Woods’ playing the sport? Cheyenne certainly thinks so.

Cheyenne turned pro in 2012 after racking up many wins in amateur tournaments. That same year, she went on to grab her first professional win in the SunCoast Ladies Series. Since then, Cheyenne has only had one other professional victory, which came when she won the Volvik RACV Ladies Masters in 2014 on the Ladies European Tour.

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In June 2015, Cheyenne wrote a piece called ‘What’s in a name’ on Derek Jeter’s Players Tribune. In it, she expressed her discomfort with the last name she shares with her uncle. She hinted that she did not want to fall in the shadow of his legacy, and wanted to earn a name for herself.

Woods questioned the reader, asking them how often they were asked about their uncles. She said, “Once a month? Once a year? Never? For me, it happens almost every day.” Woods knew that there was no other way. She wrote, “It’s just kind of how it works when you’re a professional golfer and your uncle happens to be Tiger Woods.”

Cheyenne claims the name she shared with Tiger Woods does not define her

She also wrote of how she had faced the press many times and what they wanted to know about the 15-time major winner. Cheyenne stated that all everyone wanted to know was who would take up Tiger Woods’ mantle. Many also expected her to become a golf legend just like Woods and “dominate the women’s game,” but Cheyenne knew that wasn’t possible.

Woods, by the time he was 24, had already won two majors and three U.S. amateur championships. Not many could come close to his achievements, and Cheyenne knew it. She said that no matter her accomplishments, many would still regard her as just “Tiger’s niece.”

She wrote that it filled her with pride to be related to Tiger Woods but added, “It’s not what defines me as a golfer or a person.” The golfer wanted to build her own reputation and not live in Tiger’s shadow. She ended her piece and wrote, “My last name is Woods—but you can call me Cheyenne.”

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Do you believe Cheyenne’s situation will improve and the media will recognize her as an individual? Or will her legacy end as Tiger Woods’ niece? Let us know in the comments below.