Tiger Woods announces death of mother, Kultida

Kultida Woods, the mother of legendary golfer Tiger Woods, has passed away at the age of 78. Tiger Woods announced the sad news on February 4th.

Tiger Woods shared the news of his mother’s passing in a post on social media, alongside a picture of her.

“It is with heartfelt sadness that I want to share that my dear mother, Kultida Woods, passed away early this morning,” Tiger 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.”

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

Kultida met Tiger’s father, Earl, in the 1960s during the Vietnam War. At the time, he was deployed to a base in Thailand where Kultida was working as a secretary at the time. She would then follow Woods back to the United States where the pair began their family, settling down in Cypress, California. Prior to that, she had never traveled outside of Thailand.

In 1975, Tiger Woods would be the first-born child of the couple and growing up he recognized his mother as the stricter of the two parents.

“My dad may have been in the Special Forces,” Woods told USA Today in 2017. “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. … I love her so much, but she was tough.”

Despite that, Tiger Woods quickly showed promise as a golfer. With that, his mother has always been incredibly supportive. Throughout her life, she was often seen on the course, following Tiger and supporting him. She was also on hand for his World Golf Hall of Fame induction. During that time, she even became known for wearing an oversized hat and sunglasses. She was even seen at the match this past week before her passing.

Growing up, when money was tight, Woods’ parents took out a second mortgage on their home so he could compete at the American Junior Golf Association Tour, earning access to scouts and premier tournaments. He would later parlay that into playing his college golf at Stanford.

As of now, no cause of death has been publicly released for her passing. She will be mourned by the entire golf community, but especially by her family and friends.