Kultida Woods, the mother of Tiger Woods, was honored ahead of play in TGL on Tuesday, less than 12 hours after her death was announced, and eight days after she watched her 15-time major-winning son participate in the new, simulator-based series he co-founded.
Before the matchup between the Los Angeles Golf Club team and the Boston Common Golf team, a moment of silence was held within the SoFi Center in Florida. On the broadcast on ESPN, clips of her cheering her son during play last Monday were also shown. Also that day, Woods the golfer yelled to his mother: “Hi, mom. Not going to suck tonight.” She’d been sitting with her grandchildren, Sam and Charlie.
On Tuesday, ESPN TGL announcer Matt Barrie said these words as the moment of silence was shown:
“Sad news today in the golf world as everyone here at TGL, TMRW Sports and ESPN is remembering Tida Woods, the mother of Tiger Woods, who died this morning at the age of 80. Tida was a towering figure in Tiger’s life, someone he described as ‘a force of nature all her own.’ Prior to the match tonight here at SoFi Center, we held a moment of silence honoring Tida Woods, who was so instrumental in Tiger’s life and his success. Throughout his amateur career as a young phenom in California and through his major championships and even here at TGL, the very league her son co-founded, she was here to support him. Last week, in fact, last Monday, Tida was ever present here at SoFi Center, cheering on Tiger, who got the win. Our thoughts and prayers with Tiger, Charlie and Sam and everyone for the loss of Tida Woods. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
Later in the broadcast, ESPN announcer Scott Van Pelt shared this anecdote.
“Getting to know her was such a treat,” Van Pelt said. “We developed a little tradition through the years, on Sundays of majors. I’d see her, as her son teed off — she was in red, always, of course — and she’d ask me, ‘What do you think, Scott?’
“I’d say, ‘Well, Tida, I think your saw is going to do what you taught him to do.’ She’d always smile and say, ‘We’ll see.’ And then we did.”
