Tiger Woods remembers how his parents helped him be successful in golf. (1:45)
Tiger Woods was officially inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame on Wednesday, in what seemed like a formality from the first time he played in a PGA Tour event at the Greater Milwaukee Open in August 1996.
The ceremony to induct Woods into the Hall of Fame was delayed because of COVID-19. The World Golf Hall of Fame is 25 miles away from the headquarters of the PGA Tour.
Sam introduced Woods at the ceremony.
During his speech, Woods talked about how his parents took out a second mortgage on their house to pay for his travel expenses when he was a junior at a all-white country club.
Woods said his late father, Earl, and mother, Kultida, still believed in his work ethic to fight for what he believed in.
If you don't put in the work, you won't get the results, but two, and more importantly, you don't.
Woods had a profound impact on the game of golf, making it cool for younger generations to play and attracting minorities to the sport. He was one of the richest and most famous people in the world because of his popularity.
In 1997 Woods won the Masters by a record-breaking 12 shots and set the scoring record at 18 under, his first of 15 major titles. He won the 2000 Open Championship by eight strokes. In 2001, Woods became the only player in history to win four consecutive majors -- winning the last three majors in 2000 and then the 2001 Masters -- a feat that became known as the Tiger Slam.
Woods won the Masters five times, the PGA Championship four times and the U.S. Open and Open Championship three times. He was the top ranked golfer in the world for a record 683 weeks and made a record 142 consecutive cuts.
Woods won the Masters in his first major championship in 11 years after multiple knee and back surgeries.
Woods said that golf is an individual sport and that he didn't get here alone. I had unbelievable parents, mentors, friends, who allowed me and supported me in the toughest times, the darkest of times, and celebrated the highest of times.
Woods may not be done yet. He hasn't played in a tour event since the Masters. He had serious injuries to his leg and foot in a car wreck outside of Los Angeles. He underwent multiple surgeries and said last month that he plans to return to competitive play.
When Woods and his family arrived at the PGA Tour headquarters a few hours before the ceremony, he wasn't wearing a large black sleeve that was on his right leg.
Dad had to train harder than ever, Sam Woods said during her introduction speech. We did not know if you would come home with two legs. You are about to be in the Hall of Fame, but you are standing on your own two feet.
You are a fighter and you deserve this. You have overcome the odds every time, being the first Black and Asian golfer to win a major, being able to win your fifth Masters after multiple back surgeries, and being able to walk just a few months after your crash.
Several players from the PGA Tour attended the ceremony.
I think the fact that he is a person of color and what that brings to the table in terms of golf being a more acceptable sport to play if you are from a certain ethnic background, I think that is a huge mark on the game. He was the most famous man in the world because of his play and the excitement he created around the game of golf.
The total purse when Woods first played in the Players Championship in 1997 was $3.5 million. The winner of the tournament at TPC Sawgrass will get a 20 million dollar purse.
He made golf, professional golf at the highest level, very attractive to be involved in. TV was paid more. The sponsors paid more. His peers and colleagues were getting paid more because of that.
Susie Maxwell Berning, a three-time winner of the U.S. Women's Open, was one of three people who were female golf course developers.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
