Tiger Woods: 15-time major winner gives emotional speech at World Golf Hall of Fame induction

After a moving speech by his daughter Sam, Tiger Woods was in tears as he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

After Sam spoke of not knowing if her father would make a full recovery from last year's car crash, Woods recalled how he battled racism as a junior player and the support of his parents, coaches and friends.

The 46-year-old American said that he didn't get here alone.

It is actually a team award. I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart, all of you allowed me to get here.

It's not clear if Woods will return to the game. His importance to the game is still huge even though he moved slowly on the stage, looking all of his years and still feeling the effects of the crash.

Even though he played just one exhibition tournament in 2021, he won the Player Impact Programme on the PGA Tour and was able to get $8 million for generating more media interest than any other golfer.

His last official PGA Tour event was the 2020 Masters but last November a social media post of him hitting golf balls under the title "making progress" attracted 7.8 million views on Twitter.

Woods has won 15 majors in his career, second only to Jack Nicklaus, and he has also won more times on the PGA Tour with Sam Snead.

In a recorded video message, Nicklaus said that he first saw him when he was 13. I watched a skinny kid hit a few balls and was told he would be good. I told them we would see about that. We have now seen.

The commissioner of the PGA Tour said that sport needs hype. Not many people live up to it. Tiger exceeded it.

His list of playing achievements is lengthy, but he is also recognised for his work with his TGR Foundation, set up in 1996 to improve the health, education and welfare of children.

His golfing career began with humility. He said that his father was against putting quarters and dollars in golf balls, and that he had stories of searching for golf balls to be able to practice.

Woods was not allowed into the clubs at the junior tournaments. He said that the colour of his skin dictated it.

I had to change my shoes in the car. I got older and that drove me more.

The tears came when he talked about how his parents took out a second mortgage to fund his golf when he was 14 and how he was able to pay it off when he won his first prize money.

Without the sacrifice of mom and dad, who instilled in me this work ethic to fight for what I believe in, I wouldn't have become the player he did.

In 1997 he became the first black player to win a major with his 12-shot victory at the Masters and between 1999 and 2002 he won seven out of 11.

His worst times included the breakdown of his marriage to Elin after he admitted to having had numerous affairs.

He won the Tour Championship for the first time in five years after having several operations on his knees and back.

He won his first major in 11 years at the Masters.

He hugged Sam and his son after the Augusta National victory, just as he had done with his parents 22 years earlier.

Sam had said in her earlier speech that you deserve this because you are a fighter.

One of the scariest moments of their family's life was the car crash.

Their family will always be a team because you are standing on your own two feet.

The ceremony took place at the new headquarters of the PGA Tour in Florida on the eve of the Players Championship, and three more people were added to the Hall of Fame.

Susie Maxwell Berning, a four-time women's major winner, and former PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem were also recognised for their golfing achievements.