A lot has been said of Tiger Woods in the last week following his induction alongside former PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, three-time U.S. Women’s Open champion Susie Maxwell Berning and trailblazer Marion Hollins into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
On the night of his induction, the 15-time major champion sat down with NBC’s Mike Tirico to discuss his family and career. In the interview, which aired during Sunday’s TV coverage of the Players Championship, Woods spoke about everything from his relationship with both his mother and father to what he’s most proud of from a career that amassed a record-tying 82 PGA Tour titles and record 11 PGA Tour Player of the Year Awards.
“I think the consistency in which I played, that’s something I was very proud of,” said Woods, who spent 683 weeks – or 13 years – atop the Official World Golf Ranking. “I played at a high level for a long period of time. I won my fair share of tournaments, I lost my share of tournaments, but I was proud of the work that I put in to keep myself there and keep trying to get better.”
“But also I think something I’m the most proud of is the cut streak,” Woods added, referencing his streak of 142 consecutive cuts made, a feat that seems only possible in video games. “Because you’re gonna have plenty of bad days … bad things just happen, right? But I didn’t mess it up for like over six years, and that is something that I am truly very proud of.”
Before talking about the various phases of his career from junior star to world No. 1, Woods spoke about his parents, most notably his mother, who was front-and-center at the induction ceremony.
“I was never afraid of dad, I was afraid of mom. Mom was the hard one,” he said with a laugh before praising her for being the support system he needed while his dad worked. “She’s the one that’s been there the entire time. So she’s seen the highs and lows. She’s been there as the person I could always rely upon and turn to, she was the support system that I needed. She was the rock. She was everything.”
Now that he’s a parent to Sam and Charlie, Woods also said he appreciates the pride his father had for him.
“I guess you don’t appreciate that until you become a parent, right? And you definitely don’t appreciate it, until for me I didn’t really appreciate it until my kids started playing sports and started getting involved in sports,” explained Woods. “I’m the sideline dad that I like to go off to the corner and sit there just watch and observe.”
“I’ve had so many people help me along the way. I could never have done it alone.”@TigerWoods reflects on his legacy in golf following his induction into the @GolfHallofFame. pic.twitter.com/GTYz3EiNfx
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) March 13, 2022
Woods was also featured during the third-round broadcast of the PGA Tour’s Genesis Invitational last month at Riviera Country Club, where he discussed his recovery progress with CBS’ Jim Nantz.
“You will see me on the PGA Tour,” said Woods at the time, “I just don’t know when.”
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