Kultida Woods, the mother of 15-time major champion Tiger Woods, has died aged 80, he announced in a statement on Tuesday. Kultida was in attendance at her son's TGL match in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida last week. Her cause of death has not been announced. "It is with heartfelt sadness that I want to share that my dear mother, Kultida Woods, passed away early this morning," Tiger said. "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.". Condolences were offered from people and organisations from across the world of sport. NFL legend Tom Brady replied to the statement with three heart emojis, while a PGA of America spokesman said: "Sending our condolences to the Woods family today.".

President Donald Trump said on his Truth Social platform: "I was just informed that Tiger Woods’ wonderful Mother, Kultida, passed away — She has gone onto greener fairways! Kultida Woods was an amazing influence on Tiger, and gave him much of his strength and brilliance. Melania and I send our love and prayers to Tiger and his incredible family!". Kultida (née Punsawad) was born in Thailand. She worked as a secretary at the same military base where Earl Woods, a member of the United States Army Special Forces was deployed in 1998. They were married one year later, and Tiger was born in 1975.

Tida, as she was known, was a dedicated supporter of her son's career, attending events across the world from the junior ranks all the way to his major championship triumphs. Her significance to her son only grew after Earl's death aged 77 in 2006, supporting him through his struggles with injury and scandals in his personal life. Just last week, she was in the stands as Woods played his second match in his tech-powered arena golf league TGL. Before his Jupiter Links team's victory over Rory McIlroy's Boston Common, Woods was caught on camera shouting: “Hi, Mom. Not gonna suck tonight. Okay?” The 49-year-old was referencing his poor performance in his TGL debut earlier in January.

Woods summed up the impact of his parents on his life and career during his World Golf Hall of Fame induction in 2021. “My family made a tough decision and at the age of 14, we took out a second mortgage so I could go out and play the AJGA (American Junior Golf Association) Tour. Mom stayed at home. Dad traveled. And I went out and played the AJGA Tour on our second mortgage. “So without the sacrifices of Mom who took me to all those junior golf tournaments, and Dad, who's not here, but who instilled in me this work ethic to fight for what I believe in, chase after my dreams, nothing's ever going to be given to you, everything's going to be earned. If you don't go out there and put in the work, you don't go out and put in the effort, one, you're not going to get the results, but two, and more importantly, you don't deserve it. You need to earn it.”.

Woods is yet to confirm if he will play in the PGA Tour event he hosts – The Genesis Invitational, which will be played at the temporary venue of Torrey Pines next week after the Los Angeles wildfires forced the tournament to be moved away from his traditional home of Riviera Country Club. Woods is yet to play on the PGA Tour this season. The latest news from the world of golf straight to your inbox.