Earl Woods, Father of
Tiger Woods, Dies
By DOUG FERGUSON, AP
Golf Writer from ajc.com on the Web, May 3, 2006
CYPRESS, Calif. — Tiger Woods' father
has died.
Earl Woods, who was more determined to raise a good son than a great golfer and
became the role model, architect and driving force behind Tiger Woods'
phenomenal career, died Wednesday morning at his home in Cypress, Calif.
He was 74.
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In this
April 9, 2006, file photo, Tiger Woods wears his Masters Green
Jacket during ceremonies after the 2006 Masters golf tournament at
the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga.
(AP Photo/David J. Phillip) |
"My dad was my best friend and
greatest role model, and I will miss him deeply," Tiger Woods said on his Web
site. "I'm overwhelmed when I think of all of the great things he
accomplished in his life. He was an amazing dad, coach, mentor, soldier,
husband and friend. I wouldn't be where I am today without him, and I'm
honored to continue his legacy of sharing and caring."
Woods was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1998 and was treated with radiation,
but the cancer returned in 2004 and spread throughout his body. Last
month, he was too frail to travel to the Masters for the first time. His
son finished tied for third.
The last tournament Woods attended was the Target World Challenge in December
2004, when his son rallied to win and then donated $1.25 million to the Tiger
Woods Foundation that his father helped him establish.
Earl Woods was more than a golf dad, more than a zealous father who lived
vicariously through his son's achievements.
He had played catcher for Kansas State, the first black to play baseball in the
Big Eight Conference, and he had been a Green Beret for two tours in Vietnam.
But he felt his true purpose was to train Tiger, and he watched his son evolve
into the dominant player of his time — the youngest player to win the career
Grand Slam — and one of the most celebrated athletes in the world.
"I knew Tiger was special the day he was born," Woods said in a May 2000
interview with The Associated Press.
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