Tiger Woods announced that his mother, Kultida, died Tuesday morning. She was 80. 

“It is with heartfelt sadness that I want to share that my dear mother, Kultida Woods, passed away early this morning,” Woods wrote in a post on X. “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.” 

Kultida and Tiger’s dad, Earl, got married in Brooklyn in 1969, after meeting in Thailand three years earlier, while Earl served during the Vietnam War. 

Woods, 49, once described his mother as an “enforcer” during a 2017 interview with USA Today. 

“My dad was always the person who would plant seeds and give me encouragement but also would say things that would fester inside me that wouldn’t come to fruition for a while,” Woods said. “He was very worldly and deep in his thinking. My mom was the enforcer. My dad may have been in the Special Forces, but I was never afraid of him. My mom’s still here and I’m still deathly afraid of her. She’s a very tough, tough old lady, very demanding. She was the hand, she was the one, I love her so much, but she was tough. 

“There was zero negotiation.” 

Woods’ dad died in 2006. 

Kultida joined Woods, Woods’ kids and his ex-girlfriend Erica Herman when his son received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Donald Trump in 2019. 

She also attended his induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2022.