Inside Tiger Woods' Relationship With His Teenage Daughter Sam
The relationship between Tiger Woods and his son Charlie Woods has been well documented, as the two often play rounds together. While it may not make as many headlines, Tiger has also formed a close bond with his daughter, Sam Woods. In fact, the eldest of the Woods kids was named after the pro golfer. "My father had always called me Sam since the day I was born. He rarely ever called me Tiger," he told the press in 2007 just after Sam was born, per The Seattle Times.
Tiger was playing in the U.S. Open when his now ex-wife Elin Nordegren went into labor. Nordegren told him to focus on finishing the tournament, and Tiger wound up finishing second. "But that night was infinitely more rewarding than any 'W' ever could have been," Tiger said about the birth of Sam. Golf may have made him miss her birth, but years later the game would bring them closer.
At the PNC Championship Pro-Am in December 2023, Tiger played alongside Charlie, and Sam came along to caddy for her dad. "Sam Woods on the bags today," the PGA captioned an Instagram clip that showed the Woods family participating in the event together. Afterwards, Tiger spoke about having his daughter as a caddy. "Sam was fantastic ... it couldn't have been any more special for all of us," he told the press, per Golf Week. But that wasn't the first high-profile event Sam had been part of with her father.
Sam Woods's moving speech about her dad
Tiger Woods spoke about how parenthood had given him a new perspective during an interview for Golf Digest's "A Round with Tiger: Celebrity Lessons by Jada Pinkett Smith," in July 2021. The golfer was asked about lessons he had learned since Sam Woods was born. "What has my daughter taught me? I don't like boys," Tiger joked (via People).
"[Having Sam] has taught me how to be more patient," he later added. In fact, the former Masters Tournament champion believed he gained invaluable lessons from Sam. "I have this thing about ... I feel like every dude should have a daughter."
The following year, the relationship between Tiger and Sam took center stage, as she was asked to give a speech when he was being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in March 2022. Sam delivered an emotional address to the audience as she spoke about her father's frightening car accident that almost cost him one of his legs. "Now, not only are you being inducted in the Hall of Fame, but you're standing here, on your own two feet," she said. "Dad, I inducted you into the Dad Hall of Fame a long time ago."
Understandably, his daughter's speech struck a chord and Tiger's eyes were filled with tears as he approached the podium. "I just lost a bet ... that I wouldn't cry. Thank you, Sam," Tiger said through tears.
Sam Woods caddied as a young child
The 2023 PNC Championship Pro-Am was the first time Sam Woods officially caddied for Tiger Woods, but not the first time she participated in a tournamnet with her pops. "My two littles are going to be out there with me," Tiger told the press in 2015 before playing the Masters Tournament Par 3 event — a casual warm-up round on the Masters course, per the Indy Star.
Both Sam and Charlie Woods came along with their dad on the course when they were still little kids. At one point, Tiger let Sam tap in a putt. Afterwards, they shared a hug and Sam kissed her father on the head. A couple years later, the golf pro reflected on being able to play Augusta National alongside his kids. "For them they don't really understand what I've done there," he told USA Today in 2017. "It was so important for me but also so important to them, for them to see a side of me that they haven't seen before."
Later, the Woods family shared more special moments at Augusta. In 2019, Sam and Charlie were present when their dad won his fifth Masters title. Tiger had overcome serious injury to regain his form, and credited his kids for his comeback in the sport. "It means the world to me. Their love and their support, I just can't say enough how much that meant to me throughout my struggles," he said after the Masters win, per NBC Sports.