Kultida Woods: The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Tiger Woods' Mom

Kultida Woods, the mother of legendary golfer Tiger Woods, endured a lot of hardship in her life before her tragic death at age 81 on February 4, 2025. From an incredibly lonely childhood to coping with the loss of her husband, Earl Woods, from cancer, Kultida — or Tida, as she was simply known — was certainly no stranger to adversity. Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Tiger remembered his mother as a "force of nature" who approached life with incredible strength and an infectious sense of humor. "Her spirit was simply undeniable," Tiger wrote. "She was quick with the needle and a laugh." He added, "She was loved by so many, but especially by her two grandchildren, Sam and Charlie," referring to his children with ex-wife Elin Nordegren. 

For years, Tida was known to many as Tiger's biggest and fiercest cheerleader, often seen supporting him from the sidelines during his tournaments, usually dressed in a red shirt with a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses. "She was my biggest fan, greatest supporter," Tiger's statement read. "Without her none of my personal achievements would have been possible." But what many don't know is that behind her cheerful exterior was a life marked with tragedy. Here is the tragic life story of Tida Woods.

Born on September 30, 1944, in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, Kultida Woods was the youngest of four children. Her father, an architect, and her mother, a schoolteacher, divorced when Tida was only five years old. Growing up, she admitted her childhood was an incredibly rough experience, telling Golf Digest in 2009 (via ESPN), "It was hard for me." This was especially true after Tida was sent away to a boarding school, where she spent five years having to fend for herself. "I almost never went back to any of my family, just stayed at the school," she recalled. "Every weekend I'd hope my father or mother would visit me, ... but no one ever came," Tida said. "I felt abandoned."

She wanted to live with her mother, but after she remarried and had other children, Tida struggled to find her own place in her family. The same went for her father, who preferred his much younger kids over Tida and her three siblings. As a child, Tida didn't experience any affection from her parents, especially from her late dad. "He never hug me or tell me, 'I love you,'" she shared. So when she became a mother and had her son, Tiger Woods, she made a vow to always give him the love and attention she never had growing up. After both her parents died, Tida struggled to build a close relationship with her siblings, one of whom had also since passed away. "We are not really close," she told the magazine. But what's past is past. "We are all old now. What happened, it's over," she remarked.  

Kultida Woods met her future husband, Earl Woods, while she was working as a receptionist at a U.S. Army base in Thailand during the Vietnam War. Back then, she didn't know that Earl was married with three children and was cheating on his ex-wife, Barbara Ann Gary, with her. She and the golfer had only been seeing each other for over a year when Tida decided to fly across the pond to live with him in the United States. Following his divorce, the couple decided to get married in New York City in 1969, and they had their son, Tiger Woods, five years later, on December 30, 1975.

Unfortunately, Tida's marriage to Earl was far from the happy union she had envisioned for herself. Turns out, Earl was both verbally abusive and unfaithful towards her, and he made little attempt to cover up his nasty behavior. According to Tiger's 2018 biography, written by Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian, a former employee who worked for the Woods family described their home as "a house of horrors": "Women came and went. Pornography played steadily on the television. Sex toys were stuffed in drawers, and sexual favors were performed at Earl's request." They added that many of the women who frequented the Woods home were young enough to be Tiger's sisters. On top of this, Earl was also an alcoholic and a chain-smoker. Despite his many flaws, Kultida remained by her husband's side up until his death from cancer in 2006.

Kultida Woods' husband, Earl Woods, was diagnosed with prostate cancer for the first time in 1998. He went into remission after undergoing radiation treatment, but his cancer returned and metastasized to other parts of his body. After two years of battling the illness, Earl passed away on May 4, 2006, at their home in Cypress, California. He was 74 years old. "My dad was my best friend and greatest role model, and I will miss him deeply," Tiger Woods wrote on his website, CBS News noted. "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."

Prior to his death, Earl addressed the truth about his marriage to Kultida in his 1998 book "Playing Through," where he said that Tiger's golfing career took a toll on their relationship. Back then, he and Tida were already living in separate homes but were still married in the eyes of the law. "What happened to our marriage? Not much really. I have a belief that relationships never end; they just change their form," he said (via Chicago Tribune). He also claimed that he and Kultida maintained a close bond despite their separation. "Today, we're best friends, have a beautiful amicable relationship and ardently follow Tiger's development and progress every step of the way," he added. 

Given her own struggles in her marriage to Earl Woods, it's no surprise that Kultida Woods was devastated by her son's cheating scandal that captivated the world in November 2009. The incident, which started with a mysterious car crash, exposed a series of extramarital affairs that shattered Tiger Wood's public image and his marriage to Elin Nordegren. "I brought this shame on myself," Tiger said in a press conference addressing the scandal in 2010. "I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother, my wife's family, my friends. ... I want to say to them that I am truly sorry."

Amid the controversy, Tida took a firm stance in her son's messy divorce from Nordegren. A family friend who spoke to People claimed that Tida was terribly upset by her son's actions and "[wanted] to know how he could do this to his family." They added that her heartbreak extended not only to Tiger but also to Elin, whom Tilda had grown to love as her own daughter, as well as her grandchildren. "She's worried about them," the insider stressed. "She doesn't want to see them hurt." However, after Tiger's public apology, Tida made it clear that all was forgiven between her and her only son. She even criticized how the media handled the controversy, saying Tiger was unfairly scrutinized. "He didn't kill anybody, he didn't do anything illegal," Tida stated, per CBS News. "They've being carrying on from Thanksgiving until now, that's not right."