Tiger Woods Explains Why Golf Has a ‘Negative Connotation’ for His Daughter Sam
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Tiger Woods’ daughter, Sam, won’t be following in her dad’s footsteps.
“You know, when she was growing up, golf took daddy away from her,” Woods, 48, told Carson Daly during a Wednesday, May 1, appearance on Today. “I had to pack and I had to leave and I would be gone for weeks, and there was a negative connotation to it.”
Sam’s thoughts on the sport led to the father-daughter duo bonding over other things.
“We’ve developed our own relationship, our own rapport, that’s outside of golf. We do things that [don’t] involve golf,” the athlete said. “Meanwhile, my son, [Charlie], and I do everything golf-related. It’s very different.”
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Woods shares Sam, 16, and Charlie, 15, with ex-wife Elin Nordegren. Charlie attempted to qualify for the U.S. Open late last month, but he failed to advance to the next stage after a local qualifier in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Woods told Daly, 50, that although Charlie usually listens to his golf advice, there has been “some pushback” as he gets older.
"He's 15 years old," he said. "It's what happens — it's what teenagers go through. They're trying to find their own place in the world."
Although golf isn’t Sam’s cup of tea, the teenager has supported her dad at numerous tournaments over the years and was present when he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in March 2022.
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“It’s been at the soccer fields and golf tournaments over the years that Charlie and I have begun to realize how famous he actually is,” Sam said while introducing Woods at the induction ceremony. “I mean, how can a guy who still FaceTimes his friends to discuss Marvel-DC timelines and who goes to Comic-Con dressed as Batman be one of the greatest golfers that ever lived?”
Elsewhere in her speech, Sam referenced the pro golfer’s February 2021 single-car accident, during which he injured both of his legs.
“We didn’t know if you’d come home with two legs or not. Now not only are you about to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but you’re standing here on your own two feet,” Sam said. “This is why you deserve this, because you’re a fighter.”
Woods has also overcome his rocky history with Nordegren, 44, to form a united front as coparents. The exes divorced in 2010 after Woods’ highly publicized affairs with multiple women, including a full-fledged relationship with Rachel Uchitel, made headlines in 2009.
During a 2015 interview with Time, Woods noted that Nordegren became one of his “best friends” after their divorce.
“We’re able to pick up the phone, and we talk to each other all the time. … It’s fun. She talks to me about her life, I talk to her about my life. We try and help each other out on all occasions,” he said. “And we work through it with the kids, the parenting program. She is one of my best friends now, and it’s all because of my kids.”
