Tiger Woods Says the 'Love and Support' of His Kids 'Means the World' After Masters Win
Tiger Woods’ big win on Sunday was made even more meaningful by the fact that he got to share it with his children.
After Woods, 43, won the Masters Tournament again — his first Major title in 11 years — the professional golfer opened up about how “special” it was to have his son Charlie Axel, 10, and daughter Sam Alexis, 11, there to witness his triumph after years of injuries and four back surgeries.
“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 when I really just had a hard time moving around,” he told reporters at his winner’s press conference. “Just their infectiousness of happiness; you know, I was going through a tough time physically. There was a lot of times when I really couldn’t move and so that in itself is difficult.”
“But just to have them there, and then now to have them see their Pops win, just like my Pops saw me win here, it’s pretty special,” he added with a smile.
Perhaps the most emotional part of Woods’ win came minutes after he sunk his final putt at Georgia’s Augusta National when his son Charlie — wearing a matching red shirt and black hat — gave his father a congratulatory embrace. The sweet moment mirrored the embrace Woods famously shared with his late father Earl after winning his first Masters in 1997.
Woods shares his children with ex-wife Elin Nordegren.
RELATED: Tiger Woods Says 2019 Masters Victory Is Going to ‘Take a Little Bit of Time to Sink in’
Asked what his children said to him following his big win, Woods admitted during the press conference that he “definitely didn’t hear them” over all the screaming, but he hoped he had made them proud.
“I think that — I think — well, I hope, I hope they are proud of me. I hope they are proud of their dad,” he shared, as he opened up about the positive impact his comeback has had on his life as an athlete and a father.
“I was very fortunate to be given another chance to do something that I love. But more importantly, I’ve been able to participate in my kids’ lives in a way that I couldn’t for a number of years,” he said.
Continuing, he remarked: “And so they are a lot more active than I am, and I’m a little competitive myself, so I try and keep up. I tried to do that for a number of years and I just couldn’t do it, but now I’m starting to do it and starting to be able to play with them and do things in their sports. That’s something I always missed. I always felt like I could do pretty much anything physically, but for a while there, I just couldn’t even walk.”
RELATED VIDEO: Tiger Woods Wins Tour Championship, His First Tournament Win Since 2013
Woods went on to share that his kids are finally starting to see golf as a positive for their father, instead of something that just caused him pain.
“I think the kids are starting to understand how much this game means to me, and some of the things I’ve done in the game; prior to comeback, they only knew that gold caused me a lot of pain. If I tried to swing a club I would be on the ground and I struggled for years, and that’s basically all they remember,” he said.
“Luckily I’ve had the procedure where that’s no longer the case and I can do this again. So, you know, we’re creating new memories for them, and it’s just very special,” he added.
RELATED: Jada Pinkett Smith, Hugh Jackman, Barack Obama & More Congratulate Tiger Woods on His Masters Win
Woods scored 13 under par at the Masters Tournament to cement his win, besting storied competitors including Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson.
Last year’s green jacket recipient, Patrick Reed, finished 15 under par in 2018. The year prior, Sergio Garcia finished with a final score of 9 under par.
The purse for this year’s Masters was a record $11.5 million, with Woods taking home $2.01 million.
