Tiger Woods’ 14-year-old daughter, Sam, presented him as a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame on Wednesday night, and said, “Dad, I inducted you into the Dad Hall of Fame long time ago.”
The 46-year-old Woods, joining his daughter on stage, melted into her arms and began to cry.
In her speech, Sam told an amazing story about the day she was born, the same day of the final round of the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont, where Angel Cabrera won.
“In 2007, my dad got himself in position to make an 18-foot putt to force a U.S. Open playoff, which he missed by a foot. He then had to rush to the airport, flew from Pittsburgh to Orlando and drove to the Winnie Palmer Hospital. Within five minutes of walking into the hospital room, still wearing his red golf shirt, on June 18th, I was born.
“He may have lost that day, but he won the greatest gift of all.”
Those words, as they should have, brought down the house, which was filled with a who’s-who of PGA Tour stars.
“Crap,’’ a watery-eyed Woods said, trying to lighten the moment. “I just lost a bet to [Steve] Stricker that I wouldn’t cry. Thank you, Sam.”
The most powerfully emotional moment came when Sam recalled Woods’ car crash in February 2021 that required multiple surgeries to his right leg and has kept him from competing on the PGA Tour.
She said, “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. This is why you deserve this, because you’re a fighter.”
