Miles Bennett
Earl Woods was the father of golf legend Tiger Woods. While he was not a professional golfer himself, he was an avid player and a significant influence on his son's career. Earl, an Army veteran, had access to the Navy Golf Course near the family home, where he and Tiger often bonded and where Tiger played a lot of his early golf. Earl started his son in golf at a very young age and coached him during his first years in the sport, later publishing two books about the process.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Earl Dennison Woods |
| Date of Birth | 1932 |
| Date of Death | 3 May 2006 |
| Cause of Death | Cancer, diabetes, heart problems, and poor circulation in his legs |
| Military Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Military Service | 1954-1974 |
| Military Tours | Two tours in Vietnam, one tour in Thailand |
| Military Honors | Green Beret |
| Baseball Position | Catcher |
| Education | Kansas State |
| Children | Tiger Woods, Miles, and others |
| Occupation | Soldier, author |
| Notable Works | Training a Tiger: A Father's Guide to Raising a Winner in Both Golf and Life, Playing Through: Straight Talk on Hard Work, Big Dreams and Adventures with Tiger |
| Golf Influence on Tiger Woods | Encouraged Tiger to start playing golf at a young age, coached him during his first years, and influenced his development as a golfer |
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What You'll Learn
Earl Woods was an Army veteran
Earl Woods, father of golf legend Tiger Woods, was an Army veteran. Earl served in the military from 1954 to 1974, retiring with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He served two tours of duty in South Vietnam, the first as an infantry officer and the second with the Special Forces as a Green Beret. Earl met Kultida Punsawad, who worked as a secretary, while deployed to a U.S. Army base in Bangkok, Thailand, during the Vietnam War. Kultida followed Earl back to New York, where they married and settled down.
Earl was an exceptional athlete in his own right, playing baseball as a catcher for Kansas State and breaking the Big Eight Conference "color barrier" in 1951. He was offered a contract by the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro leagues but chose to pursue his education instead, joining the ROTC and graduating with a BS in sociology. Earl's athletic prowess earned him an athletic scholarship to Kansas State, where he became the first African-American scholarship player in the Big 12 conference.
Earl's military service provided him with access to military golf courses, where he nurtured his bond with his son, Tiger. Tiger played a significant amount of his early golf on these courses, and Earl coached him during his first years in the sport. Earl's influence on Tiger's development as a golfer is well-known, and he has published two books on the process: "Training a Tiger: A Father's Guide to Raising a Winner in Both Golf and Life" and "Playing Through: Straight Talk on Hard Work, Big Dreams and Adventures with Tiger".
Earl recognized Tiger's talent at a very young age, recalling that when Tiger was just 10 months old, he walked over and hit a golf ball. Earl's encouragement and mentorship played a significant role in Tiger's success as a golfer. Tiger has described his father as his "best friend and greatest role model", crediting Earl's influence as a soldier, coach, mentor, and father figure.
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He coached Tiger Woods from a young age
Earl Woods was the father of golf legend Tiger Woods. Earl was an Army veteran with access to the Navy Golf Course near the family home in Cypress, California, where he nurtured his bond with his son and where Tiger played a lot of his early golf. Earl started Tiger in golf at a very early age and coached him during his first years in the sport. He later published two books about the process: *Training a Tiger: A Father's Guide to Raising a Winner in Both Golf and Life* and *Playing Through: Straight Talk on Hard Work, Big Dreams and Adventures with Tiger*.
Earl coached Tiger until the age of five, after which he hired Rudy Duran and John Anselmo, both well-regarded PGA club professionals. In 1993, following Tiger's third straight title in the USGA Junior Amateur Championship, Earl hired Butch Harmon to develop Tiger's game further.
Tiger Woods and his influence from his father, Earl, are the stuff of books and movies. The 15-time major champion has long cited his dad's encouragement as a big factor in his success. Earl, who had been captivated by the game of golf, played often for the rest of his life and even claimed to be playing close to a scratch handicap level.
Earl Woods died in 2006 at his home in Cypress, California. Tiger became emotional at the 2005 Masters jacket ceremony, saying: "This one is for Dad... He's hanging in there, and that's why it meant so much for me to be able to win this tournament. Maybe give him a little hope, a little more fire to keep fighting. I never cry in public, but I couldn't help myself. I didn't know what was happening, but it just shows what he means to me, the place he holds in my life."
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Earl nurtured Tiger's talent on the Navy Golf Course
Earl Woods, the father of golf legend Tiger Woods, was an amateur golfer himself. He started playing golf in 1972 at the age of 42, at the Dyker Beach Golf Course in Brooklyn, New York. Earl was a U.S. Army infantry officer and veteran, and his access to the Navy Golf Course near the family home in Cypress, California, became a significant part of his and Tiger's journey in the sport.
Tiger Woods was introduced to golf at a very young age, and the Navy Golf Course, owned by the Naval Weapons Station at Seal Beach, was where he played a lot of his early golf. The course, while lacking the luxuries of country club life, provided the setting for Earl and Tiger to nurture their bond. Earl coached Tiger exclusively until the age of five and later co-authored two books, 'Training a Tiger: A Father's Guide to Raising a Winner in Both Golf and Life' and 'Playing Through: Straight Talk on Hard Work, Big Dreams and Adventures with Tiger', detailing the techniques he used in coaching his son.
Earl's influence on Tiger's development as a golfer is well-known. He was a constant presence in Tiger's life, both on and off the golf course, and his unwavering belief in his son's talent and potential was evident from the very beginning. In a scene recounted in 'Tiger' by John Strege, Earl recalled the time when Tiger, not yet a year old, solidly struck his first golf shot. Earl ran from his makeshift garage driving range inside the house and shouted to his wife, Kultida, "We have a genius on our hands".
Earl's encouragement and mentorship, along with his vision for Tiger's future, played a pivotal role in shaping Tiger's success. In an interview with USA Today in 2017, Tiger credited his father for planting seeds of encouragement and providing him with a worldly and deep perspective. Earl's impact extended beyond the golf course, as he also guided Tiger towards an interest in education and children's welfare, which led to the establishment of the Tiger Woods Foundation.
Earl Woods passed away in 2006, but his legacy in the world of golf, and particularly in nurturing Tiger's talent on the Navy Golf Course, remains significant.
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Tiger Woods' father died in 2006
Earl Woods, the father of golf legend Tiger Woods, passed away in May 2006 at the age of 74. Woods died at his home in Cypress, California, from a heart attack. He had been battling various health issues, including heart problems, diabetes, poor circulation in his legs, and prostate cancer, which returned in 2004.
Earl Woods was a significant figure in the world of golf, known for his influence on his son, Tiger. He was an Army veteran with access to the Navy Golf Course near their family home, where Tiger played golf from a very young age. Earl started his son in golf and coached him exclusively over his first years in the sport. He also co-authored two books, "Training a Tiger: A Father's Guide to Raising a Winner in Both Golf and Life" and "Playing Through: Straight Talk on Hard Work, Big Dreams and Adventures with Tiger", in which he shared the techniques he used to coach Tiger.
The close bond between Earl and Tiger Woods was well-known, and the father-son duo often embraced after Tiger's tournament victories. Tiger has spoken about his father's encouragement and mentorship, crediting his success to Earl's influence. He once said, "My dad was my best friend and greatest role model. He was an amazing dad, coach, mentor, soldier, husband, and friend."
Earl Woods was also a baseball player and one of the earliest African-American college baseball players at Kansas State University. He met Tiger's mother, Kultida Punsawad, while stationed in Thailand, and they married in 1969 in Brooklyn, New York. Tiger was born in 1975, and Earl gave him the nickname "Tiger" in honor of his wartime friend, South Vietnamese Lieutenant Colonel Vuong Dang "Tiger" Phong.
The passing of Earl Woods, golf's most famous father, left a lasting impact on the sport and his family. Tiger Woods took time off from the tour following his father's death in 2006, and the Earl Woods National Youth Golf Academy in Manhattan, Kansas, was named in his honor.
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Earl Woods was a baseball player in college
Earl Woods, the father of golf legend Tiger Woods, was a baseball player in college. He played baseball at Kansas State, where he earned a varsity letter in 1952 and 1953. Woods was a talented catcher and was offered a contract by the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro leagues. However, he chose to pursue his education instead, graduating in 1953 with a BS in sociology and joining the Army as a lieutenant.
Woods grew up in Manhattan, Kansas, and was the youngest of six children. His parents died when he was just 13 years old. He attended high school and later Kansas State, where he excelled in baseball. In 1951, he broke the Big Eight Conference "color barrier" in baseball, becoming the first African-American scholarship player in the old Big 12 conference. Woods's talent as a baseball player was recognised, and it was believed that he could have played professionally.
However, Woods opted to focus on his education and military career. He joined the ROTC in college and, after graduating, was commissioned as an Army lieutenant. Woods went on to serve two tours of duty in South Vietnam, retiring with the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1974. He moved to California, where he started a family with his wife, Kultida. Their son, Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods, was born in 1975.
Tiger Woods showed early promise as a golfer, and his father, Earl, played a significant role in his development. Earl coached Tiger during his early years in the sport and continued to guide and mentor him throughout his career. Earl's influence on Tiger's success as a golfer is well-known, and the pair often played and practised together on military golf courses in California. Earl's observations of his son's talent were often prescient, and he wrote two books about their journey together: "Training a Tiger: A Father's Guide to Raising a Winner in Both Golf and Life" and "Playing Through: Straight Talk on Hard Work, Big Dreams and Adventures with Tiger".
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Frequently asked questions
No, Earl Woods was not a professional golfer. He was an Army veteran who played baseball in college and later joined the military.
Yes, Earl Woods was the father of Tiger Woods, a 15-time major golf champion.
Yes, Earl Woods was instrumental in his son's golf career. He started Tiger in golf at a very early age, coached him during his first years in the sport, and mentored him throughout his life.
While Earl Woods did not become a professional athlete, he was an exceptional baseball player in college. He was the first African-American scholarship player in the Big 12 conference and played catcher at Kansas State. He even received a contract offer from the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro leagues.
Earl Woods served in the military from 1954 to 1974, retiring with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He served two tours in Vietnam as a Green Beret and was awarded a Purple Heart for his bravery.
