WASHINGTON, D.C. — At times choked up by the magnitude of the White House proceedings as President Trump listed many of the milestones of his career, Tiger Woods received the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Monday in a ceremony at the Rose Garden.
On a beautiful sunny spring evening, an emotional Woods reached another peak in a comeback for the ages. He is the first active athlete among the 33 from the sports world to earn the medal, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
A humbled Woods took the podium to a standing ovation after Trump delivered about 15 minutes of introductory remarks lauding Woods’ professional and philanthropic accomplishments.
“This has been an unbelievable experience,” said Woods, who was particularly moved by mentions of his family by the president.
“It’s an incredible privilege to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom,” Woods later tweeted. “Considering the recipients, history, and what this means to me and my family, it’s also very humbling. Thank you all for your support and I hope this inspires others to never give up on their dreams.”
Woods’ fifth victory at Augusta National at age 43 last month capped off “one of the most incredible comebacks that golf, or any sport, has ever seen,” Trump said. “Tiger, we are inspired by everything you’ve become and attained.”
Woods wore a blue suit, white shirt and red tie, looking nearly identical to the president as they stood side by side. Among those in attendance were vice president Mike Pence, Sen. Mitt Romney; Woods’ mother, Kultida Woods; his son, Charlie; his daughter, Sam; his girlfriend, Erica Herman; and his caddie, Joe LaCava. Trump also paid tribute to Woods’ late father, Earl. Trump pointed out LaCava by name for a quick round of applause.
He called Woods “one of the greatest athletes in all of sports … a true legend.” Trump credited Woods with introducing golf to many people around the world.
The president offered a detailed rundown of Woods’ golf biography and timeline, and detailed his medical comeback from various setbacks. During his speech, Trump offered several detailed examples of Woods’ success on the course.
“It was in 1997 at Augusta National, Bobby Jones’ temple to the sport of golf, that the game would forever change,” Trump said. “For four straight days at the Masters tournament, Tiger stunned the world with his power, grace and strategic brilliance.”
Woods would win that first green jacket by a record 12 shots, becoming the youngest Masters champion at age 21 and the first person of African-American or Asian heritage to win at Augusta National.
As the New York Times headline said the next day, “Woods tears up Augusta and tears down barriers,” Trump said. “Incredible achievement.
“We can’t wait to see what’s next Tiger,” Trump added at the end of his speech. “There are no winners like you.”
Both Trump and Woods laughed when the president recalled how Woods fell to No. 1191 in the Official World Golf Rankings. Woods is holding steady this week at No. 6.
Woods is the 33rd sports figure and fourth golfer to receive the medal. Arnold Palmer (2004), Jack Nicklaus (2005) and Charlie Sifford (2014) were honored previously.
Woods again Monday called Sifford “the grandfather I never had.” Woods said he named his son in Sifford’s honor.
Sifford, who died in 2015 at the age of 92, began playing golf in an age when much of the nation was still legally segregated. Sifford was the first African-American player to earn a PGA Tour card. After the age of 45, he won Greater Hartford Open Invitational and the Los Angeles Open.
Woods has won 81 PGA Tour events and 15 major championships. Trump announced he would present Woods with the award, the nation’s highest civilian honor the president can bestow, the day after Woods won his fifth Masters last month.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is awarded for “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”
Tiger Woods poses with his son Charlie Axel Woods, daughter Sam Alexis Woods, mother Kultida Woods, and girlfriend Erica Herman along with U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump after being presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. (photo USAToday.com)
Woods and Trump have been frequent golfing partners and have a relationship that pre-dates Trump’s run for the presidency by nearly 20 years. During his speech the President noted how he met Woods through his foundation and praised him for his philanthropic efforts.
After Woods won the 1997 Masters at the age of 21, he celebrated his victory in Atlantic City at Trump’s Taj Mahal casino and was photographed with the future president. Trump named a villa in Woods’ honor at Trump National Doral Miami. Woods in 2014 agreed to design a golf course in Dubai for a project that was to be managed by the Trump Organization.
Trump remained loyal to Woods during his multiple personal and professional comebacks.
Woods, meanwhile, has faced criticism for his relationship with Trump. And even more heat for remaining non-partisan when asked about it.
After Woods finished the Northern Trust with a 70 on Aug. 26 last year, he was asked the following question in his post-round press availability.
“At times, especially 2018, I think a lot of people, especially colored immigrants are threatened by him and his policy — what do you say to people who might find it interesting that you have a friendly relationship with him?”
Woods answered with the following:
“He’s the President of the United States. You have to respect the office. No matter who is in the office, you may like, dislike personality or the politics, but we all must respect the office.
Politics aside, the medal ceremony marked another milestone for Woods during what is his most impressive comeback of all.
Woods was arrested in May of 2017 on DUI charges and later completed a pre-trial diversion program and his probation term one month early. The timeline between his fourth Masters victory in 2005 and fifth in 2019 also included four surgeries on his back and four more on his knees, a humiliating public breakup with his ex-wife after a calmatious incident the day after Thanksgiving in 2009, a five-year victory drought on the PGA Tour, reinventing his approach to golf and rebuilding his ability to play.
Before he entered the 2017 Hero World Challenge, Woods had fallen to that 1191 number in the Official World Golf Ranking due to his extended absence from competition.
Woods spent the late winter, spring and summer of 2018 finding his lost swing, extending his endurance on the course and resurrecting his game. His steady-but-unfulfilling run included six top-10 finishes and built to a crescendo at the Tour Championship at East Lake in late September. Woods rolled to a two-shot victory in the PGA Tour’s final event of the 2017-18 calendar on Sept. 23 and savored in the adoration of thousands of spectators as they overflowed onto the fairway and flooded the 18th green.
Woods played in 18 PGA Tour events in 2018, in addition to the Ryder Cup, the Hero World Challenge and his pay-per-view match with Phil Mickelson. He admittedly struggled at the Ryder Cup and would surprisingly lose to Mickelson in their one-on-one event the day after Thanksgiving on the 22nd hole.
Woods said in December he would pare back his schedule in 2019. The Masters was only the sixth event Woods has played on Tour this year. The one-shot victory at Augusta National was the first major victory for Woods since the 2008 U.S. Open and his first green jacket since the one he won in 2005.
He will play again next week in the PGA Championship at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y. There are never any guarantees when it comes to Woods and his competition schedule. But it is entirely reasonable to see him playing a schedule limited to the PGA Championship, the Memorial, the U.S. Open, the British Open, the WGC event in Memphis and the FedEx Cup playoffs for the rest of the season. Perhaps with one additional event between the U.S. and British Opens to be determined.
Read more at USAToday.com
