Tiger Woods gets emotional as daughter steals show at historic World Golf Hall of Fame induction
What we've known for a long time is now officially official: Tiger Woods is a Hall of Famer

In perhaps the easiest and most obvious move in the history of sports, Tiger Woods was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame on Wednesday evening ahead of the 2022 Players Championship. Tiger, who was inducted by his daughter, Sam, broke down crying multiple times in a rare show of emotion from the 82-time PGA Tour winner and 15-time major champion.
How could he not? Sam ended her introduction with this tremendous line: "Dad, I inducted you into the Dad Hall of Fame a long time ago, but today, I am so proud to present my dad, Tiger Woods, into the World Golf Hall of Fame."
Sam welcomes Dad, @TigerWoods, to the @GolfHallofFame.
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 10, 2022
🎥: @GolfHallofFame on GOLF Channel now. pic.twitter.com/l17ohHPmp9
Woods, whose 82 PGA Tour wins are tied with Sam Snead and whose 15 major championships are second only to Jack Nicklaus, was flooded with tears almost immediately. He spoke with surprising openness for somebody who has been extraordinarily private for nearly all of his career. And almost everything he spoke about included his family, his upbringing or his kids. There wasn't a lot of focus on those major wins.
"I know that golf is an individual sport," said Woods. "We do things on our own a lot for hours on end. But in my case, I didn't get here alone. I had unbelievable parents, mentors, friends who allowed me and supported me in the toughest times, the darkest of times, and celebrated the highest of times."
As future Hall of Famer Rory McIlroy noted earlier this week, Woods' induction may have been long expected, but it was nevertheless important for the kid from California who dominated as a junior and at every stage thereafter throughout his career.
"To see him inducted into the Hall of Fame, which is obviously like a no[-braner] -- like of course he was going to be a Hall of Famer when he was 5 years old," said McIlroy. "It's really cool. It's cool that he's here. It's cool that it's happening. And yeah, I think he's at a stage in his life where he probably appreciates all this a little bit more at this point. And yeah, I always say, we all that are playing here this week have to thank Tiger for where the game is and where the Tour is."
It has not always been the easiest path for Team Woods. The best story Tiger shared Wednesday was about how his parents took out a second mortgage on their home so he could play AJGA events around the country. He broke down in tears again when he thanked his mom for that opportunity, noting that he paid off that second mortgage when he turned pro and signed, ahem, sizable deals with Titleist and Nike.
.@TigerWoods tears up as he reflects on the moment his family risked everything for him.@GolfHallofFame pic.twitter.com/bso9xge7hM
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 10, 2022
Tiger has done perhaps more in his career for the game of golf than any other competitor in the history of the sport. It's impossible to sum it up in a 15-minute speech on a Wednesday night in March, and the numbers -- extraordinary as they may be -- don't really do it justice either.
Woods told a final story from his junior days that actually summed his entire journey up well. It frames out how he's paved the way for not only a better crop of players that followed him but a more diverse one, too. Along with all the wonderful tales from a childhood rich with hard work, golf and loads of success -- this truly tells the story of Tiger Woods.
"Well, playing at some of these golf courses, I was not allowed in the clubhouses where all the other juniors were," recalled Woods. "The color of my skin dictated that. As I got older, that drove me even more.
"So, as I was denied access into the clubhouses, that's fine. Put my shoes on here in the parking lot. I asked two questions only, that was it. Where was the first tee, and what was the course record. Not complicated."
















