TIGER WOODS RECEIVES AMERICA’S PRESTIGIOUS MEDAL OF HONOUR

 

 

President Trump awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to golfer Tiger Woods on Monday evening, saying it is his “privilege” to bestow the honor on “one of the greatest athletes in the history of sports.”

Noting that Woods’s family was on hand for the White House event — including his mother, children and girlfriend — Trump called the 15-time major winner “a global symbol to excellence, devotion and drive.” The president summarized Woods’s considerable career achievements, spending some time on the latter’s groundbreaking victory at the 1997 Masters.

Those accomplishments included overcoming severe injuries and personal issues to win the 2019 Masters, his first major victory since 2008 and an achievement that resonated far beyond the world of sports.

“He fought all the way back to the summit of golf,” Trump said while recapping the golfer’s rally from two shots back on the final day of the event.

“Tiger, we are inspired by everything you’ve become,” the president said, congratulating Woods on his “amazing comeback” and “amazing life.”

Trump then placed the medal on Woods, who wore a blue suit with a red tie.

Woods told the Rose Garden audience that his journey had been an “unbelievable experience.” He grew emotional while telling his mother he loved her and thanking his children, Samantha and Charlie, for their support.

Woods thanked his caddie, Joe LaCava, who was also in attendance, and he mentioned the three previous golfers to have won the Medal of Freedom: Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Charles Sifford. “Thank you, Mr. President,” he said, in closing his brief remarks.

Last month, Trump announced that Woods would be receiving the medal, one of the highest civilian honors, after Woods won the Masters, his fifth such title of his career. Trump tweeted the next day that he would bestow the honor on Woods because of “his incredible Success & Comeback in Sports (Golf) and, more importantly, LIFE.”

Woods and Trump are longtime business and golf partners, and Woods lives not far from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla. The two have teed off together several times, including at Christmastime in 2016 and around Thanksgiving in 2017. Woods also golfed with the president and Nicklaus in early February, an event about which the president later tweeted.

The Trump Organization notes on its website that Nicklaus, who endorsed Trump for president, and Woods have both designed courses for the company. According to the website, a new Trump World Golf Club that is “coming soon” to Dubai is being designed by Woods.

Woods has emphasized that his friendship with Trump predates the 2016 presidential election.

“We’ve played golf together. We’ve had dinner together. I’ve known him pre-presidency and obviously during his presidency,” Woods said last summer at the Northern Trust Open in New Jersey. Asked how he felt about Trump’s immigration policy, he diplomatically drew a line between the office and its occupant. “He’s the president of the United States. You have to respect the office,” he said. “No matter who is in the office, you may like, dislike personality or the politics, but we all must respect the office.”