ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla.: The World Golf Hall of Fame Wednesday enshrined 82-time PGA TOUR winner Tiger Woods as part of its Class of 2022. The global sporting icon was inducted in the Male Competitor category.
The 46-year-old Woods’ 14-year-old daughter Sam proudly presented her father, saying she had inducted him “into the Dad Hall of Fame a long time ago”, while she also referenced Tiger’s car crash last year in her closing comments.
A winner of 93 worldwide events including a record-tying 82 on the PGA TOUR, Woods is a 15-time Major Champion and a three-time winner of the career Grand Slam. Woods completed the “Tiger Slam” in 2000-01 when he became the first golfer since Bobby Jones to hold all four major championship titles at the same time.
In his 17-minute-long emotional (and unscripted) acceptance speech, Woods didn’t touch on any of his victories on the Tour, instead choosing to pay tribute to those who have supported him along the way.
As Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner described it: “He spoke coherently, passionately, beautifully about his parents.
“About his upbringing.
“About his children.”
“I know that golf is an individual sport,” Woods said. “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.
“I just want to say thank you to my mom, Sam, Erica (Herman, his girlfriend), Charlie, everyone here, all my friends that have come to be here.
“Tiger has done more for the game of golf than anyone ever thought possible, and his historic feats on the course are only one aspect of his impact,” said World Golf Foundation board chairman Jay Monahan. “His imprint on the game is immeasurable…”
A two-time champion of THE PLAYERS and the first two-time winner of the FedExCup, Woods has competed on eight Ryder Cup and nine Presidents Cup teams, which includes when he served as a playing captain of the victorious US Presidents Cup Team in 2019. He is an 11-time PGA TOUR Player of the Year winner and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019 following his fifth career victory at the Masters.
