Tiger Woods says his daughter Sam dislikes golf as it ‘took daddy away from her’ when she was growing up

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Golf legend Tiger Woods, in a rare live interview on the 'Today' show, shared some personal insights about his family.

He revealed that his teenage daughter, Sam Woods, has a negative association with the game of golf as it took him away when she was growing up.

Tiger Woods engages with his daughter outside golf sport 

“No, no, no,” was the emphatic response from Woods when asked by his friend Carson Daly if Sam had any interest in playing golf.

“You know, hey, when she was growing up, golf took daddy away from her,” Woods explained. He further elaborated that his frequent travels and long absences created a negative connotation with the sport for Sam.

As a result, they developed a relationship that exists outside of golf, engaging in activities that do not involve the sport. Despite this, Woods, a 15-time major champion, did try to involve Sam in his passion.

He revealed that he had put a golf club in her hands just a few weeks after she was born in 2007. “She couldn’t quite hold it. But it was there,” he reminisced.

Sam Woods has been a constant support for her father Tiger Woods

Over the years, Sam has been a constant supporter of her father at numerous golf tournaments.

She was prominently present when Woods was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in Florida in March 2022.

During a speech at the event, she referenced to her father’s 2021 car crash, saying, “We didn’t know if you’d come home with two legs or not.”

Tiger Woods was involved in a serious car crash on February 23, 2021. He lost control of his vehicle in the hills outside Los Angeles which led to a single-car rollover accident.

Woods suffered significant leg injuries, including multiple fractures to his upper and lower fibula and tibia, which required stabilization with a rod, as well as screws and pins inserted into his foot and ankle.

The accident put his playing career in doubt as he faced a challenging recovery. However, he kept showing resilence for his comeback. "Each and every day's a fight, and I welcome that fight," he said months after the accident, as per ESPN.

Charlie Woods follows in his father Tiger Woods' footsteps

In contrast to Sam, Woods’ son, Charlie, shares his father’s love for golf. "Meanwhile, my son (Charlie Woods) and I, we do everything golf-related," Woods said on the show. 

"It’s very different," Woods said as Charlie is continuing to grow his golf game and is taking tips from his father.

However, Woods admitted that there has been “a little pushback” at times. "He’s 15 years old. It’s what happens, it’s what teenagers go through,” Woods said understandingly, according to New York Post. 

Charlie recently participated in a local qualifier for the US Open but did not advance in his first attempt to make it to the major.

Woods shares Charlie and Sam with his ex-wife, Elin Nordegren. Their marriage lasted for nearly six years before ending in a public and messy divorce in 2010.