Tiger Woods' son Charlie reached a major milestone on February 8 – but the celebration will be bittersweet following the death of his grandmother on February 4.
The golfer turned sweet 16, and while the day will likely not go unnoticed, it will be tinged with sadness as his grandmother, Kultida Woods, won't be there to celebrate with him.
Tiger's mother passed away aged 78, with the golfing legend sharing the news of her death on behalf of his family, including his two children, Charlie, and his big sister Sam, 17, in an emotional statement on Instagram.
"It is with heartfelt sadness that I want to share that my dear mother, Kultida Woods, passed away early this morning," he wrote. "My Mom was a force of nature all her own, her spirit was simply undeniable."
"She was quick with the needle and a laugh. She was my biggest fan, greatest supporter, without her none of my personal achievements would have been possible."
Tiger also mentioned how close Kultida was to her two grandchildren. "She was loved by so many, but especially by her two grandchildren, Sam and Charlie."
© Getty ImagesHe concluded: "Thank you all for your support, prayers and privacy at this difficult time for me and my family. Love you mom."
Despite his pain, Tiger will likely make a fuss of his only son's big milestone, which comes several weeks after he hit his first hole-in-one at the PNC Championship, which saw him and his dad finish in second place, in December.
© InstagramTiger adores being a dad and said in 2011 that it is his most rewarding role. "I just love being with them and seeing what they're doing, what they're capable of doing – the joys, just the shifts of interest. It's just fun. We have a great time together."
Charlie has taken after his dad and is a "natural" golfer, but Tiger never pressured him to play for fear he would "hate the game".
© Getty Images"I get emotional about it. Some of my best memories are being out there with my dad," Tiger said on A Round with Tiger: Celebrity Lessons. "I just don't want him to hate the game."
Sharing his joy over being able to share golf with his son, Tiger said in 2022 at the PNC Championship in Orlando: "It is an amazing gift to be able to share my love of golf with Charlie and we genuinely do look forward to playing in the PNC Championship all year.
© Getty Images"Competing together, against a field of so many golfing greats and their families, is so special."
Tiger and Charlie have played together at the PNC Championship four times. They made their debut at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in 2020, where they finished seventh. The next year they finished second place. In 2022 they were tied for eighth place, and in 2024 they were runner-up.
