Tiger Woods Receives Presidential Medal Of Freedom

The 15-time Major winner has become just the fourth golfer in history to receive the honour

Tiger Woods Receives Presidential Medal Of Freedom

The 15-time Major winner has become just the fourth golfer in history to receive the honour

Tiger Woods Receives Presidential Medal Of Freedom

Tiger Woods has been presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in Washington by Donald Trump.

The award is America's highest civilian honour and comes after the 43-year-old captured his 15th Major Championship at The Masters, 11 years after his 14th Major at the 2008 US Open.

President Trump praised Tiger's "relentless will to win, win, win".

"These qualities embody the American spirit of pushing boundaries and defying limits," he said.

Woods thanked his mother and his children at the ceremony.

"You have seen the good and the bad, the highs and the lows," he said.

"I would not be in this position without all of your help.

"In 1997, yes, I won the Masters and I ended up hugging my dad and my mom.

"My dad is no longer here but my mom is here, I love you mom.

"The amazing Masters experience I just had a few weeks ago certainly is part of the highlight of what I've accomplished in my life on the golf course."

Tiger Woods To Receive Presidential Medal Of Freedom Tiger Woods' 2019 Masters Win

John F Kennedy introduced the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963.

It awards "individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the security or national interests of America, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavours".

Woods is the fourth golfer to receive the award after Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Charlie Sifford.

Sifford was the PGA Tour's first African-American player and is an idol for Woods, which is why he named his son after him.

Other high profile sports stars to receive the award include Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali and Billie Jean King.

Woods won his 15th Major by one stroke, two years after undergoing a fourth back surgery and less than two years after being arrested for DUI and then attending rehab for addiction to medication.

He was outside of the top 1,000 in the world in late 2017 and now sits 6th in the Official World Golf Ranking.

The American won his 80th PGA Tour title last September at the Tour Championship and his Masters title was his 15th Major and 81st PGA Tour triumph.

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He is chasing Sam Snead's record of 82 PGA Tour wins and Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 Major wins.

His Augusta win was heralded as one of the greatest comebacks in the history of sport.

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Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV