Kultida Punsawad was born in 1944 in Thailand. Her ancestry is a mix of Thai, Chinese and Dutch. She was raised in the Buddhist faith and passed that faith on to Tiger. Another reminder of Tiger's ties to Thailand through his mother is his middled named of Tont, a traditional Thai name that his mother gave him.
In 1966, Earl Woods Sr., a member of the United States Army, was stationed in Thailand and met Kultida. They were married in 1969 in Brooklyn, New York. Kultida gave birth to Tiger in December of 1975.
Unlike Earl, who never shied away from the spotlight and frequently gave interviews, Tiger Woods' mother has kept a much lower profile. While Kultida is frequently seen attending Tiger's tournaments, she rarely has given interviews or sought attention for herself.
Tiger Woods' mother was staying at his house over the Thanksgiving holiday in 2009 and was there the night Woods crashed his SUV.
Kultida Woods was also present during the Tiger Woods apology speech (in the wake of Woods' scandal revelations) in February 2010.
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