Tiger Woods’ Half-Niece Reflects on Heartfelt Memory with His Deceased Father When Starting Professional Career

Cheyenne Woods, half-niece of golf legend Tiger Woods, teared up while recalling a special gesture from Tigers’ late father, Earl Woods Sr.

Cheyenne was born in Phoenix, Arizona, to Earl Dennison Woods Jr., Tiger’s half-brother from his first marriage with Barbary Gary, and Susan Woods. Taking an early interest in the sport, Earl Sr. became Cheyenne’s first golf coach.

Earl passed away on May 3, 2006, at 74. However, the Vietnam War veteran left a lasting impression on Cheyenne, who followed Tigers’ footsteps into professional golf.

Speaking on the Welcome to the Par-tee podcast with Tisha Alyn, Cheyenne recalled Earl writing a special letter on her behalf, which she did not get to read until after he passed away.

‘He used to work for IMG,’ Cheyenne said. ‘He used to be a scout for golfers and potential up and coming player. And when I was sitting in his kitchen on that day, he told me that when I was four or five years old, he wrote an official report about me and submitted it officially into IMG.

‘And I was like, ‘Wow, what did you write?’ And he goes, ‘I’m not gonna tell you what I wrote, but one day when you turn pro, IMG will come and recruit you, and they’ll bring the letter, and you can read it then.’

Tiger Woods’ half-niece, Cheyenne, recalled a special gesture from his late father Earl Woods 

‘So when I graduated from Wake Forest, my grandfather had passed when I was in high school. So this was a couple [of] years after, and I graduated, I wanted to turn pro, IMG came and they brought the letter.’

‘It was literally 1993, I think, so I was three or four years old and he wrote what he saw in me. He wrote that he could see me play on tour, the skills that he could see in me. And those are the type of things that I tell people make a difference.

‘When you have someone in your corner that believes in you and then you start to believe it too. That is what always propelled me in my career and my life with golf.’

When asked about her reaction to reading the letter after all of those years, Cheyenne shared it was ‘Always in the back of my mind.’

‘So when they did bring it, it was like a full circle moment, it felt unreal honestly. And it’s in his handwriting, you know. It’s like this beautiful cursive. And just to read his words, especially after he had passed.

‘He was the one who got me started so I have it framed in our house. It’s just one of those special moments that I’ll never forget.’

Cheyenne turned pro in 2012 and qualified for the 2012 US Women’s Open by finishing as a co-medalist at her qualifier. She also made her professional debut at the 2012 LPGA Championship.

After Earl Sr. and Gary got divorced in 1968, he married Tiger’s mother Kultida, and started a family in Cypress, California. The pair were married for 37 years until Earl died in 2006. Nearly two decades later, Kultida passed away in February 2025, aged 81.

Woods, 49, did not reveal her cause of death but she was present in the crowd last week in Florida when Woods played in the TGL against Rory McIlroy on Jan. 27.

Woods said in a statement: ‘It is with heartfelt sadness that I want to share that my dear mother, Kultida Woods, passed away early this morning.

‘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.

‘She was loved by so many, but especially by her two grandchildren, Sam and Charlie. Thank you all for your support, prayers and privacy at this difficult time for me and my family. Love you Mom.’

Earlier this month, Tiger announced that he had ruptured his Achilles ahead of The Masters in April.

Outside the golf course, Tiger also went public with his relationship with Vanessa Trump on social media.