Legendary golfer Tiger Woods mourns the death of his mother: 'She was my biggest fan, greatest supporter'

Tiger Woods is mourning the loss of his "greatest supporter", his mother Kultida Woods.

The legendary golfer, 49, announced his mum died aged 81 in a heartbreaking post shared to his social media accounts this morning.

"It is with heartfelt sadness that I want to share that my dear mother, Kultida Woods, passed away early this morning," the athlete began his tribute on Instagram.

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"My Mum was a force of nature all her own, her spirit was simply undeniable," he continued.

"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."

The golfer said his mother "was loved by so many, but especially by her two grandchildren, Sam and Charlie."

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Tiger shares daughter Sam, 17, and son Charlie, 15, with ex-wife Elin Nordegren.

He thanked everyone for their "support, prayers and privacy at this difficult time".

The star athlete signed off the message with three meaningful words:

"Love you Mum," he wrote.

On the second slide after his statement, the golfer included a photo of his mum smiling.

The golfer did not reveal a cause of death.

The post was inundated with messages from many stars in the sporting world, including NFL great Tom Brady.

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A-list stars including Justin Timberlake and Mark Wahlberg extended their condolences in the comments section.

"So sorry for your loss. I send you a big hug ❤️" former tennis champion Rafael Nadal wrote to the golfer.

"We're so sorry for your loss, Tiger," the official United States Golf Association said.

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The Professional Golfers' Association of America also left a message, writing they were "Sending our condolences to the Woods family today."

Tiger's father, Earl Woods, died in 2006 at the age of 74.

The golfing star's parents were married for 37 years up until his dad's death.

Over the years, Kultida had cheered on her son through his golfing achievements and career milestones.

In 2019, she joined her son as he was awarded a Medal Of Freedom in Washington by President Donald Trump.

Then in 2022, she attended Tiger's World Golf Hall of Fame Induction.

Just last week, Kultida was reportedly at her son's TGL match in Florida.

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