After being diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1998, Tiger’s father Earl Woods died on May 3, 2006 (per ESPN). Woods published a lengthy statement celebrating his father after his death. “My dad was my best friend and greatest role model,” he wrote. “He was an amazing dad, coach, mentor, soldier, husband, and friend.”
Shortly after this tragic loss, the champion would find himself taking the first steps toward becoming the person he idolized. On June 18, 2007 — a little over a year of his father’s passing — Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren welcomed their firstborn, Sam Alexis Woods (per People).
At a news conference held for the National in 2007, he explained that his daughter’s name is a callback to the nickname Earl called him as a child (per USA Today). Since she was born near Father’s Day, the two saw this as a perfect opportunity to commemorate his father’s life.
“It just happened to fit,” he said. “My father had always called me Sam since the day I was born. He rarely ever called me Tiger. I would ask him, ‘Why don’t you ever call me Tiger?’ He says, ‘Well, you look more like a Sam.’”
Post source: The List
