[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7846]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       THE PASSING OF EARL WOODS

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                          HON. DIANE E. WATSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 9, 2006

  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I learned of 
the passing of Earl Woods, the father of golfing legend Tiger Woods, of 
cancer.
  Earl Woods was a father, coach, and mentor to Tiger Woods. There is 
no doubt that the world would not now have the opportunity to witness 
the genius of Tiger Woods on a golf course without the input from Earl 
Woods. Theirs was a father-son match made in heaven.
  Earl Woods was the driving force in the development of Tiger Woods as 
not only a golf player but human being. Almost before Tiger could walk, 
his father had acclimated him to the game of golf. According to one 
account, Earl would hit golf balls in the garage on a makeshift range 
with Tiger watching him from his high chair. Earl later recounted that 
Tiger, at the tender age of 9 months, first demonstrated to him his 
incredible potential as a golf player.
  Mr. Speaker, Earl Woods is a model of fatherhood. He supported, 
nurtured, and literally raised Tiger Woods to the heights of the 
golfing world. I am particularly struck by the close relationship Earl 
Woods had with his son.
  When you hear so many professional athletes thanking or saying hello 
to their mothers after a television interview, it was refreshing to 
hear Tiger mention both his father and mother.

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