Golf
Tiger Woods: Family values come first
(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-09-26 16:31
MONTREAL - Although driven to become the best golfer possible, world number one Tiger Woods is not going to sacrifice his family for his work.
When this week's Presidents Cup team competition at Royal Montreal Golf Club ends on Sunday, Woods will put away his clubs and forget about golf for the next two and a half months.
 Tiger Woods and his wife Elin Nordegren watch the Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons NBA basketball action in Orlando, Florida in this April 26, 2007 file photo. [Reuters] |
Fatherhood is still something of a novelty for the 31-year-old American, whose Swedish wife Elin gave birth to their first child, Sam Alexis, in mid-June.
Life on the road for any professional sports figure can be lonely and Woods has decided to take the longest break of his career to spend quality time with his wife and daughter.
"It's not seeing her (Sam) every day and helping Elin," the 13-times major champion said of his biggest regret while playing on the US PGA Tour over the last three months.
"We don't have nannies and we don't have any other help. When I'm at home, I can help but when I'm not there, Elin's being a complete stud about it and doing it all on her own.
"You feel guilty for not being there, for not helping out. But we want to do it ourselves. We don't want anyone helping raise our child because it's our child."
Money is hardly an obstacle for Woods who, according to Forbes magazine, is the world's biggest-earning sportsman. Arguably the greatest golfer in history and probably the most recognisable athlete on the planet, Woods made around $90 million last year.
PRIME FACTOR
Family values, however, are a prime factor in his make-up and it comes as no surprise that he and Elin choose to live their domestic life as normally as possible.
A single child, Woods benefited from a loving, tightly knit home environment with his mother Kultida and father Earl, who died last year after a long battle with cancer.
Now that he has a child of his own, Woods is determined to provide a similar haven for Sam Alexis.
"I try to be as understanding as possible," he said. "Both of my parents were extremely understanding, although my mom was certainly a lot more feisty than my dad.
