Trump to award Tiger Woods the Medal of Freedom
Tiger Woods won the prestigious green jacket on Sunday, and soon he will have another award to add to his collection the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
President Donald Trump announced in a tweet on Monday that he would be awarding Woods the medal after Woods won the Masters Tournament on Sunday.
“Spoke to Tiger Woods to congratulate him on the great victory he had in yesterday’s The Masters, & to inform him that because of his incredible Success & Comeback in Sports (Golf) and, more importantly, LIFE, I will be presenting him with the PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM!” Trump wrote.
Trump did not say when the ceremony would take place. The president watched the final round of the Masters at Augusta National in Georgia from his golf club in Virginia.
It was Woods’ fifth Masters victory and his first since 2005. It was his first major tournament victory since the 2008 U.S. Open and came after a series of back surgeries and personal struggles led many to question whether he would ever capture another major title.
Woods became the second-oldest Masters champion, after Jack Nicklaus, who won in 1986 at 46.
Trump, who played a round of golf with Woods earlier this year, joined a chorus of supporters online in praising Woods over the weekend, tweeting Sunday that Woods “is looking GREAT!” before congratulating him as “a truly Great Champion!” following his win.
Presidents of both political parties have awarded the Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, to prominent sports figures. Last year, Trump awarded it to the former NFL stars Roger Staubach and Alan Page and baseball legend Babe Ruth. Before he left office, President Barack Obama awarded the medal to basketball stars Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and longtime baseball announcer Vin Scully.
