The Touching Way Pro Golfers Paid Tribute To Tiger Woods Sunday
Last week, Tiger Woods fans reeled upon seeing shocking images of his horrific car crash. Following surgery, the legendary golfer's team released a statement via Twitter, which said in part that he was recovering well and "in good spirits." The injured star went on to thank his supporters and ask for ongoing privacy (via New York Post).
Meanwhile, Woods himself would take to Twitter to share his gratitude for a moving gesture extended to him from his fellow golfers. Because in the midst of the 45-year-old recovering from his headline-making accident, many golf tournaments around the country were underway (via NPR). And Woods' peers found a unique and touching way to pay tribute to the man who has set the bar incredibly high for the sport of golf.
Fans know Tiger favors wearing a red shirt and black pants in tournaments — which he has been doing since he was a young pro, at the suggestion of his mom, Tida (via ESPN). And so, golfers nationwide, including some very high profile pros, donned the attire in his honor.
Top golfers wear red and black to support Tiger Woods during his recovery
To express how the gesture made him feel, Woods tweeted, "It is hard to explain how touching today was when I turned on the tv and saw all the red shirts. To every golfer and every fan, you are truly helping me get through this tough time."
Among the pros who joined in on the idea was Tony Finau, who said, "I heard earlier quite a few guys were going to do it. I for sure felt like it would just be a nice touch." He added, "Red and black, that's what Tiger does on Sundays, so to just join in and just let Tiger know we're supporting him in the best way we can. We're still playing as we miss him out here, but it was just cool to be part of that today.”
Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy said, "I guess for us, it's just a gesture to let him know that we're thinking about him and we're rooting for him." He went on to share about Woods, "He's got a huge recovery ahead of him. But I think just for everyone to show their appreciation for what he means to us out here. If there was no Tiger Woods, I just think the tour and the game of golf in general would be in a worse place. He's meant a lot to us, he still does mean a lot to us, and I think that was just a little way to show that."