| Earl Woods, the father of the world's top
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| | Earl Woods is not that he raised a great
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| golfer Tiger Woods, died of prostate
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| | golfer, but that he raised a great person
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| cancer in early-May 2006 at the age of
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| | and a great son.
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| 74. Most people regarded Earl with great
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| | Earl Woods was more than just a golfer's
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| respect for being the architect and
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| | dad. In college, he was a catcher for
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| driving force behind Tiger's awesome
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| | Kansas State and earned the distinction
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| career. But to Tiger, his father meant
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| | of becoming the first African-American to
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| something else.
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| | play baseball in the Big Eight Conference
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| "My dad was my best friend and greatest
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| | A Green Beret for two tours in Vietnam,
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| role model, and I will miss him deeply,"
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| | Earl rose to the rank of lieutenant
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| said Tiger. "I'm overwhelmed when I think
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| | colonel in the U.S. Army Special Forces.
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| of all of the great things he
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| | On his second tour, he met Kultida
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| accomplished in his life. He was an
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| | Punsawad, who was working as a
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| amazing dad, coach, mentor, soldier,
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| | receptionist in Thailand, and married her
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| husband and friend. I wouldn't be where I
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| | in 1969. He fought alongside Lt. Col.
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| am today without him, and I'm honored to
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| | Nguyen T. Phong of the South Vietnamese
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| continue his legacy of sharing and
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| | army, a friend he nicknamed "Tiger"
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| caring."
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| | because of his courage and bravery. Woods
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| "It's not often that a father of an
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| | promised Tiger Phong that he would name a
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| athlete commands so much respect and
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| | son after him.
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| attention," golfer Paul Azinger said.
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| | Early on, Earl felt his true purpose was
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| Another great golfer, Jack Nicklaus, said
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| | to train Tiger, who had shown early signs
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| he had long "admired and related to the
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| | of being a golf prodigy. "I knew Tiger
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| close bond" shared by Tiger and Earl.
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| | was special the day he was born," Earl
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| Nicklaus was also 30 when his father
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| | said. "But I made it very, very clear
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| died.
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| | that my purpose in raising Tiger was not
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| Such devotion by a son for his father
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| | to raise a golfer. I wanted to raise a
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| deserves more than a second look. Perhaps
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| | good person," Woods told Golf Digest
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| the greatest tribute one can say about
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| | magazine.
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