Tiger Woods announced over social media that his mother, Kultida, died on Tuesday morning.
Woods did not reveal a cause of death for his mother, who reportedly was responsible for the 15-time major winner wearing red as his signature look in final rounds on Sundays.
"It is with heartfelt sadness that I want to share that my dear mother, Kultida Woods, passed away early this morning," the 15-time major champion wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
"My Mom was a force of nature all her own, her spirit was simply undeniable. She was quick with the needle and a laugh. She was my biggest fan, greatest supporter, without her none of my personal achievements would have been possible. She was loved by so many, but especially by her two grandchildren, Sam and Charlie. Thank you all for your support, prayers and privacy at this difficult time for me and my family. Love you Mom."
Kutilda Woods was in attendance at her son's TGL match in South Florida last week, prompting him to give her a quick message before his Jupiter Links Golf Club faced co-owner Rory McIlroy's Boston Commons Golf.
"Hey Mom," Woods said. "Not gonna suck tonight, OK?"
Woods made good on that statement, as his team recorded a 4-3 overtime win over McIlroy's squad.
Woods famously honored his mother during his acceptance speech for the 2024 Bob Jones Award, the USGA's highest honor.
"My mom doesn't get enough credit," he said. "Everyone thought it was my dad (Earl) when I went on the road, which it was, but mom was at home. If you don't know, mom has been there my entire life. She's always been there through thick and thin."
Kultida married Earl Woods in 1969, and Eldrick "Tiger" Woods was born in 1975.
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We all know Scottie Scheffler is the best golfer on the planet by a fairly large margin, but what makes him so much more consistent than other stars in professional golf? Bryson DeChambeau, one of Scheffler's biggest rivals in major championships, thinks he knows the answer. In Tuesday's appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," DeChambeau detailed how Scheffler dominates the PGA Tour weekly. "He's got the best spin and distance control I've ever seen," DeChambeau said. "He controls the golf ball from a spin perspective so much better than everybody else. Like, if you're 175 yards out, and it's 10 miles [an hour] into the wind, he knows how to control the flight and spin to get that ball to land right next to the hole every time. Probably since Tiger [Woods], he's the best that we've seen." The stats confirm DeChambeau's breakdown. Scheffler has ranked first on the PGA Tour in strokes gained on approach in three straight seasons. He also ranks first in proximity to the hole and greens in regulation percentage over the last four years. Iron play is Scheffler's superpower, but it wasn't always that way. "I played with him in college a bunch, and I've said it before, but he's definitely improved since college for sure," DeChambeau said with a chuckle. "It's impressive to see what he's done, and we're all aspiring to do that. That's something I've gotta get better at. I can hit it farther than him. I can hit it probably straighter than him. I can make just as many putts as him, but, really, it's about my iron play right now and wedges to get a little more consistent." Iron play is the biggest indicator of success in professional golf. If you're giving yourself more birdie chances from close range than anyone in the field, you're going to have the best chance to win by Sunday afternoon. No one is better at hitting specific distances more consistently than Scheffler. Just look at how accurate he is. DeChambeau has the best chance to catch Scheffler as the best player in the world because he's elite off the tee and on the greens, but that won't happen unless he makes a major improvement to his iron game.
A major injury suffered by a starting quarterback can ruin a season if an NFL team doesn't have a solid backup plan. Ahead of the regular season, which begins Sept. 4, Yardbarker NFL writers rate the backup QB situations of every NFL team on a scale of "1" (dynamic) to "5" (disaster). NFC East DALLAS COWBOYS | 4 | QBs: Dak Prescott (starter), Joe Milton III, Will Grier | Milton, acquired in an offseason trade with the New England Patriots, was subpar in a Week 1 preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams (17-of-29 for 143 yards, one TD pass and an interception). "I think our plan all along has been that we need to find out about Joe Milton," first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer told the team’s website. The 2024 sixth-rounder must show more for the rest of the preseason for the Cowboys to feel confident about their backup situation. NEW YORK GIANTS | 3 | QBs: Russell Wilson (starter), Jameis Winston, Jaxson Dart, Tommy DeVito | The Giants have assembled one of the league’s more bizarre QB rooms. Winston is much more entertaining than good, just as likely to throw two pick-sixes as 400 yards in a game. DeVito is competent but offers little upside, while 2025 rookie Dart is the wild card and should be the first name called if HC Brian Daboll pulls the plug on Wilson. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | 2 | QBs: Jalen Hurts (starter), Tanner McKee, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Kyle McCord | McKee has made the most of his opportunities, including acing his most recent test in preseason Week 1, finishing a win over the Cincinnati Bengals 20-of-25 for 252 yards and two TD passes. The Eagles should feel confident that he can win games, but they should be skeptical of Thompson-Robinson or McCord. WASHINGTON COMMANDERS | 4 | QBs: Jayden Daniels (starter), Marcus Mariota, Josh Johnson, Sam Hartman | Mariota, the No. 2 overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft, was fine for the Commanders a season ago, completing 77.3 percent of his pass attempts with four TD passes and no interceptions in three appearances. But let’s be real: Washington will only go as far as Daniels takes it. The backup situation for the Commanders is bleak, with journeyman Johnson and 2024 undrafted free agent Hartman also offering limited upside. — Eric Smithling NFC West ARIZONA CARDINALS | 4 | Kyler Murray (starter), Jacoby Brissett, Clayton Tune | Brissett has learned from great QBs (Tom Brady and Andrew Luck) and has had success in spurts. He's not a game-changer, but he can keep the Cardinals in games and give a young team stability in case Murray misses time. If Tune plays, though, the season has gone drastically wrong. LOS ANGELES RAMS | 2 | QBs: Matthew Stafford (starter), Jimmy Garoppolo, Stetson Bennett, Dresser Winn | The Rams may already be thinking about playing Garoppolo because of Stafford’s lingering back injury. Garoppolo is accomplished, having nearly won Super Bowl LIV for the 49ers. Bennett flashed potential in the preseason opener against the Cowboys while working with second- and third-teamers. Winn is likely suited for a practice-squad role. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | 3 | Brock Purdy (starter), Mac Jones, Carter Bradley | Jones has flourished in his first camp with the team. The 2021 first-round pick looks like he has been operating HC Kyle Shanahan’s system for years and could be the team’s next reclamation project success story. Bradley is just a camp body. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS | 3 | Sam Darnold (starter), Drew Lock, Jalen Milroe | Rookie Milroe boosts the ranking, as his stellar speed can directly impact any game. Lock is a serviceable option. The veteran is entering his second stint with the Seahawks. His decision-making is highly questionable, but he is an underrated passer. — Sterling Bennett NFC North CHICAGO BEARS | Rating: 2 | QBs: Caleb Williams (starter), Tyson Bagent, Case Keenum, Austin Reed | The Bears have faith in Bagent to keep the offense afloat if Williams misses time. The 25-year-old went 2-2 in four starts in 2023. Chicago might have the best third-string QB in the NFL in Keenum, who has started 66 games and has thrown for 15,175 yards. DETROIT LIONS | Rating: 4 | QBs: Jared Goff (starter), Hendon Hooker, Kyle Allen | Hooker attempted only nine passes in his rookie season in 2024, so who knows if he’s capable of running an NFL offense? As for Allen, he’s 7-12 in 19 starts with 26 TD passes and 21 interceptions, and he’s attempted only one regular-season pass since 2022. GREEN BAY PACKERS | Rating: 2 | QBs: Jordan Love (starter), Malik Willis, Sean Clifford, Taylor Elgersma | Willis stepped in for an injured Love last season and went 2-0 with four total touchdowns and no interceptions. He'll improve as he works more with HC Matt LaFleur. Clifford is a decent third-string option. MINNESOTA VIKINGS | Rating: 3 | QBs: J.J. McCarthy (starter), Sam Howell, Brett Rypien, Max Brosmer | Howell is a solid backup with 18 NFL starts and a gunslinger mentality, but his aggressiveness leads to too many turnovers. If anyone can get the best out of him, it's HC Kevin O’Connell. If Rypien or Brosmer play this season, Minnesota's in trouble. — Jack Dougherty NFC South ATLANTA FALCONS | 3 | Michael Penix Jr. (starter), Kirk Cousins, Easton Stick, Emory Jones | Cousins flopped in his first season with the Falcons, throwing one TD pass and nine interceptions over his final five starts before being benched for 2024 first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. The No. 8 overall pick’s development is crucial for the Falcons, who have little else behind him. Stick was sharp in preseason Week 1, going 15-of-18 for 149 yards and a TD in a loss to the Detroit Lions. CAROLINA PANTHERS | 3 | QBs: Bryce Young (starter), Andy Dalton, Jack Plummer | Dalton gives the Panthers a veteran presence behind incumbent Young, but is no more than a replacement-level player at this stage of his career. Plummer (no relation to retired former NFL QB Jake Plummer) is a 2024 undrafted free agent who ended his collegiate career as a fifth-year senior at Louisville, where he threw for 3,204 yards while leading the Cardinals to a 10-4 record. He didn’t take a snap during the last regular season. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | 5 | QBs: Spencer Rattler, Tyler Shough, Jake Haener, Hunter Dekkers | The top three QBs on the depth chart (Rattler, Shough, Haener) are in a battle to start. They took turns turning the ball over in the preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, with Rattler losing a fumble, Shough throwing a pick-six and Haener throwing another interception late in the fourth quarter. Three weeks before the regular season opens, New Orleans might not be any closer to deciding on a starter. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS | 4 | Baker Mayfield (starter), Kyle Trask, Teddy Bridgewater, Connor Bazelak | Trask, entering his fourth NFL season, is still an unknown with only 11 career pass attempts, but likely is more confident after a sharp preseason opener. Bridgewater hasn’t taken a regular-season snap since 2022, while Bazelak, a 2025 undrafted free agent after exhausting his college eligibility at six seasons, is practice-squad fodder. — Eric Smithling AFC East BUFFALO BILLS | Rating: 1 | Josh Allen (starter), Mitchell Trubisky, Mike White, Shane Buechele | In Trubisky, the Bills have one of the division's more experienced QBs (57 starts over eight NFL seasons). He and White each threw 13 passes and combined for three TDs in a preseason game against the Giants. Unless the Bills look to dump Trubisky’s $3.2M salary, these two offer Buffalo great depth behind Allen. MIAMI DOLPHINS | Rating: 5 | Tua Tagovailoa (starter), Zach Wilson, Quinn Ewers | Aside from Tagovailoa, Dolphins QBs were abysmal in the team’s first preseason game. Wilson was sacked four times, Ewers went 5-of-18 and neither threw for a TD. Wilson hasn’t taken a regular-season snap since going 4-7 with the Jets in 2023, and Ewers was the last QB taken in the 2025 NFL Draft. Considering Tagovailoa’s extensive injury history, Miami could be in deep trouble if it must turn to a backup. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS | Rating: 3 | Drake Maye (starter), Joshua Dobbs, Ben Wooldridge | An undrafted free agent, Wooldridge threw for 132 yards and a TD against the Commanders in the first preseason game. Dobbs, a five-year veteran and the NFL’s resident rocket scientist, would get the start should starter Maye miss time. Dobbs lost his only start with the 49ers last season but threw for 2,464 yards in 13 games with the Cardinals and Vikings in 2023 and started two games for HC Mike Vrabel when both were with the Titans in 2022. NEW YORK JETS | Rating: 4 | Justin Fields (starter), Tyrod Taylor, Adrian Martinez, Brady Cook | Taylor made the Pro Bowl after throwing for 3,035 yards and 20 TDs in 14 starts with the Bills in 2015, and has a 28-28-1 record as a starter in 14 seasons in the league. The 36-year-old will miss the preseason while recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, but should still have a leg up on undrafted rookies Martinez and Cook. — Bruce Ewing AFC West DENVER BRONCOS | Rating: 3 | Bo Nix (starter), Jarrett Stidham, Sam Ehlinger | Stidham had a 1-1 regular-season starting record in his first two seasons with Denver, but looked sharp in its 30-9 preseason win against the San Francisco 49ers. The Baylor/Auburn product went 14-of-15 for 136 yards passing and two TD passes. Ehlinger last started for the Colts in 2022, going 0-3. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS | Rating: 4 | Patrick Mahomes (starter), Gardner Minshew, Bailey Zappe, Chris Oladokun | Minshew flopped with the Raiders in 2024, tossing more interceptions (10) than TD passes (nine) in 10 games. Zappe and Oladokun struggled in the preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS | Rating: 2 | Justin Herbert (starter), Taylor Heinicke, Trey Lance, DJ Uiagalelei | Heinicke looked serviceable when playing for the Washington Commanders from 2020-22, going 12-11-1 in 24 starts. Lance, a flop with San Francisco and Dallas, may be improving. The third pick of the 2021 NFL Draft went 20-of-34 for 175 yards passing and two TD passes in his first two preseason games. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS | Rating: 3 | Geno Smith (starter), Aidan O’Connell, Cam Miller | O’Connell looks like a career backup after logging 3,380 passing yards in 20 games in his first two seasons with the Raiders. However, 2025 sixth-rounder Miller may be an intriguing developmental QB. The former North Dakota State star went 6-of-7 passing for 76 yards and one TD in a 23-23 preseason tie with the Seattle Seahawks, which impressed Vegas head coach Pete Carroll. — Clark Dalton AFC North BALTIMORE RAVENS | Rating: 3 | Lamar Jackson (starter), Cooper Rush, Devin Leary | Rush is a capable backup, but he's a very different QB from starter Lamar Jackson and would require a different offensive approach if he were to play. He threw for 1,844 yards and 12 TDs last season for Dallas when pressed into service for injured starter Dak Prescott. CINCINNATI BENGALS | Rating: 2 | Joe Burrow (starter), Jake Browning, Desmond Ridder | Browning had a solid run in place of Burrow late in the 2023 season and would have a lot of weapons to use in the passing game if pressed into action. He's not a long-term starter, but Cincinnati would be in good hands if he had to start a few games. CLEVELAND BROWNS | Rating: 4 | Joe Flacco (presumptive starter), Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel | Every option, including Flacco, is backup caliber. Even worse, none seems to be a solid option as a backup, too. PITTSBURGH STEELERS | Rating: 2 | Aaron Rodgers (starter), Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, Skylar Thompson | Rudolph would not be a great full-time starter, but as a backup, he is as solid as you can get. He has proved capable of winning games (9-8-1 as a starter), has a big arm and is not hesitant to stand in the pocket and make tough passes. — Adam Gretz AFC South HOUSTON TEXANS | Rating: 3 | C.J. Stroud (starter), Davis Mills, Kedon Slovis, Graham Mertz | Mills has not started a game since 2022 but has 26 career starts. (The Texans won just five of those games.) Mills has thrown for 35 TDs but also has 25 interceptions, so ball security is an issue for the 2021 third-round pick. Slovis and sixth-round rookie Mertz are unproven. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS | Rating: 4 | Daniel Jones (presumptive starter), Anthony Richardson Sr., Riley Leonard, Jason Bean | Jones is favored to win the starting job, but that could change before Week 1. Either way, the Colts will have a backup QB who has extensive starting experience in Jones or Richardson. The problem is neither QB is good, with Richardson having thrown 11 TD passes compared to 13 interceptions in 15 games. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS | Rating: 4 | Trevor Lawrence (starter), Nick Mullens, John Wolford, Seth Henigan | Mullens has 20 starts on his resume, but the results are poor (5-15 as a starter, 34 TD passes and 31 interceptions). In three starts with the Vikings in 2023, Mullens had eight interceptions. TENNESSEE TITANS | Rating: 5 | Cam Ward (starter), Brandon Allen, Trevor Siemian | With Will Levis out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery, the Titans are relying on journeymen to back up rookie Cam Ward. Siemian has extensive starting experience, but most of it came in his first three seasons. He has completed just 58.5 percent of his passes in his career, slightly better than Allen’s 56.7 percent. — Steve DelVecchio
It’s been two weeks since Washington Commanders star wide receiver Terry McLaurin publicly revealed his trade request, and a resolution doesn’t appear to be in sight. Thanks to ESPN’s John Keim, we’re starting to get more insight into how the Commanders are approaching negotiations…and how they run counter to their star wide receiver’s financial desires. As we’ve assumed all along, the Commanders are wary of giving McLaurin a lucrative contract that would extend well into the player’s 30s. As Keim notes, the Commanders “rely heavily on analytics,” and those numbers aren’t particularly kind to receivers on the wrong side of 30. They may be onto something. Per ESPN Research, over the past five years, only three receivers 31 years or older have played at least 10 games and averaged 70-plus receiving yards per game (that number jumps to six players if you adjust for 60-plus receiving yards). Further, the team can simply point to the NFL landscape, as other teams are also clearly wary of paying aging wideouts. Among the 24 active wide receivers who are attached to the most guaranteed money, only Tyreek Hill was older than 30 when the deal was signed. McLaurin has continually pointed to his lack of mileage despite his age; he barely played during his first two years at Ohio State, meaning he may not have the same wear and tear as similar players his age. McLaurin is also naturally pointing to the stat sheet, as the receiver has continually produced despite uncertain QB play, uncertain ownership and a handful of different coaching staffs. Per Keim, the Commanders don’t want to pay McLaurin based on his past performance, with the front office preferring to shape any future contracts based on his projections for age-31-plus seasons. The organization also doesn’t want to set a new precedent by paying McLaurin, as it could convince future veterans to push for lucrative deals in their 30s. While McLaurin has taken the drastic measure of requesting a trade out of Washington, the organization is still convinced they have leverage in this showdown. After all, the player is still under contract for the 2025 campaign, meaning McLaurin will have to forfeit game checks if he sits out games. The team could even choose to slap him with the franchise tag next offseason (which could come in north of $30M), meaning they’re in full control of the player’s fate moving forward. The team is also skeptical that another suitor is going to willingly pay McLaurin the type of money he’s seeking. Per Keim, there are doubts around the league about whether another team would be willing to meet the receiver’s demands. Even if a clear suitor does emerge, Keim makes it clear that Washington’s front office won’t give the star away without receiving a haul. We heard recently that McLaurin wasn’t necessarily seeking a deal that matched fellow 2019 draftee D.K. Metcalf‘s deal with the Steelers. However, Keim says Metcalf’s contract has generally served as a guide for McLaurin, but it’s uncertain whether the Commanders wideout is looking to match the AAV ($33M) or total guarantees ($60M). Ultimately, one source believes the Commanders may agree to pay McLaurin a contract that will pay $28M per year. Of course, it’s uncertain if the player would even accept that offer. If that hypothetical maximum offer doesn’t end in a signing, a divorce may be the logical next step.
The Boston Red Sox had already lost one right-handed reliever to waivers in August, but they won't lose another. Boston designated Jorge Alcala for assignment on Aug. 5, and he was quickly picked up by the St. Louis Cardinals. But when they did to same on Monday to 32-year-old Nick Burdi, they found their luck was better this time around. Burdi will stay in the Boston organization, thanks to passing through waivers. He was outrighted to Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday, according to the official transactions log. Nick Burdi outrighted to Triple-A Worcester after going unclaimed Burdi, a six-year veteran, could have rejected an outright assignment in theory, because he has over three years of service time. He's instead headed back to Worcester, where he's been dominant this season when healthy. In 24 Triple-A innings, Burdi owns a 1.88 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 32 strikeouts, and a .184 opponents' batting average. He also made four appearances at the big-league level this season, allowing no earned runs of his own, but allowing two crucial inherited runners to score during his only meaningful outing against the Atlanta Braves. Burdi, perhaps somewhat prematurely, tweeted an apparent goodbye to the Red Sox organization upon the news of his DFA on Monday. “Thank you Red Sox for letting me put on a big league uniform again. Will see what the next chapter brings!” wrote Burdi. Burdi still has two minor-league options available, so the Red Sox can call him up and send him back down freely for the rest of the season if they choose to. But the point of DFAing him was clearing his spot on the 40-man roster, so he'd have to be added back in order to recall him to Boston. It would seem as if the only way Burdi gets another shot at the big-league level this season is if someone gets injured or struggles so mightily that they force themselves out of a roster spot. And even then, he might not be at the top of the Triple-A pecking order. Regardless, Burdi is a talented arm who showed brief flashes of excellence last year with the New York Yankees, and there could come a day when the Red Sox are glad they didn't lose him. If he sticks around in the offseason and remains healthy, perhaps the coaching staff will tinker with his arsenal and make him a weapon moving forward.
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