Tiger Woods' Daughter Is Sam Alexis Woods

Sam Woods in the gallery during the Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson match in 2018.
Sam Alexis Woods watches her father play vs. Phil Mickelson in The Match on November 23, 2018.

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

 

Tiger Woods has two children from his marriage to Elin Nordegren. One of them, the first-born, is a daughter. Here's a little more about Tiger Woods' daughter.

  • Her full name: Sam Alexis Woods
  • Her date of birth: June 18, 2007

Sam was born early on a Monday morning, less than 24 hours after Tiger finished as runner-up in the 2007 U.S. Open.

Tiger was 31 years old when his daughter was born. Shortly after her birth, Tiger and Elin shared baby photos of their daughter. One of Sam Alexis' first public outings, though, was when, at around 6 months, Sam was carried onto the golf course at Tiger's tournament, the Target World Challenge, in December 2007.

Is 'Sam' Really Her Full First Name?

Wait, did we just say that "Sam" is her full name? That's not a nickname, or short for Samantha? "Sam" is not short for anything, it's not a nickname, that is the complete first name of Tiger's daughter. The middle name, as noted, is Alexis.

Tiger Woods and his daughter Sam Woods at a 2015 US Open tennis match
Sam Woods (left) and Tiger Woods at a U.S. Open tennis match in 2015, when Sam was eight years old. Jean Catuffe/GC Images/Getty Images

Why Tiger Named His Daughter Sam

So why is Tiger Woods' daughter named "Sam"? Woods explained that when he was a little guy, his father, Earl, used "Sam" as a nickname for him. Tiger explained at a press conference in 2007 shortly after Sam's birth:

"My father had always called me Sam since the day I was born. He rarely ever called me Tiger. I would ask him, ‘Why don’t you ever call me Tiger?’ He says, 'Well, you look more like a Sam.' "

So naming his own daughter Sam was a nod by Tiger to his father, who passed away about a year before Sam was born. And Sam's birth happened one day after Father's Day.

Who Has Custody of Sam Alexis?

Sam Alexis Woods splits time between her mother and father, who, as part of their divorce settlement, have joint custody of their children.

Does Tiger's Daughter Play Golf?

Sam had a golf club placed in her hand within a few weeks of her birth, according to Tiger. "She couldn't hold it, but it was in (the crib) with her," he said in 2007.

And Sam has "caddied" for Woods during the Masters' Par-3 Contest. But it appears to be soccer, not golf, that has Sam's heart when it comes to sports. Woods has spoken about all the time he spends at soccer practices and games, and has shared photos of Sam attending professional soccer matches and even meeting stars of the U.S. Women's National Team.

You can see more pics of Sam Alexis in our gallery of Tiger Woods' kids photos.

The second child of Tiger and Elin, a son named Charlie Axel, was born in 2009.

Does Sam Woods Have Any Other Famous Family Members?

Yes. Daddy Tiger isn't the only famous golfer in Sam's family. Her cousin is Cheyenne Woods, LPGA Tour golfer. Cheyenne (like Sam) is the granddaughter of Earl Woods Sr., making her Tiger's niece and Sam's cousin.