Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren became parents to their daughter Sam on June 18, 2007, in Orlando, Florida. Her name, though not directly connected to either parent, holds deep personal meaning for Tiger. During a 2007 press conference, he shared, “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.’” However, while Tiger has been a stalwart of the golf realm, his daughter, Sam, has turned out to take some serious likings to sports like soccer and track.
Meet Sam Woods: Tiger Woods’ daughter and rising track and field star
Tiger explained that when it came time to choose a name for their daughter, he and Elin wanted something that would resonate personally with both sides of their family. Given that she was born just a day after Father’s Day, they felt an even stronger desire to select a name with sentimental value. Ultimately, the name ‘Sam’ felt like the right choice. It carried emotional meaning and seemed to perfectly suit the moment and their intentions.
From the beginning, Sam had a presence in her father’s life that extended beyond the home. Tiger even placed a golf club in her hands when she was just a few weeks old. Though he admitted she wasn’t quite ready to grip it yet. At only six months old, she made her first appearance at one of Tiger’s competitions, and throughout her early years, she was often seen on the sidelines cheering him on. That visible support meant a lot to Tiger.
Despite growing up around one of the sport’s greatest legends, Sam hasn’t shown much interest in following his path in golf. Tiger spoke openly about this in a 2018 interview with Golf.com, revealing that both of his children were more interested in another sport. “They’re keen into soccer,” he said. “If they want to play golf, that’s great. If they don’t, that’s fine, too. As long as they have a good time playing sports.”
Tiger shared how much he enjoyed being involved in his kids’ activities. He said watching them play sports always brought him a sense of excitement and pride, especially seeing how enthusiastic and joyful they were when playing soccer. He also mentioned that spending time on the field with Sam and Charlie, kicking the ball around together, was something he truly appreciated and found a lot of fun.
While Charlie has since turned toward golf and begun making headlines by following in his father’s footsteps, Sam has continued pursuing soccer. She’s now a member of her high school’s varsity team, showing dedication and passion for the sport that captured her interest early on. And now, moving on from soccer, Sam Woods is transitioning into a track and field star.
Sam Woods’ transition from soccer to track and field
Sam Woods didn’t walk away from the soccer pitch with a state title and call it a senior year. Just months after clinching a historic championship with The Benjamin School, Woods laced up again—this time on the track, not to relive past glory, but to chase new goals entirely. “I like doing something different every day,” Sam Woods said, and that’s exactly what she’s doing.
While many would be content resting on their accomplishments, Woods is redefining her athletic ceiling in real-time. She qualified for the 100 hurdles and 400 hurdles and is in contention for both the 4×400 and 4×800 relays at the upcoming FHSAA Class 1A State Track & Field Meet. Her times—16.52 seconds in the 100 hurdles and 1:08.20 in the 400—earned her runner-up finishes at regionals. But for Woods, the drive extends beyond medals.
Referring to the sport of her dad, Sam stated, “I grew up around that sport, and my dad has always pushed me to play.” But she didn’t stick with it. “It took him away from me the most.” That absence steered her elsewhere, toward teams, camaraderie, and movement. Soccer gave her that. Track, unexpectedly, has now revealed a new layer of athleticism.
This isn’t a tale of choosing one sport over another. It’s about reinvention. “I just want to be a student,” Woods added about her future at Stanford. But for now, as she steps into the blocks and leads relays around the oval, Woods is running straight into one more chapter of her sporting journey with no intention of slowing down.
From soccer star to track contender: Sam Woods’ final lap at Benjamin High
For Sam Woods, senior year at The Benjamin School has been anything but ordinary. “We’ve never made it past the regional finals before,” she said of her soccer team’s 2025 campaign. Then came the unexpected: a 1-0 victory over Episcopal School of Jacksonville and the school’s first-ever state championship. The track phenom added, “It was the best moment ever. Just the energy and getting to do that with my team. I still can’t believe we did it.”
But her story didn’t end at the final soccer whistle. Instead, it evolved. Woods is now closing out her high school career on the track, having earned a berth to the state meet in four events. That includes hurdles, where she took second in both the 100 meters and 400 meters at regionals. Alongside that, it also includes relays, where her 4×800 squad clinched a gold.
It’s an athletic arc defined by momentum. “It’s just the bond that we have with each other that I think helped push us forward,” she said about her soccer team. That same chemistry is now carrying over to the track, where she continues to lead, but in different spikes, on a different surface. The tempo is faster. The focus is more on herself. But the stakes? Just as high.
Woods isn’t trying to prove anything. “I’m just Sam,” she said. Yet in her final lap at Benjamin, she’s shown that being “just Sam” means being exceptional on the field, on the track, and wherever her path takes her next.
Which events is Sam Woods competing in, and which college does she represent?
Representing the Benjamin School, Sam Woods specializes in the 100m and 400m hurdles events. At the moment, Sam is slated to feature in the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 1A State Track & Field Meet. Owing to her incredible track and field skills, Sam has managed to qualify in four events at the meet.
While the initial two will be the 400m hurdles and the 100m, she will also feature in the 4x400m and the 4x800m races. Her track merit can be fathomed from the fact that Sam has received 13th and 18th seedings in both her hurdles events. In one of the team relays, she is seeded 4th. Thus, with a buzz of excitement going on, it now remains to be seen what happens next.
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