Trump Says He Plans to Award Tiger Woods the Presidential Medal of Freedom
By Liam McKeone
With his win at the Masters on Sunday, Tiger Woods put a cap on one of the greatest individual comeback stories of all time. It’s inspirational to people all around the world, and Tiger fans everywhere celebrated as he donned the green jacket.
Tiger’s story isn’t over quite yet. President Donald Trump has announced on Twitter that he plans to award the golfer with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Spoke to @TigerWoods to congratulate him on the great victory he had in yesterday’s @TheMasters, & to inform him that because of his incredible Success & Comeback in Sports (Golf) and, more importantly, LIFE, I will be presenting him with the PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 15, 2019
While it may seem like a bit much, and maybe it is, it’s also not unprecedented for a major sports figure to receive the award. Trump himself awarded the Medal of Freedom to Babe Ruth, Alan Page, and Roger Staubach just last year, and Barack Obama awarded it to Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Willie Mays, among others, during his presidency.
It’s a high honor for Tiger, and at the very least fits into the narrative that the story of Tiger Woods supersedes the game of golf. It captured the attention of the country, and he’ll be rewarded with a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Trump has promised a lot on Twitter, so it remains to be seen if Tiger will actually receive the Medal, but as of now it’s been a pretty great week for the golf icon.