Tiger Woods' Father Dies At 74

Earl Woods, 'Best Friend' To Son, Lost Battle With Prostate Cancer

(CBS/AP)  Earl Woods, who was more determined to raise a good son than a great golfer and became the role model, architect and driving force behind Tiger Woods' phenomenal career, died Wednesday morning at his home. He was 74.

"My dad was my best friend and greatest role model, and I will miss him deeply," Tiger Woods said on his Web site. "I'm overwhelmed when I think of all of the great things he accomplished in his life. He was an amazing dad, coach, mentor, soldier, husband and friend. I wouldn't be where I am today without him, and I'm honored to continue his legacy of sharing and caring."

Woods was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1998 and was treated with radiation, but the cancer returned in 2004 and spread throughout his body. Last month, he was too frail to travel to the Masters for the first time, reports CBS News correspondent Richard Schlesinger. His son finished tied for third.

"I think you're talking about, with Tiger and Earl Woods, one of the greatest father-son relationships in the history of sport," said CBS Sports' Jim Nance. "Probably the best of all time."

From the beginning, Earl Woods guided, nurtured, managed and inspired his child prodigy. Earl, who served as a Green Beret in Vietnam, also gave him the nickname Tiger, after a buddy, a lieutenant colonel in the South Vietnamese army who Earl said saved his life, 60 Minutes correspondent Ed Bradley reported in March.

Tiger Woods told Bradley one of his fondest memories is the warm embrace he and his father shared after Tiger, then 21, won the Masters in 1997. Earl Woods had recently undergone bypass surgery after a heart attack, but instead of resting at home, followed Tiger to the tournament and even offered helpful putting tips.

"And that's why you saw the bear hug being so big on 18. Because it meant so much for me to have him there. Because it was like borrowed time. He wasn't supposed to be there," Woods said.

The last tournament Earl Woods attended was the Target World Challenge in December 2004, when his son rallied to win and then donated $1.25 million to the Tiger Woods Foundation that his father helped him establish.

Earl Woods was more than a golf dad, more than a zealous father who lived vicariously through his son's achievements.

He had played catcher for Kansas State, the first black to play baseball in the Big Eight Conference, and served as a Green Beret for two tours in Vietnam. But he felt his true purpose was to train Tiger, and he watched his son evolve into the dominant player of his time the youngest player to win the career Grand Slam and one of the most celebrated athletes in the world.

"I knew Tiger was special the day he was born," Woods said in a May 2000 interview with The Associated Press.

In February, Tiger Woods cut the ceremonial ribbon to officially open his $25 million Tiger Woods Learning Center, aimed at helping children find their way.

Woods nearly broke down when he mentioned the support of his father.