For Tiger Woods, Memorial Day has always carried personal significance. Not least because he had plans to join the military, but because of his father. Earl Woods, whose outsized influence still lingers on Tiger, was a Green Beret who served in Vietnam. So it’s no surprise that the golf icon decided to address fans on social media on Memorial Day for the first time in two months.

“My father was a Special Forces operator with two tours in Vietnam and 20 years of service,” Tiger Woods wrote on X, reflecting on his father’s military service during the Vietnam War. “To all those like my father, we all say thank you for your sacrifices. Without them, we wouldn’t have the greatest country on Earth.”

As a youngster, Woods frequently played at U.S. Army Morale, Welfare, and Recreation courses thanks to his father, who served two combat tours in Vietnam as an infantry officer and later with the special forces. Earl Woods graduated from the Defense Information School and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. It’s no surprise then that Tiger Woods wanted to join the army and, in fact, underwent military training at the peak of his career.

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“I told Dad if I didn’t make it in the first two years, I would probably end up going into the military,” Woods once said. He didn’t have to, of course. But back in 2004, he visited Fort Bragg and underwent military training with various Army units. Woods also did two tandem jumps with the parachute unit, the Golden Knights. It was a way for him to honor his father, who underwent even more grueling training at Fort Bragg. Their bond extended far beyond coach and student.

“This one is for Dad,” a tearful Tiger Woods said after winning the 2005 Masters, adding, “Maybe give him a little hope, a little more fire to keep fighting. I never cry in public, but I couldn’t help myself.”

Earl wasn’t present at Augusta that year, fighting his own battle against heart problems, diabetes, and cancer. Earl Woods passed away on May 3, 2006, at his home in Cypress, California. He shaped Tiger’s early development in the game, and he sure did not go easy on young Tiger.

“I tried to break him down mentally, tried to intimidate him verbally, by saying, ‘Water on the right, OB on the left,’ just before his downswing.” That pressure produced a champion.

Given their bond, it’s only fair that Woods shared a message from Zurich, honoring his father and other fallen service members. Vanessa Trump, Tiger Woods’s girlfriend, also shared a Memorial Day tribute on her Instagram profile.

“Memorial Day is a day to honor and remember all those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. We also recognize the strength and sacrifice of their families, who continue to carry their memory with pride and love.” The post featured Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless The U.S.A.” in the background.

Tiger Woods, currently in Switzerland for medical treatment, hasn’t been active on social media since March 31, when he announced he would take an indefinite break from golf and his PGA Tour responsibilities. The 50-year-old recently visited the USA and attended his girlfriend Vanessa Trump’s daughter Kai’s graduation. He later flew back after a few days. As his latest tweet shows, the connection between golf and military service runs deeper than most people realize.

Before the greens, there were the trenches for some golfers

Arnold Palmer served in the Coast Guard in 1951 after losing his close friend Bud Worsham. He served in Cape May and Cleveland under Rear Admiral Roy Raney, who encouraged him to continue competing in amateur tournaments. Discharged in 1954, he won the U.S. Amateur Championship that very same year.

Billy Casper spent four years with the Navy in San Diego, playing for the base golf team while serving from 1951 to 1955. Larry Nelson was drafted into the Army at 19 and served as an infantryman in Vietnam before ever seriously considering a golf career. And then he went on to win three major championships, including the 1983 U.S. Open and back-to-back PGA Championships in 1981 and 1987.

For Tiger Woods, too, Memorial Day has never just been a public holiday. It has always been personal.