There are many things that come to your mind when you think of Tiger Woods. The 82-time PGA Tour created a legacy that redefined golf and how big the sport can be. With that, he built a brand for himself and his name. And he also made the trademark red, famous on the course. To this day, every time Woods dons the iconic attire, it’s celebrated by the fans, even when he’s not in his best form.

The color became synonymous with the 15-time major winner, and he also created another brand out of it: Sun Day Red. That makes us wonder, why did Tiger Woods choose to wear red? Well, it has to do with a part of his heritage. Mr. T was raised in a rich variety of cultures. Let’s explore them and try to understand his background better.

What is Tiger Woods’s ethnicity and nationality?

Earl Woods was a celebrated individual for many reasons. When he was young, he was a renowned Baseball player. Studying at Kansas State University, Woods also represented his institution at NCAA events from 1951. In fact, he was one of the first few people of color to reach that level after Jackie Robinson achieved the feat in 1947. His father was an African-American individual, while his mother came from an African and European background. That was all passed down to Tiger Woods, who is also part African-American and part European.

But the PGA Tour legend’s tree of cultures doesn’t end there. Soon after completing his education, Earl served in the military during the Vietnam War. That’s when he had met his long-time best friend, Lieutenant Colonel Vuong Dang “Tiger” Phong, an officer serving the military of Vietnam. He was also a part of the United States Special Forces and traveled to Asia quite often on duty. During one of his postings in Thailand, he met Kultida Punsawad. Kultida was not only Thai, but also had a Dutch and Chinese background. Love blossomed between the two as Earl divorced his first wife, Barbara Gary, in 1968 and got married to Kultida a year later in New York.

They formed a beautiful family together and had Tiger Woods 6 years later, on December 6, 1975. Since then, the PGA Tour veteran has grown under the strict regulations of his army father and the traditions of his Thai mother. Despite the diverse nature of both his parents, Woods had mentioned, “My dad may have been in the Special Forces, but I was never afraid of him. My mom’s still here and I’m still deathly afraid of her.” That’s because Earl was a lot more easygoing, whereas Kultida instilled discipline in her son.

Being raised by a Thai mother, Tiger was naturally inclined towards the culture of the Asian country. In fact, it was his mother who pushed him to wear more red on the course, which is considered an auspicious color in Thailand. That soon became his identity and brand. But at the end of the day, Tiger Woods and his family are still Americans who have just flourished in a diverse background.

Having said that, Woods is not a Christian from the United States. His roots go deeper than that, and he has made them a part of his life.

What is Tiger Woods’s Religion?

Having a mother with a strong personality, the Woods were heavily influenced by what she had learned during her youth. Hence, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Tiger Woods was raised under the Buddhist religion from a young age. That reflects in his approach towards the sport and also the way he presents himself to the world. Speaking about his upbringing, Woods had even mentioned how his mother helped him understand the intricacies of the culture. But Tiger took a while to grasp the important life lessons he was taught. But he soon started picking up what his mother meant. As Kultida confessed, “When he realized, he said okay, and went back to practice Buddhism, and that will make him a much better person.” Woods has also admitted, “I believe in Buddhism,” in the past.

However, that’s not the only secret she revealed about the Woods family. Having lived in the United States for 4 decades, she also mentioned, “I live in U.S. 40 years now, in Thailand for only 25. In that way, I’m more American than Thai.” Seems like she had also started following the American way and let her family get influenced by the local culture. As both his parents have now passed away, Tiger Woods is sharing that part of his life with his children, Sam and Charlie Woods.