Woods' mom was in a building across the street from one of the attacks.
By BOB HARIG, Times Staff Writer
Published July 15, 2005
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland - Like most in the United Kingdom on Thursday, Tiger Woods paused in silence at noon for two minutes as a show of respect to those killed by terrorist bombs a week earlier in London.
Woods was on the Old Course, about to play his third shot to the 15th hole, when a horn sounded and all of St. Andrews - as well England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - went still.
Turns out, Woods had plenty to think about during that time.
After taking the first-round lead at the Open Championship, Woods revealed that his mother, Kultida, was in London on July 7, near one of the explosions.
"I was more thankful than anything else because my mom was in the building right across the street from where the bomb blew up," Woods said, without giving a specific location. "I was very thankful my mom is still here. It very easily could have been pretty tragic for me personally. I can only imagine what everyone else was involved, where they lost a loved one or had loved ones hurt, what they might have been going through."
Woods said his mother was vacationing with friends and family and had plans to tour Europe before coming to St. Andrews for the Open. Woods said he didn't even know his mother was in any danger until Wednesday, after hearing it from his coach, Hank Haney.
"She didn't tell me," Woods said. "She doesn't tell me anything. That's kind of how our family is. ... I've talked to her, but she really hasn't said a whole lot. Typical mom, you know. ... She likes to change the subject real fast."
U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell, who lives in Brighton, England, was on his way to pick up his parents at the Heathrow Airport in London when the bombs exploded. Although he hit a poor shot before the pause in play, he was glad to wait.
"Actually, it put the whole game in perspective," he said. "What happened in London a week ago ... I thought to myself, why cry over spilled milk? The game is only a game. And to have that two-minute silence, it really puts your whole mind, really, into putting the game in that perspective."
