A Woods was finally named a golf champion again Sunday, and Tiger was soon tweeting his delight, but it was his niece Cheyenne who was celebrating Monday after lifting the trophy.
The 20-year-old amateur was a clear winner at the ACC Women's Golf Championship in Greensboro, N.C., after shooting a 3-under 68 in her final round, local newspaper the Winston-Salem Journal reported.
The Phoenix-born junior was followed around the course by 50 fans and putted out victory on the 18th in front of almost 200. But her achievement reached a larger audience when her uncle tweeted the news.
"My niece, Cheyenne, just won the ACC golf title by 7 shots! That's awesome, I'm so proud of her," Tiger Woods posted.
Her delighted coach said the victory meant Cheyenne Woods should be recognized as a champion in her own right.
"She's doing her own thing, and I think she's been very successful at doing it," Diane Dailey said. "She has a famous relative or famous uncle, but for her, that monkey is off her back now. People are going to look at her for who she is, and I think for anybody who came out to watch her play today could see she's a true champion."
Cheyenne Woods said she was pleased to iron out her putting on the way to victory -- coincidentally, a part of the game that has troubled her uncle in recent months.
"I felt like I've been playing well all week," she said. "But the last couple of days I had some three-putts here and there, and [Sunday] I didn't have any bogeys and three birdies, and I just played well."
Tiger Woods enjoyed a return to form at the recent Masters, but the 14-time major champion ended fourth and has still not won a trophy since November 2009, after attempting to return to the game following the scandals about his private life.
