Just one day after winning his fifth Masters Tournament championship in one of the greatest comebacks in golf history, Tiger Woods is set to receive another rare honor: the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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And unlike other pro athletes who’ve turned down the, er, opportunity to be feted by the current occupant of the Oval Office after major sports achievements, Woods is likely to show up for the honor as he and Donald Trump have been buddies for years. As Woods told reporters after a golf game in August, per Agence France-Presse via Yahoo! Sports :
“Well, I’ve known Donald for a number of years,” Woods said. “We’ve played golf together. We’ve had dinner together. I’ve known him pre-presidency and obviously during his presidency.
“He’s the president of the United States. You have to respect the office. No matter who is in the office, you may like, dislike personality or the politics, but we all must respect the office.”
OK. So, on Monday, Woods’ buddy tweeted his congratulations for the Masters Tournament victory and announced that he would “be presenting him with the PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM!”
So joyous.
While it’s a rare honor to be awarded with the nation’s highest civilian honor (only a dozen or less are awarded each year, according to the New York Times), it is rare that an athlete that is being honored receives one while still being active in his or her sport.
But, in any case, if Trump’s tweet rings true, congrats are in order again for Tiger Woods.
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