Donald Trump to award Tiger Woods the presidential Medal of Freedom after winning his fifth Masters

President Trump has announced he would be awarding Tiger Woods the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the wake of Woods’ Masters’ victory Sunday.

Tiger Woods’ one-shot victory at Augusta National capped off an amazing and lengthy comeback from personal setbacks and physical ailments. Woods earned his fifth green jacket and 15 major championships with the Masters’ triumph. He lives in Jupiter, Fla., near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club and has been a frequent golfing partner of Trump’s since the 2016 election.

Trump made the announcement on Twitter saying; “Spoke to @TigerWoods to congratulate him on the great victory he had in yesterday’s @TheMasters, & to inform him that because of his incredible Success & Comeback in Sports (Golf) and, more importantly, LIFE, I will be presenting him with the PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM!”

Woods is not the first professional golfer to earn the Medal of Freedom. Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus also have Medals of Freedom, both bestowed by President George W. Bush. President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Honor to pioneering black golfer Charlie Sifford in 2014.

The medal, the nation’s highest civilian honour, is bestowed by the president to individuals deemed to have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavours.

Trump handed out his first medals last year, making a posthumous award to Elvis and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and baseball legend Babe Ruth.