From the 1997 Masters to Tiger Woods’ appearance in his new TGL venture last week, Kultida Woods was normally close by or in the gallery, which is why the golf world was stunned when Tiger Woods announced his mother had died early Tuesday at the age of 78.

A frequent presence in her son’s public life, she stood by his side during a period of scandal that took him away from golf.

Kultida Woods, the Thai-born mother of Tiger Woods who instilled his dominant spirit and encouraged him to wear a red shirt on Sundays as his power color, died Tuesday.