Philadelphia Mayor makes optimistic comment on Tiger Woods’ new endeavor

Tiger Woods was in Philadelphia on Monday (September 8) for the ribbon-cutting of a new facility of his Learning Lab in the Cobbs Creek neighborhood. The program will offer free educational programs to local children and teens.

The event at the Smilow Woodland TGR Learning Lab, held at Cobbs Creek Golf Course on Lansdowne Avenue, brought together Woods, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker. The Learning Lab quietly opened back in April and is now officially underway.

Woods' work received appreciation from the Mayor of Philadelphia, who was also present for the ceremony. Mayor Parker shared a post on her official Instagram account with a few snippets from the event at Cobb’s Creek. In the caption, she wrote:

“When we connect our young people to these opportunities, it ignites growth.”

Mayor Parker noted that the Learning Lab would give children and teenagers in Philadelphia free access to year-round educational programs, including a STEM studio with practical training, as well as career and college preparation, tutoring, and other resources. She added:

“To the living legend, @tigerwoods, people will always look to you as a model for greatness. Thank you, Tiger, Meredith Foote, and the Smilow, Woodland and Maguire families for choosing the city of Philadelphia as a place to invest in and provide our young people a chance to meet their potential.”

Built by Woods’ nonprofit, the TGR Foundation, the center is part of the Cobbs Creek Foundation’s vision to create a top-level golf and education campus. The 30,000-square-foot space includes classrooms, a multi-purpose room, a recording studio for music and podcasts, a Full Swing golf simulator, and more.

Its mission is to give Philadelphia’s youth access to opportunities in both academics and athletics.

Tiger Woods shared the inspiration behind the new endeavor

This is the second TGR Learning Lab that Tiger Woods has launched. The first opened in Anaheim, California, in 2006 and has already served more than 200,000 students. Additional locations are planned for Los Angeles and Augusta.

Woods explained that Cobbs Creek was chosen in honor of his mentor, Charlie Sifford, a pioneering Black golfer who broke barriers in the mid-20th century. The course was one of the few at the time that welcomed players of all races, genders, and backgrounds.

Tiger Woods said (via NBC Philadelphia):

“So, coming here to the place that he played, he grew up, he called home, and for me to have the support of an entire community to build something, a home, a safe place, innovative, a place that all children should be able to have access to, that they don’t, and now they do."

Sifford, who was both a friend and an inspiration to Woods, had a lasting impact on his life. Tiger Woods named his son after him and played a key role in helping Sifford receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014, just a year before his passing at age 92.