Tiger Woods threw what might be the most extravagant 50th birthday party Palm Beach has witnessed in years. Girlfriend Vanessa Trump stood by his side as Jon Bon Jovi serenaded 300 guests at The Breakers resort on Wednesday evening.
The gala, officially titled 'RED: Celebrating Legacy presented by EY US', doubled as the launch of a $50 million (£40.5 million) fundraising campaign for Woods' TGR Foundation, which marks its 30th anniversary this year. Financial services giant Ernst & Young served as the presenting sponsor for an evening that blended birthday festivities with serious philanthropic ambitions, according to Front Office Sports.
Woods actually turned 50 on 30 December but chose to delay celebrations. He appeared on Wednesday in his trademark red whilst Vanessa, 48, opted for a striking black corseted dress with red platform heels, photographs obtained by Page Six revealed.
Masters-Themed Menu Drew from Five Championship Dinners
Guests received strict instructions to incorporate 'a touch of red' into their outfits, paying tribute to the colour Woods has made iconic on final-round Sundays throughout his career. The shade also anchors his Sun Day Red clothing line, launched in partnership with TaylorMade last year.
The menu pulled inspiration from Woods' five Masters Champions Dinners spanning his Augusta victories between 1997 and 2019. Dishes ranged from porterhouse steaks and chicken fajitas to sushi rolls, crab cakes, and cheeseburgers with milkshakes.
Bon Jovi's performance anchored the evening's entertainment. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer delivered an acoustic set of his greatest hits to a crowd that included PGA Tour star Justin Thomas, Woods' longtime caddie Joe LaCava, broadcaster Michael Strahan, and Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank.
Vanessa's eldest daughter Kai, 18, attended wearing a red silk floor-length gown and sporting a cast from recent wrist surgery. The competitive junior golfer, who has committed to play at the University of Miami, knows Woods' son Charlie through tournament circles at the Benjamin School in Palm Beach.
Foundation CEO Defends 'Intimate' Gathering of 300
'We definitely could have made it bigger,' TGR Foundation CEO Cyndi Court told Front Office Sports beforehand. 'But we also wanted it to be intimate so that we could celebrate people that throughout the years have made tremendous commitments to Tiger's vision.'
Three hundred guests apparently qualify as intimate by Woods' standards. The $50 million target will fund the expansion of TGR Learning Labs, which provide free programmes in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics to secondary school students. Two labs currently operate in Anaheim, California, and Philadelphia, with additional locations planned for Augusta, Georgia, and Los Angeles.
'It's a lot more than a birthday party, and it's a lot more than an event,' Court explained. 'It's an event that's culminating a year of work, and then launching a year of hard work going forward.'
Woods established the foundation three decades ago alongside his late father Earl. The organisation has supported thousands of students through educational initiatives across multiple communities.
Romance Made Public Last Spring
Woods and Vanessa Trump began dating around Thanksgiving 2024 after their children became acquainted at the Benjamin School. Both families have kids who play junior golf, so the parents kept running into each other.
The couple went Instagram-official on 24 March, when Woods posted photographs of them together with the caption: 'Love is in the air and life is better with you by my side!' Ivanka Trump, Vanessa's former sister-in-law, left supportive comments on the announcement, according to NBC News.
Vanessa was married to Donald Trump Jr from 2005 until their divorce in 2018. They share five children and reportedly maintain a cordial co-parenting arrangement. President Trump has given the relationship his blessing, having praised Woods during White House events and awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019.
Wednesday's gala was the couple's most high-profile joint appearance since going public.
Career Uncertainty Hangs Over Milestone Birthday
🚨🗣️🐅 “Tonight was a reminder that the legacy I’m most proud of isn’t on the golf course. It’s the work we’ve done to positively impact the lives of students through TGR Foundation.” –TW at tonight’s RED Legacy event in Palm Beach.
— TWLEGION (@TWlegion) January 15, 2026
Arthur Blank also committed a $20M grant for… pic.twitter.com/IuRpRDWaxr
The celebration arrived whilst Woods faces serious questions about his competitive future. He underwent his seventh back surgery in October, just months after rupturing his Achilles tendon in March whilst training at his Florida home.
Woods hasn't competed in a PGA Tour event in 2025. His most recent major championship appearance came at the 2024 Open Championship, where he missed the cut. Nobody knows if he'll play elite golf again.
Turning 50 makes him eligible for the PGA Tour Champions, the circuit for players aged 50 and older. He may also return to action with TGL, the indoor team golf league he co-founded with Rory McIlroy, where his Jupiter Links Golf Club competes.
Woods owns 82 PGA Tour victories, tied with Sam Snead for the all-time record, and 15 major championships. He spent 683 weeks ranked world number one across his career.
