Tiger Woods’ wife gives birth to a son — Charlie Axel

On the day Tiger Woods usually hoists a trophy at Torrey Pines, the world’s No. 1 golfer was busy with the birth of his first son.

Woods announced on his Web site early Monday that his wife, Elin, had given birth to a boy, Charlie Axel Woods. It is the couple’s second child following the birth of daughter Sam Alexis in June 2007 on the day after the U.S. Open.

“Elin and I are thrilled to announce the birth of our son, Charlie Axel Woods, who was born on Sunday February 8, 2009,” Woods wrote in the statement. “Both Charlie and Elin are doing great and we want to thank everyone for their sincere best wishes and kind thoughts. Sam is very excited to be a big sister and we feel truly blessed to have such a wonderful family.

“I also want to thank our doctors, nurses and the hospital staff for their personal and professional care. We look forward to introducing Charlie to you at the appropriate time, and again thanks from all of us for your kindness and support.”

The 33-year-old Woods is a six-time winner of the Buick Invitational, where he also won the U.S. Open last summer for his 14th career major. That was the last tournament he has played because of knee surgery a week later that ended his 2008 season. He is expected to return before the Masters, possibly as early as the Accenture Match Play Championship on Feb. 25.

He wrote in a newsletter last week that his return to golf would depend largely on the birth of his second child.

Woods was the only child born of his parents, Earl and Tida Woods. He had said after his marriage in 2004 that he looked forward to having more than one child.

Nick Watney won the Buick Invitational on Sunday, the sixth time that Woods has been unable to defend a title since his knee surgery.

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