Tiger Woods will become the fourth golfer to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, it has been announced.

The President of the United States Donald Trump tweeted that the 43-year-old will be given the highest civilian award in the US to commemorate his win in this year's Masters.

"Spoke to Tiger Woods to congratulate him on the great victory he had in yesterday’s [Masters] and to inform him that because of his incredible success and comeback in sports and, more importantly, life, I will be presenting him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom!" he announced.

Woods won his fifth Masters on Sunday, marking his first victory in the competition since 2005 and first Major since 2011. 

This comes after years of struggles on and off the course, with injuries and personal problems dominating the headlines.

Eventually, he finished one shot ahead of runners-up Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Xander Schauffele after a dramatic final day.

His green jacket winning run was considered by many to be the culmination of his comeback from controversies in his personal life and several injury-ridden seasons during which he fell out of the top 1,000 in the world rankings.

Woods will be joining golfing legends Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Charles Sifford in receiving the award.

Other notable sportsmen to have been bestowed with the honour include Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan and Babe Ruth.

He was also praised by Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, who tweeted: "Congratulations, Tiger! To come back and win the Masters after all the highs and lows is a testament to excellence, grit, and determination."

The date for Wood's medal presentation is still to be announced.