THE CHILD PRODIGY WHO BECAME THE MOST DOMINANT GOLFER OF HIS GENERATION
Tiger Woods
b. 1975 · Male Athlete
Early Life
Tiger Woods was born Eldrick Tont Woods on December 30, 1975, in Cypress, California, and was introduced to golf by his father, Earl Woods, before he was two years old.
He showed exceptional talent from a young age, appearing on television as a toddler demonstrating his swing, and went on to dominate junior and amateur golf, winning three consecutive U.S. Junior Amateur titles and three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles while attending Stanford University.
Rise to Fame
Woods turned professional in 1996 and quickly signed major endorsement deals, announcing his arrival with the famous tagline ‘Hello World.’
In 1997, at age 21, he won the Masters Tournament by a record 12-stroke margin, becoming the youngest Masters champion in history and signaling the start of one of the most dominant runs in golf history.
Career Highlights
Between 1997 and 2008, Woods won 14 major championships, including the historic ‘Tiger Slam’ of holding all four major titles simultaneously in 2000-2001, and spent more weeks ranked world number one than any player in history.
After years of injuries, multiple back surgeries, and personal setbacks, Woods completed one of the most celebrated comebacks in sports history by winning the 2019 Masters, his fifth green jacket and first major title in over a decade.
Personal Life
In 2009, revelations about infidelity in his marriage to Elin Nordegren became a major public story, leading to their divorce in 2010; the matter is now a settled part of his public history.
Woods has faced significant physical challenges, including a 2017 arrest related to impaired driving that he attributed to prescription medication, and a serious 2021 single-car accident near Los Angeles that caused severe leg injuries; he has two children, Sam and Charlie, and remains active through the TGR Foundation, which supports youth education.
Net Worth & Legacy
Tiger Woods’ net worth is estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars, built through record prize winnings, endorsement deals, and business ventures including golf course design.
From a record-setting prodigy to a champion who overcame injury and personal adversity to reclaim the sport’s biggest stage, Woods is widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers, and athletes, of all time.