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"My dad was my best friend and greatest role model. He was an amazing dad, coach, mentor, soldier, husband and friend." Tiger Woods is a professional golfer. Since his introduction to the professional golfing scene in 1997, Woods has popularized golf in a way that no other professional athlete ever has. Despite his ups and downs with regard to his private life, Woods has cemented himself as one of the best to ever pick up a club.

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Through the course of Woods' career, he has set records for his U.S. Masters victories while also winning PGA Player of the Year ten times in the first twelve years that he was in the sport. During the peak of Woods' fame, he was far more than just an athlete, he was an international icon. Comparable to Michael Jordan, Woods' impact on the sport of golf will almost certainly be remembered long after he puts down his clubs for good.

Early Beginnings

Eldrick Tont 'Tiger' Woods was born on December 30, 1975, in Cypress, California. Woods was born to Kultida and Earl Woods. He is the only child shared between the two, though he does have three half-siblings in Earl Jr, Kevin, and Royce. Woods' mother came to America from Thailand after meeting Earl during his time in the military. Earl is a retired Lieutenant Colonel who served during the Vietnam War. Woods has roots going back to Dutch, Chinese, Thai, and Native American ancestry. According to Tiger, his ethnic description is, 'Cablinasian.'

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Woods would grow up in Orange County in California. From a young age, Woods showed an affinity for golf. His father, Earl, would become a mentor early on in his life and Woods would cite his influence as one of the most important factors of his growth. Woods' father was an amateur golfer with a single-digit handicap as well as one of the first African-American baseball players at Kansas State University. Tiger definitely took some of his father's athletic prowess as he learned the ins and outs of golf.

Tiger would become famous at a young age when he appeared on The Mike Douglas Show in 1978. During the televised appearance, a 3-year-old Tiger would put against the comedian, Bob Hope. In the blink of an eye, Tiger was suddenly of national interest. His skills at golf would have him labeled a child prodigy and before he was eight years old, he would be breaking 80 en route to six Junior World Championship victories. According to Earl, Woods would surpass his father in golfing skills by the age of eleven. Due to his prolific work as a young golfer, Woods was recruited by colleges all over the country. Woods would end up attending Stanford University in 1994 via a golf scholarship. Woods would lead Stanford to notable success as he won numerous awards like Pac-10 Player of the Year, Stanford's Male Freshman of the Year, and NCAA First Team All-American.

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Changing Golf Forever

Tiger Woods route to the pros was as smooth as anyone has ever experienced. By the time that Woods had turned 20, he was ready to go pro. On August 1996, Woods officially declared himself a professional before signing deals with Titleist and Nike, Inc. He would instantly make a splash on the golf scene as he earned Sportsman of the Year and PGA Tour Rookie of the Year honors within the first season of his competition. Within a year, Woods would win his first major, the 1997 Masters while becoming the youngest to ever do it. By 1999, Woods would set a record for the most PGA Championships ever earned in a season with eight.

While Woods was a historically good golfer, he could still improve. Unknown to many, Woods suffered from awful vision. In order to correct the issue, he would get laser eye surgery in 1999. TLC Laser Eye Centers would go on to endorse Woods as he returned in prolific fashion. In 2000, Woods would set a record for consecutive victorious events while on the PGA Tour, breaking the record set by Ben Hogan in 1948. A few dominant years later, Woods would marry his longtime girlfriend, Elin Nordegren, in a private ceremony in October of 2004.

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By the time that 2005 rolled around, Woods had won six championships in the sport. Woods had also become an international icon as he was the PGA Tour Player of the Year seven times in his first nine seasons as a professional. The kind of dominance that Woods was displaying had never before been seen in professional golf, a feat similar only to Michael Jordan's historic run with the Chicago Bulls. Unfortunately, the good times had to come to a halt in 1996 when Woods lost his father to prostate cancer. Woods said of his father's passing, "My dad was my best friend and greatest role model, and I will miss him deeply." Despite struggling with grief, Woods would return and win a PGA Championship and the British Open that same year.

In 2007, Woods and Nordegren would have their first child together, Sam Alexis Woods. Woods would take time off to be with his daughter before returning to win the PGA Championship. Woods would continue dominating the sport despite injuries to his knee, including a double stress fracture. Woods would welcome his second child in 2009, Charlie Axel Woods. Woods would return to compete against the orders of his doctor and his injuries would finally catch up to him. It was around this time that Woods personal life was put on blast and his marital issues would soon become part of the national conversation. Woods would take a hiatus from golf for a full year before making his return, albeit with a significantly diminished ability on the course. Time, injuries, and mental toll were finally catching up to the once invincible Tiger Woods. Woods would struggle for several years before getting back on track with a PGA Tour victory in 2012. In 2013, after announcing a relationship with Lindsey Vonn, Woods would win five tournaments.

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Most recently, Woods has bounced back from a semi-serious back injury that threatened to curtail the rest of his career. In 2019, on April 14, Woods would win his first Masters tournament in nearly a decade, marking the fifth total Masters' victory of his career. Woods would then receive a Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump.