Tiger Woods

Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer widely regarded as one of the most accomplished players in the history of the sport. He has won 15 major championships, the second-highest total of any male golfer, and his 82 victories on the PGA Tour are tied for the most ever. His emergence in the late 1990s broadened golf's popularity and reshaped its commercial profile.

Early life

Woods was born on December 30, 1975, in Cypress, California, to Earl and Kultida Woods. He was introduced to golf as a toddler by his father, a former U.S. Army officer, and showed prodigious ability at a young age, appearing on national television to demonstrate his swing while still a child. He won three consecutive U.S. Junior Amateur titles and three straight U.S. Amateur championships, an unprecedented run. He attended Stanford University, where he played collegiate golf before turning professional in 1996.

Career

Woods's professional impact was immediate. In 1997 he won the Masters Tournament by a record margin, becoming the youngest champion in the event's history and the first of African American and Asian descent to win it. He rose to the world No. 1 ranking and held it for a record cumulative number of weeks across his career. Between 2000 and 2001 he held all four professional major titles at once, a feat that became known as the "Tiger Slam." His list of majors includes multiple wins at the Masters, the U.S. Open, the Open Championship, and the PGA Championship.

His dominance was accompanied by record earnings, lucrative endorsement deals, and a reputation for intense competitiveness and meticulous preparation. He has also represented the United States in Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup competition. Off the course, his foundation has supported youth education programs.

Later career and comeback

Woods's career has been marked by significant adversity, including a series of back and knee surgeries and a highly publicized personal scandal in 2009 that affected his standing and endorsements. After years of injury and uneven form, he completed one of the most celebrated comebacks in sports by winning the 2019 Masters, his first major title in more than a decade and his fifth green jacket. In early 2021 he was seriously injured in a single-car crash in California, requiring extensive surgery to his right leg, after which he returned to limited tournament play. He has continued to compete selectively while pursuing business and design ventures, including golf course architecture and a technology-driven indoor golf league. Woods remains a defining figure in modern golf, both for his on-course records and for his broad cultural influence on the game.