Tiger Woods

Date of Birth: 30^th December, 1975

Birth Place: Cypress, California

Nationality: American

Education: Major in Economics (Stanford University)

Career: Professional Golf Player

 

Tiger Woods is the most renowned name in the field of golf. An American professional golfer, he today boasts of being the number one golf player in the world. Tiger Woods was born as Eldrick Tiger Woods on 30^th December 1975, in Cypress (California), to Earl Woods and Kultida Woods. His father was a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel. The only child of his parents, he has two half-brothers, Earl Jr. (born 1955) and Kevin, and one half-sister, Royce (from his father’s first marriage).

 

He is a Buddhist by religion, the faith adopted from his mother. Tiger Woods got the nickname of Tiger from Vuong Dang Phong, his father’s friend. With time, he started being known by the name ‘Tiger’ and in 1996; he changed his name legally from Eldrick to Tiger. He spent his growing up years in Orange County and went to Western High (Anaheim) for high school. He won the first tournament of his life ‘Optimist International Junior Championship’ in 1984 and from then onwards, started his journey to be the No. 1 golf player in the world.

 

In 1996, Tiger Woods turned pro and in 1997, at the age of 21-plus, he won his first major championship, The Masters. The same year, he bagged the title of the ‘PGA Player of the Year’ for the first time. In 1998, he attained the position of the No. 1 Golf Player in the world the first time. Tiger Woods got engaged to Elin Nordegren, a Swedish model, in the year 2003 and in October 2004, he married her at Sandy Lane resort on the Caribbean island of Barbados. In June 2007, he became the proud father of a small girl, whom he named Sam Alexis Woods.

 

 

1975 - Born Eldrick T. Woods on 30^th December in Cypress, California

1976 - Imitates his father’s swing at the age of 6 months

1978 - Comes on the Mike Douglas Show and putts against Bob Hope

1979 - Shoots a 48 over nine holes at the Navy Golf Club in Cypress, Calif

1984 - Wins Optimist International Junior Championship for the first time

1991 - Becomes youngest U.S. Junior Amateur Champion

Voted Southern California ‘Amateur Player of the Year’

Voted Golf Digest ‘Amateur Player of the Year’

1992 - Wins U.S. Junior National Championships for the first time

Competes in his first PGA Tour event, the Nissan Los Angeles Open

1994 - Wins U.S. Amateur Championship at the TPC at Sawgrass and becomes

  the youngest winner ever

1995 - Wins U.S. Amateur Championship

  Voted Pac-10 ‘Player of the Year’

  Participates in the Masters, his first PGA major tournament and comes 41^st (the only amateur to  make the cut)

1996 - Becomes first golfer to win three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles

 Wins NCAA Individual Men's Championship

  Ties British Open, record for an amateur

 Turns pro in August

  Signs endorsement deals worth $40 million from Nike & $20 million from Titleist

  Voted Sports Illustrated ‘Sportsman of the Year’

1997 - Wins first major championship, The Masters, being the youngest winner

 Wins three other PGA events

 Achieves No. 1 world ranking in his 42nd week as a Pro

 Voted PGA Player of the Year

1998 - Wins one official PGA event (BellSouth Classic)

  Closes the year with a No. 1 world ranking

1999 - Wins second PGA major title

 Records eight PGA victories overall

 Defeats David Duval at the Showdown at Sherwood

 Voted PGA Player of the Year and AP Male Athlete of the Year

2000 - Wins Mercedes Championship and AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am

  Wins U.S. Open at Pebble Beach

  Breaks or ties a total of nine records at the U.S. Open

  Wins the British Open

  Wins PGA Championship

2001 - Wins the Masters tournament

 Wins five overall PGA events

  Voted PGA Player of the Year

2002 - Wins the Masters tournament

  Wins PGA major

  Wins U.S. Open at Bethpage Black

2004 - Marries Elin Nordegren, a Swedish model

2005 - Wins Buick Invitational

  Wins the Masters tournament

  Wins the British Open

2006 - Wins Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines

  Loses his father to cancer

  Wins the British Open

  Wins the Buick Open

  Wins PGA Championship

2007 - Wins PGA Championship
  Become the proud father of a beautiful girl, Sam Alexis Woods