Tiger Woods

Woods, Tiger (1975- ), American golfer of African and Asian ancestry who changed the face of the game. After a sterling amateur career, in which he won six consecutive United States Golf Association (USGA) championships, Woods became a professional at the age of 21; he soon proved to be the most marketable golfer in history. At the 1997 Masters tournament, he exceeded all expectations when he became both the youngest golfer and the first person of color to win the prestigious event. He demolished previous records by winning with the lowest total score, 270, and by the widest margin of victory, 12 strokes. With his win at the British Open in 2000, Woods became the youngest player to complete the career Grand Slam, winning all four major championships, a feat only five other players have accomplished. He claimed the scoring records for all four majors when he won the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) championship in 2000 (his first win in this tournament was in 1999) and joined Ben Hogan as the only man to win three majors in one year; Woods won the PGA title for the third time in 2006 and again in 2007. He triumphed in the Masters again in 2001 and 2005. In 2005 he took the British Open the second time, and in 2006, just two months after the death of his father, who was his mentor and most ardent fan, he repeated the victory; it had been over 20 years since a golfer had accomplished back-to-back wins in the tournament.

Eldrick Woods was born on Dec. 30, 1975, in Cypress, Calif., the son of Earl (of part Native American and part African American heritage) and Kultida (of half Chinese and half Thai ancestry) Woods. His father nicknamed him "Tiger" after a South Vietnamese soldier who had fought alongside the elder Woods in the Vietnam War. Tiger Woods started the game as an infant, watching his father hit golf balls into a net in the family garage. He began playing as soon as he could walk and broke 50 for nine holes when he was three years old. At age two he had appeared on The Mike Douglas Show. Improving rapidly, he dominated the junior ranks in every age group.

Woods won his first national championship, the U.S. Junior Amateur, in 1991. He recaptured the title in the subsequent two years, an unprecedented feat; no other player had won more than one U.S. Junior title. In 1994 Woods became the youngest player to win the most prestigious amateur tournament in the world, the U.S. Amateur Championship. His dramatic come-from-behind victory over Trip Kuehne in the final round, in front of a national television audience, catapulted him into the popular consciousness. He would ultimately win three consecutive U.S. Amateur championships, the first player to do so.

In fall 1994 Woods matriculated at Stanford University, where he continued his amateur career in impressive fashion. He captured the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Championship in 1996. His amateur victories earned him invitations to the Masters tournament, where he moved the golf world with his prodigious power, blasting drives in excess of 300 yards.

Woods turned professional in 1996, the week after his third amateur victory, leaving behind a USGA match-play record of 62-3. His arrival into the play-for-pay ranks was the most highly anticipated of any player in history, and his impact was felt immediately. He made headlines with historic endorsement contracts with an athletic shoe manufacturer and a major golf equipment business. With his background, youth, good looks, and entertaining style of play, he became a fan favorite as well as a marketing sensation. His entry at tournaments attracted large galleries, some of whom had never before seen a golf course. But Woods soon proved he was more than a walking endorsement, winning twice in his first seven tournaments and earning $1 million in prize money in only nine tournaments, another record. He won numerous awards for his remarkable achievements. His outstanding play in just a short time led many to call him the best player in the world, a role with which Woods seemed comfortable.

Hunki Yun Associate Editor of Golf Digest