When Tiger Woods was in his prime, nearly all of the biggest sports news outlets were following his every move. Woods put professional golf on the map, and he will go down as one of the best golfers in the history of the sport.
A quick look at his career stats would reveal all you need to know about his accomplishments and achievements on the golf course, but that doesn’t tell the whole story with Tiger. Woods was on a path to shattering every record on the PGA Tour before things took a sudden and tragic turn back in 2009.
Tiger Woods was born on December 30, 1975 and he grew up in the state of California. His real name is Eldrick Tont Woods and he was born to Earl and Kultida Woods and grew up in Orange County, CA.
Woods was brought up around the game of golf and was introduced to the game before he was even two years old. Some professional golfers burst onto the scene without little fanfare, but everyone knew about Woods before he stepped into professional golf.
At age 15, Woods became the youngest U.S. Junior Amateur champion, and competed in his first PGA Tour event at the age of 17. His amateur success at a young age earned him a scholarship to the University of Stanford where he would star on the golf team.
His first PGA Tour major event came at Augusta National when he was only 19 years of age, and he finished 41st in his first Masters. Woods would later go on to win six Masters Tournaments, and his career is not finished.
Woods didn’t spend a long time as an amateur as he made his professional golf debut at the age of 20. By 21 he set a record on the PGA Tour as he became the youngest golfer in history to win the Masters.
The end of 1999 and into 2000 was the peak of his career as he won six straight events on the PGA Tour, including the 2000 U.S. Open. It was during the U.S. Open in which Woods showcased his remarkable ability as he won the tournament by a whopping 15 strokes.
It’s hard to pick out the most impressive feat in the career of Tiger Woods, but the “Tiger Slam” would have to be at the top of the list. After winning the Masters in 2001, Woods became the first player in PGA Tour history to win all four majors in consecutive fashion.
The PGA Tour was forced to change a number of different rules to give other players a chance to compete with him on the professional level. At one point in his career, Woods was ranked number 1 in the official rankings for a record 264 straight weeks.
A Messy Breakup
Woods married Elin Nordegren on October 5, 2004, and the couple has a pair of kids together. This marriage came at a time when Woods was playing some of the best golf of his career, and everything seemed to be going well.
A story by the National Enquirer claiming that Woods was having an extramarital affair was published in November 2009, and that signaled the beginning of the end for the couple. On November 27, 2009, Woods crashed into a fire hydrant and a tree near his Florida home after having a fight with his wife.
Woods later admitted to having multiple relationships outside of his marriage, and it ultimately led to a divorce, and a time away from golf.
Injuries Piling Up
While the personal life got in the way of the golf career for Woods as well, it was the injuries that really kept him from shattering records on the PGA Tour. An elbow injury in 2013 caused Woods to have his worst finish ever at the U.S. Open, but that was only the beginning of his troubles.
His back would give way a year later, and he underwent back surgery that caused him to miss a significant amount of time. That first back surgery allowed him to get back on the course, but he would have another surgery again in 2015.
Those back problems would continue all the way through 2017, and Woods would have to learn how to deal with the pain on the golf course.
Can’t Keep Tiger Down
Tiger Woods has had a ton of memorable moments during his golf career, but none bigger than what took place on April 14, 2019. Woods won the Masters Tournament by one stroke on that day, breaking a major drought that lasted more than 11 years.
That was the 15th major in the career for Woods, and he became the second-oldest player in Tour history to win at Augusta National.
