Tiger Woods celebrates his 50th birthday as we look back on a nearly unparalleled professional golf career.
Eldrick Tont Woods, born to Kultida Woods of Thai descent and U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Earl Woods on December 30, 1975, in Cypress, California, was nicknamed \”Tiger\” by his father in honor of a Vietnam War comrade. Raised in the Los Angeles area with two half-brothers and a half-sister, Woods showed an early talent by mimicking his father’s golf swings at just six months old. Before his second birthday, he appeared on the Mike Douglas Show as a golf prodigy, demonstrating swings and putts alongside comedian Bob Hope.
The Road to College Stardom and Amateur Champion
Tiger Woods first tasted success at age eight by winning the Junior World Golf Championship in 1984. He went on to claim several amateur titles before winning the NCAA title in 1994 while studying economics at Stanford University, gaining nationwide attention in the U.S.
Turning professional in August 1996, Woods signed the most lucrative endorsement deals in golf history at the time, including a $40 million contract with Nike. In his rookie season, he won two tournaments and qualified for the Tour Championship. He was named Sports Illustrated’s ‘Sportsman of the Year’ and PGA Tour’s Rookie of the Year.
Woods secured his first Major victory in 1997 by dominating the Masters Tournament at Augusta National with a score of 18-under-par, a 12-stroke lead, becoming the first person of color to win the Masters. By June 1997, after several victories, he reached world number one just 42 weeks into his professional career.
The Tiger Slam: Unmatched Dominance
Woods’ accomplishments are unprecedented. Following his 1999 PGA Championship win, he achieved the ‘Tiger Slam’ by holding all four Major titles from 2000 to 2001, the only player in the modern era to do so. Throughout the late 1990s and 2000s, he dominated the PGA Tour, accumulating 14 Major titles, capped by a 15th Masters win in 2019. Sharing the record for most PGA Tour wins at 82 with Sam Snead, Woods also represented the U.S. in eight Ryder Cups, with the team winning only in 1999.
Known for his unique blend of raw power, precision, and mental toughness, Woods revolutionized professional golf with an aggressive yet technically flawless swing. He held the world number one ranking for a total of 683 weeks, including a record-breaking streak of 281 consecutive weeks. His signature red shirt on final days became a symbol of his competitive spirit, inspired by his mother’s belief in the color as his ‘power color.’
Legacy, Challenges, and Impact on Golf
Despite setbacks like injuries—most notably a serious knee injury in 2008 that sidelined him for 10 months—and personal controversies, Woods’ impact