Eldrick Tont Woods إلدريك تونت وودز'
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Tiger Woods became the youngest Masters champion in 1997 at age 21, winning by a record 12 strokes. He has won 15 major championships, second only to Jack Nicklaus. Woods broke racial barriers as the first African American and Asian American to win a major. His career includes an unprecedented three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles and a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Tiger Woods — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Tiger Woods by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Tiger Woods — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
Born Eldrick Tont Woods on December 30, 1975, in Cypress, California, Tiger’s father Earl, a former Green Beret lieutenant colonel, nicknamed him after a South Vietnamese officer who saved his life. Tiger putted with Bob Hope on The Mike Douglas Show at age 2 and shot 48 for nine holes at age 3. He won junior titles and three consecutive U.S. Junior Amateur championships from 1991 to 1993 before attending Stanford University.
Woods turned professional in summer 1996 after winning three straight U.S. Amateur titles. At the 1997 Masters, he shot a record 18-under 270 and won by 12 strokes, the largest margin in tournament history. He was named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year and ESPY Male Athlete of the Year in 1997. That year, he became the first African American and the first Asian American to win a major. By 1999, he had won five PGA Tour events and topped the money list. Woods won the 2000 U.S. Open by 15 strokes at Pebble Beach and completed the career Grand Slam at the 2000 British Open. He has 15 major championships and 82 PGA Tour wins, tied for the most all‑time. His endorsement deals with Nike and Buick made him one of the world’s highest‑paid athletes.
Woods married Swedish model Elin Nordegren on October 5, 2004, in Barbados. They have one son, Charlie Woods. In 2009, a scandal over multiple extramarital affairs led to their divorce in 2010; he paid Nordegren an estimated $750 million. His $39 million Jupiter, Florida, home includes a four‑hole golf course and a 155‑foot yacht. He is close friends with tennis star Roger Federer and baseball shortstop Derek Jeter.
Woods broke racial barriers by becoming the first African American and Asian American to win a major. He was named Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year twice 1996, 2000 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019. His Tiger Woods Foundation supports youth education. He was listed among Time’s 100 most influential people three times. Woods remains the standard by which all modern golfers are measured, holding the record for most consecutive weeks as world number one.
The complete filmography of Tiger Woods — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by Tiger Woods — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
A wall of memorable lines from Tiger Woods — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
I Think the Best Thing Is Being Able to Play Golf Competitively for a Living. Ever Since I Was a Little Boy, That’s Something I’ve Always Wanted to Do, and Now I Get a Chance to Live Out My Dreams.
I’ve Done It Before. It Won’t Be the Last Time. You’re Going to Go Years Where You Just Don’t Win. That’s Okay, as Long as You Keep Trying to Improve.
I Am Pretty Health Conscious, so When My Girlfriend And/or I Make Dinner No, I Don’t Have a Cook! We Choose the Healthier Options: Lean Meats, Steamed Veggies, Fish, Etc. of Course, There Are Always Those Cravings for the Bad Foods That I Do Give in to Once in a While!
My Body Is a Little Bit Sore from All of the Practicing and Playing and Training, and Your Mind Gets a Little Tired of It, Too. It’s Nice to Be Able to Recharge and Come Back Fresh for the Remainder of the Year.
We Have a Lot of Fun Every Year, and I Really Enjoy Being Part of Junior Golf and the Development of These Players.
I Don’t Want to Be the Best Black Golfer, I Want to Be the Best Golfer, Period.
The Only Thing I Have Is My Short Game and My Heart.
Little-known facts about Tiger Woods — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
His mother considers red a power color, so Tiger wears a red shirt on the final round of every tournament.
The Nike commercial where he does the ball trick was his own idea, filmed in one take without special effects.
In 2004, his estimated net worth was reported at $295 million.
His father Earl was a retired lieutenant colonel in the US Army; his mother Kultida is from Thailand. Earl was born in Manhattan, Kansas, to African-American parents, while Tiger’s maternal grandmother had Dutch and Chinese heritage.
His mother stitched a club cover with the words Love from Mom in Thai.
After the 2009 infidelity scandal, sponsors including Accenture, Gatorade, AT&T, and General Motors dropped him; Gillette suspended ads. TAG Heuer ended its deal in 2011. Swing coach Hank Haney quit in 2010. A 2009 study estimated shareholder losses from the scandal at $5-12 billion.
He was nicknamed Tiger after a Vietnamese soldier and friend of his father, Vuong Dang Phong, who also had that nickname.
He was Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year in 1996 and 2000, the first athlete to win twice.
He is an only child, though his father had children from a previous marriage.
He purchased a $39 million property in Jupiter, Florida, which became his primary residence.
He has said that Caddyshack 1980 is one of his favorite movies; he played Bill Murray’s character Carl Spackler in an American Express commercial.
He attended Stanford University but left before graduating to pursue golf.
On June 15, 1997, at age 21 years 24 weeks, he became the youngest world number one golfer.
He was named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year in 1997, 1999, 2000, and 2006.
The Tiger Woods Foundation promotes parental responsibility and involvement in children’s lives.
After laser eye surgery, he endorses TLC Laser Eye Centers.
His nickname on the Stanford golf team was Urkel.
He signed a five-year, $100 million endorsement contract with Nike, still the largest ever for an athlete as of 2003.
He has two half-brothers, Earl Jr. and Kevin, and a half-sister, Royce.
His divorce settlement with Elin Nordegren included a clause barring her from discussing the divorce with the press.
He was on the Time 100 list of most influential people in 2004, 2009, and 2019.
He paid $750 million to Elin Nordegren as part of the divorce settlement.
His next-door neighbor in Florida is fellow golfer Mark O’Mera; they are close friends. He also has a close friendship with Jack Nicklaus, who called Woods the greatest golfer of all time.
He has won at least one World Golf Championships event every year since 1999, a 54% winning rate.
He has his own line of golf watches.
He won the American Express Championship six times between 1999 and 2007.
He graduated from Western High School in Anaheim, California, in 1994 at age 18, and was voted Most Likely to Succeed.
He is good friends with tennis star Roger Federer and New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.
He donated $9.5 million to the Tiger Woods Learning Center, the Earl D. Woods Sr. Scholarship Fund, and other foundation programs.
He married Elin Nordegren on October 5, 2004, in a sunset ceremony at the Sandy Lane resort in Barbados with 200 guests and armed security.
His $39 million home is 10,000 square feet. It includes a four-hole golf course, a 100-foot lap pool, a diving pool, a 100-foot running track, a dock for his 155-foot yacht, a wine cellar, a media room, a boathouse, a golf training studio, a garage, and a guest house.
He enjoys working out, boating, water sports, fishing, and car racing.
He dated Dina Parr in high school and broke up with her during his sophomore year at Stanford.
He is registered as an independent.
He was named Golf Digest Player of the Year 1991, 1992, Golf World Player of the Year 1992, 1993, Golfweek National Amateur of the Year 1992, and Golf World Man of the Year 1994. He was also named Fred Haskins and Jack Nicklaus College Player of the Year 1996.
His 1997 Masters victory was ranked #2 in TV Guide’s 2005 list of the 25 Most Awesome Sports Moments of the previous 15 years.
At age 30, he won his third British Open and 11th major, tying Walter Hagen for second on the all-time list, seven behind Jack Nicklaus.
Forbes estimated his 2006 earnings at $100 million, largely from Nike, Buick, and other endorsements.
He was ranked #5 on the 2006 Forbes Celebrity 100 and #2 in 2008.
He was coached from ages 4-10 by Rudy Duran.
After a nearly five-month hiatus, he returned to golf at The Masters.
His five-year contract with Gatorade was worth $100 million.
He is good friends with fellow golfer Darren Clarke.
He is friends with M.C. Hammer and Kobe Bryant.
He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Donald Trump on May 6, 2019, at a White House ceremony.
He was California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Golf Champion in 1991, 1993, and 1994, starring for his high school team under coach Don Crosby.
He won his 11th major and third British Open in 2006.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Tiger Woods.
Celebrities similar to Tiger Woods — same craft, ranked by reach.
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