Tiger Woods: The best ever?

Tiger Woods is often called the greatest ever golfer in the history of the sport. But is this true? Here we will look at the history of Tiger Woods’ career, his achievements, and which other legendary golfers might also be considered the greatest of all time.

Early Life

Eldrick Tont “Tiger” Woods was born in California in 1975 to a Thai mother and a father with combined African American, Native American, and Chinese descent. Tiger’s father Earl introduced him to the sport of golf when he was only two years old and they quickly found out that he was a natural at it. At the age of only three, Tiger played golf on live television on The Mike Douglas Show and appeared on That’s Incredible in 1980. 

Tiger was 11 years old when he first beat his father at the game, and at the age of 15 he became the youngest US Junior Amateur champion. He played his first PGA Tour, the 1995 Masters, at the age of 19, and went professional the following year. 

Career

The 1997 Masters did not start so well for Tiger. On the Thursday he went out in 40, and left 4 over par. However, by the end of the tournament, he had made an incredible comeback and stole a runaway victory. Not only did this make him a champion, but it also set a record for the highest ever television ratings for the sport!

Since then, Tiger Woods has won 15 major championships, racked up 82 PGA tour wins, and been awarded the PGA Tour Player of the Year award 10 times, which is a world record. Tiger is the only player in the history of the sport to win four consecutive major championships. He also has the lowest scoring average of a player in the history of the PGA Tour, and is the youngest player to achieve the Grand Slam.

Competition

There have been a great many legendary golf players over the decades. Tiger Woods is considered by many to be the best, but there is some fierce competition. For example, Tiger is not the only player to reach 82 PGA Tour wins – Sam Snead from West Virginia also reached this exact number of wins before his death in 2002. Sam Snead also won a record 94 gold medallions, although he never won the US Open.

Ohio native Jack Nicklaus is also considered to be one of the greatest golfers of all time. Jack beats Tiger in terms of major championship wins, with 18 to Tiger’s 15. However, he trails behind Tiger and Sam Snead’s 82 PGA Tour wins, with 73 to his name.

Legacy

So, is Tiger Woods the best golf player of all time? Well, that seems pretty subjective! In terms of wins, he is certainly well up there with the likes of Sam Snead and Jack Nicklaus, with a major advantage – he is still playing and has time to increase his number! We are not too sure what the exact golf betting odds of Tiger beating Jack Nicklaus’ 18 major championship wins are, but it certainly seems possible. 

Aside from statistics, Tiger’s contribution to the sport is incalculable. He has brought more fans to the sport than any other player in history, and inspired millions all over the world. Whoever the best golfer of all time is, it is undeniable that Tiger Woods is a cultural icon like no other in the sport.