published: Jan 6, 2024

updated: Jul 17, 2024

Who is Tiger Woods?

Matt Coles

He is arguably the best golfer of all time, but who is Tiger Woods? Find out more about the American with our profile on him…

The greatest golfer of the 21st Century, Tiger Woods has 15 major titles to his name. He has spent more than 680 weeks at the top of the Official World Golf Rankings, and his 82 PGA Tour wins is a joint-record with Sam Snead.

His gifts were there for all to see, when at the age of just 15, he became the youngest ever US Junior Amateur Champion. He went on to win the US Amateur Championship title three years in a row, with the last of those wins coming at the age of 20. A year later, he would claim the first of his 15 major titles.

Woods won the 1997 Masters Tournament by 12 shots, dominating the field, and that would be a sign of things to come, as he would win at Augusta five times in his career. His last win came in 2019, after battling back from personal issues and injuries, to win a major tournament for the first time in 11 years.

The American also won the PGA Championship four times, along with three Open Championship victories and three US Open wins. He is the only player to hold all four major titles at the same time, having won the US Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship in 2000, before completing the “Tiger Slam” with a win at Augusta in the Masters Tournament in April 2001. His stupendous career also includes two wins at the Players Championship, along with 18 wins in World Golf Championships events, as part of his record-equalling 82 PGA Tour wins.

Woods’ car crash in 2021 saw him hospitalised and underwent emergency surgery to repair compound fractures sustained in his right leg. He is no longer a constant on the PGA Tour, indicating that his full-time career as a pro golfer was over, but he is still expected to make appearances here and there, especially at the majors.

Tiger Woods | Player Profile

Personal Information

Name: Eldrick Tont Woods
Born: December 30, 1975
Nationality: United States
Residence: Jupiter Island, Florida, United States

Career

College: Stanford University
Turned Pro: 1996
Professional Wins: 107
Highest World Ranking: 1 – June 15, 1997

Best Results In Majors

Best Finishes:
– Masters Tournament – WON (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2019)
– PGA Championship – WON (1999, 2000, 2006, 2007)
– US Open – WON (2000, 2002, 2008)
– Open Championship – WON (2000, 2005, 2006)

tiger woods masters 2019 — *Tiger Woods with the Masters Tournament trophy and the ceremonial Green Jacket after winning at Augusta National in 2019*

Professional Wins – 107

1996 (2) – Las Vegas Invitational, Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic
1997 (5) – Mercedes Championships, Asian Honda Classic, Masters Tournament, GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic, Motorola Western Open
1998 (3) – Johnnie Walker Classic, BellSouth Classic, PGA Grand Slam of Golf
1999 (12) – Buick Invitational, Deutsche Bank – SAP Open TPC of Europe, Memorial Tournament, Motorola Western Open, PGA Championship, WGC-NEC Invitational, National Car Rental Golf Classic Disney, Tour Championship, WGC-American Express Championship, World Cup of Golf (Pairs & Individual), PGA Grand Slam of Golf
2000 (12) – Mercedes Championships, AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, Bay Hill Invitational, Memorial Tournament, US Open, Open Championship, PGA Championship, WGC-NEC Invitational, Bell Canadian Open, Johnnie Walker Classic, PGA Grand Slam of Golf, WGC-World Cup
2001 (8) – Bay Hill Invitational, The PLAYERS Championship, Masters Tournament, Deutsche Bank – SAP Open TPC of Europe, Memorial Tournament, WGC-NEC Invitational, PGA Grand Slam of Golf, Williams World Challenge
2002 (6) – Bay Hill Invitational, Masters Tournament, Deutsche Bank – SAP Open TPC of Europe, US Open, Buick Open, WGC-American Express Championship, PGA Grand Slam of Golf
2003 (5) – Buick Invitational, WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, Bay Hill Invitational, 100^th Western Open, WGC-American Express Championship
2004 (3) – WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, Dunlop Phoenix Tournament, Target World Challenge
2005 (8) – Buick Invitational, Ford Championship at Doral, Masters Tournament, Open Championship, WGC-NEC Invitational, WGC-American Express Championship, Dunlop Phoenix Tournament, PGA Grand Slam of Golf
2006 (11) – Buick Invitational, Dubai Desert Classic, Ford Championship at Doral, Open Championship, Buick Open, PGA Championship, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, Deutsche Bank Championship, WGC-American Express Championship, PGA Grand Slam of Golf, Target World Challenge
2007 (8) – Buick Invitational, WGC-CA Championship, Wachovia Championship, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, PGA Championship, BMW Championship, Tour Championship, Target World Challenge
2008 (5) – Buick Invitational, Dubai Desert Classic, WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, Arnold Palmer Invitational, US Open
2009 (7) – Arnold Palmer Invitational, Memorial Tournament, AT&T National, Buick Open, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, BMW Championship, JBWere Masters
2011 (1) – Chevron World Challenge
2012 (3) – Arnold Palmer Invitational, Memorial Tournament, AT&T National
2013 (5) – Farmers Insurance Open, WGC-Cadillac Championship, Arnold Palmer Invitational, The PLAYERS Championship, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
2018 (1) – Tour Championship
2019 (2) – Masters Tournament, Zozo Championship

Achievements and Awards

Haskins Award – 1996
PGA Tour Rookie of the Year – 1996
PGA Player of the Year – 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2013
PGA Tour Player of the Year – 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2013
Vardon Trophy – 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2013
Byron Nelson Award – 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
FedEx Cup Champion – 2007, 2009
Presidential Medal of Freedom – 2019
World Golf Hall of Fame – 2021

Tiger Woods | What’s In His Bag?

Woods remains a member of Team TaylorMade, playing with some of the latest clubs from the brand. He continues to use the Bridgestone Tour Ball, something he has used for the majority of his career. You can see what Tiger uses on the course here.

For the last 27 years, Tiger Woods had partnered with Nike, in one of the biggest and longest sporting apparel deals in history. That came to an end at the start of 2024, though.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) About Tiger Woods

When and where was Tiger Woods born?

Tiger Woods was born on December 30, 1975, in Cypress, California. Woods began playing golf at a very early age. His prodigious talent was evident when he appeared on a TV show, putting against Bob Hope at just two years old.

Who is Tiger Woods’ son?

Tiger’s son, Charlie Woods, is an up and coming golfer, who has teamed up with his father at the PNC Championship on multiple occasions. Charlie, born in 2009, won a junior tournament by eight shots in June 2023.

tiger woods charlie woods — *Tiger Woods (right) with son Charlie (left) at the PNC Championship in 2022*

How many major championships has Tiger Woods won?

Tiger Woods has won 15 major championships, including five Masters Tournaments, four PGA Championships, three U.S. Opens, and three Open Championships.

What records does Tiger Woods hold?

Some of Woods’ significant records include being the youngest golfer to achieve a career Grand Slam, becoming the world’s first billionaire athlete, and winning the 1997 Masters Tournament by a record-breaking margin.

Did you Know?

The Infamous “Tiger Slam”

Woods is the only man in the history of the sport to hold the current four major titles at one time. He was victorious at the US Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship in 2000 to hold three, before completing the set with a win at the Masters Tournament in April 2001.

Youngest Golfer to Achieve the Career Grand Slam

Tiger Woods completed the career Grand Slam at the age of 24, becoming the youngest golfer in history to win all four major championships.

Youngest Masters Champion

At just 21 years old, Woods won the 1997 Masters Tournament by a record-breaking margin of 12 strokes, becoming the tournament’s youngest champion.

First Billionaire Athlete

In 2009, Forbes confirmed that Woods had become the world’s first billionaire athlete, highlighting his immense success both on and off the golf course.

Incredible 54 Hole Lead To Win Ratio

Tiger Woods has an unbelievable record when it comes to winning after holding the lead after 54 holes. Woods has a 93.2% conversion rate when holding a lead/co-lead after 54 holes on the PGA Tour.

TGR Foundation

Established by Woods in 1996, the TGR Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to empowering students to pursue their passions through education.

About the author

Matt Coles

Mention a European country, and Matt will tell you which resorts make the National Club Golfer Top 100s: European Resorts list. He might even throw in who designed the golf course and how many rooms the hotel has got at each one…

Matt got into the game of golf from a young age, following his old man to the local golf club. He fell for the sport, and now can’t seem to go a day without thinking about how to improve his game (Thanks Dad!). Matt has been a member of Howley Hall GC in Leeds since 2020, and is just about managing to maintain a single-figure handicap. He likes to remind people that he once broke 75, but won’t tell people that it was on a shortened course during the winter.

He moved to Leeds after graduating from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours degree in Sports Journalism. Matt joined NCG after almost five years travelling the world with the Professional Squash Association, working on events in all four corners of the globe.

Matt currently plays a Cobra King LTDx driver and RadSpeed 3-wood. TaylorMade monopolise the rest of his bag, with a SIM UDI, M5 irons and both Milled Grind and HI-TOE wedges, along with a Monza Redline putter. He uses a Vice Pro Plus golf ball, because he’s a bit different…

Away from golf, Matt is a Manchester United fan, and a keen runner, having ran the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon (his first and possibly last), in May 2023.

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