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94-620: The WGC Championship was a professional golf tournament that was held between 1999 and 2021. It was one of the three or four annual World Golf Championships until the number of WGC events was reduced to two following the 2021 season. Under sponsorship agreements, the WGC Championship was titled as the WGC-American Express Championship (1999–2006), when it was hosted at various locations in Europe and

188-877: A 48 over nine holes at the Navy course. At age five, he appeared in Golf Digest and on ABC 's That's Incredible! Before turning seven, Woods won the Under Age 10 section of the Drive, Pitch, and Putt competition, held at the Navy Golf Course in Cypress. In 1984 at the age of eight, he won the 9–10 boys' event, the youngest age group available, at the Junior World Golf Championships . He first broke 80 at age eight. He went on to win

282-494: A 5-year, $ 105 million contract extension with Nike, which was the largest endorsement package signed by a professional athlete at that time. Woods's endorsement has been credited with playing a significant role in taking the Nike Golf brand from a "start-up" golf company earlier in the previous decade to becoming the leading golf apparel company in the world and a major player in the equipment and golf ball market. Nike Golf

376-493: A break from golf until his back healed. He returned for the Masters , finishing in a tie for 17th. In the final round, Woods injured his wrist after his club hit a tree root. He later stated that a bone popped out of his wrist, but he adjusted it back into place and finished the round. Woods then missed the cut at the 2015 U.S. Open and Open Championship , the first time Woods missed the cut at consecutive majors, finishing near

470-481: A deal reportedly worth $ 40 million. Woods collaborated closely with TAG Heuer to develop the world's first professional golf watch, which was released in April 2005. The lightweight, titanium -construction watch, incorporates features to facilitate wearing the watch while playing the game. It is capable of absorbing up to 5,000 Gs of shock, far in excess of the forces generated by a normal golf swing. In 2006,

564-624: A low of #58. He rose to No. 50 in mid-November after a third-place finish at the Emirates Australian Open , and broke his winless streak with a victory at December's Chevron World Challenge . Woods began his 2012 season with two tournaments (the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and the AT&;T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am ) where he started off well but struggled on the final rounds. Following

658-643: A major. Woods returned to the winner's circle for the 80th time in his PGA Tour career on September 23, 2018, when he won the season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club for the second time and that tournament for the third time. He shot rounds of 65–68–65–71 to win by two strokes over Billy Horschel . On April 14, 2019, Woods won the Masters , which was his first major championship win in eleven years and his 15th major overall. He finished 13 under par to win by one stroke over Dustin Johnson , Xander Schauffele and Brooks Koepka . At age 43, he became

752-511: A professional golfer was over, although he would continue to play "a few events per year". For the first time since the car crash, he returned to the PGA Tour at the 2022 Masters . Woods was born on December 30, 1975, in Cypress, California , to Earl and Kultida "Tida" Woods. He is their only child, though he has two half-brothers and a half-sister from his father's first marriage. Earl

846-629: A prolonged break because of the injury, during which he missed the Greenbrier Classic and his own AT&T National , he returned at the Open Championship at Muirfield . Despite being in contention all week and beginning the final round only two strokes behind Lee Westwood , he struggled with the speed of the greens and could only manage a 3-over-par 74 that left him tied for 6th place, five strokes behind eventual winner Phil Mickelson . Two weeks later, Woods returned to form at

940-780: A regular stop on the PGA Tour in March for 45 consecutive years (1962–2006). However, due to the WGC records taking precedence over PGA Tour records, technically the Cadillac Championship succeeded the American Express event, not the Ford Championship. With the WGC-World Cup losing its World Golf Championship status after the 2006 event, it meant all three remaining WGC events were permanently held in

1034-424: A second time. In 2000, Woods won six consecutive events on the PGA Tour, which was the longest winning streak since Ben Hogan did it in 1948. One of these was the U.S. Open , where he broke or tied nine tournament records in what Sports Illustrated called "the greatest performance in golf history", in which Woods won the tournament by a record 15-stroke margin and earned a check for $ 800,000. At age 24, he became

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1128-495: A spectacular performance at the 2009 Presidents Cup , but he failed to win a major, the first year since 2004 that he did not do so. After his marital infidelities came to light and received massive media coverage at the end of 2009 (see further details below), Woods announced in December that he would be taking an indefinite break from competitive golf. In February 2010, he delivered a televised apology for his behavior, saying "I

1222-559: A strong showing at the 2011 Masters , where he tied for fourth place. Due to leg injuries incurred at the Masters, he missed several summer stops on the PGA Tour. In July, he fired his longtime caddie Steve Williams (who was shocked by the dismissal), and replaced him on an interim basis with friend Bryon Bell until he hired Joe LaCava. After returning to tournament play in August, Woods continued to falter, and his ranking gradually fell to

1316-745: Is best for golf as more money can be made there than elsewhere. This criticism has been muted since the 2009 elevation of the HSBC Champions, held in China , to full WGC status. In addition, the WGC-Mexico Championship in 2017 marked the move of half the WGC events to outside the United States. At the end of the 2021 season, the number of WGC events was reduced to two, the Match Play and the HSBC Champions. The HSBC Champions

1410-534: Is one of the fastest growing brands in the sport, with an estimated $ 600 million in sales. Woods has been described as the "ultimate endorser" for Nike Golf, frequently seen wearing Nike gear during tournaments, and even in advertisements for other products. Woods receives a percentage from the sales of Nike Golf apparel, footwear, golf equipment, golf balls, and has a building named after him at Nike's headquarters campus in Beaverton , Oregon. In 2002, Woods

1504-461: Is the fifth (after Gene Sarazen , Ben Hogan , Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus ) player to achieve the career Grand Slam , and the youngest to do so. He is also the second golfer out of two (after Nicklaus) to achieve a career Grand Slam three times. Woods has won 18 World Golf Championships . He was also part of the American winning team for the 1999 Ryder Cup . In May 2019, Woods was awarded

1598-435: Is the only player to win all four individual WGCs. Tiger Woods ' 18 WGC victories dwarfs his nearest rival, Johnson, with six. Although not counting as individual wins, Woods also won the then WGC-World Cup with the United States, and 2-time WGC winner Ernie Els won the same competition with South Africa. Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont " Tiger " Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer . He

1692-523: Is tied for first in PGA Tour wins , ranks second in men's major championships , and holds numerous golf records . Woods is widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time and is one of the most famous athletes in modern history. He is an inductee of the World Golf Hall of Fame . Following an outstanding junior, college, and amateur golf career, Woods turned professional in 1996 at

1786-636: The 2001 Masters , he became the only player to win four consecutive major professional golf titles, although not in the same calendar year. This achievement came to be known as the "Tiger Slam". Following a stellar 2001 and 2002 in which he continued to dominate the tour, Woods's career hit a slump. He did not win a major in 2003 or 2004. In September 2004, Vijay Singh overtook Woods in the Official World Golf Rankings, ending Woods's record streak of 264 weeks at No. 1. Woods rebounded in 2005, winning six PGA Tour events and reclaiming

1880-518: The 2013 Masters , Woods faced disqualification after unwittingly admitting in a post-round interview with ESPN that he took an illegal drop on the par-5 15th hole when his third shot bounced off the pin and into the water. After further review of television footage , Woods was assessed a two-stroke penalty for the drop but was not disqualified. He finished tied for fourth in the event. Woods won The Players Championship in May 2013, his second career win at

1974-728: The BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year , an award given to a non-British sportsperson considered to have made the most substantial contribution to a sport. Domestically, Woods has also been recognized by U.S. publications. He was named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year a record-tying four times, was named "Athlete of the Decade" by the Associated Press in 2009, and is one of only two people to be named Sports Illustrated ' s Sportsman of

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2068-744: The California Hall of Fame . He was inducted December 5, 2007 at The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts in Sacramento. In May 2019, following his 2019 Masters Tournament win, Woods was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Donald Trump . In 2000 and 2001, Woods was named the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year , becoming the inaugural recipient of the award. In 2000 he received

2162-952: The Hero World Challenge . Woods's back problems continued to hinder him in 2017. He missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open in January and pulled out of a European Tour event in Dubai on February 3. On March 31, Woods announced on his website that he would not be playing in the 2017 Masters Tournament despite being cleared to play by his doctors. Woods said that although he was happy with his rehabilitation, he did not feel "tournament ready." Woods subsequently told friends, "I'm done". On April 20, Woods announced that he had undergone his fourth back surgery since 2014 to alleviate back and leg pain. Recovery time required up to six months, meaning that Woods would spend

2256-610: The LPGA Championship . Woods grew up in Orange County, California . He was a child prodigy who was introduced to golf before the age of two by his athletic father Earl Woods. Earl was a single-digit handicap amateur golfer who also was one of the earliest African-American college baseball players at Kansas State University . Woods told reporters he had wanted to be a baseball player like his father but abandoned that goal after tearing his rotator cuff . His father

2350-521: The Memorial Tournament in June, tying Jack Nicklaus in second place for most PGA Tour victories; a month later, Woods surpassed Nicklaus with a win at the AT&T National , to trail only Sam Snead , who accumulated 82 PGA tour wins. The year 2013 brought a return of Woods's dominating play. In January, he won the Farmers Insurance Open by four shots for his 75th PGA Tour win. It was

2444-640: The Official World Golf Ranking . After a lackluster 1998, Woods finished the 1999 season with eight wins, including the PGA Championship , a feat not achieved since Johnny Miller did it in 1974. Woods was severely myopic; his eyesight had a rating of 11 diopters . In order to correct this problem, he underwent successful laser eye surgery in 1999, and he immediately resumed winning tour events. In 2007, his vision again began to deteriorate, and he underwent laser eye surgery

2538-485: The Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Trump , the fourth golfer to receive the honor. On February 23, 2021, Woods was hospitalized in serious but stable condition after a single-car collision and underwent emergency surgery to repair compound fractures sustained in his right leg in addition to a shattered ankle. In an interview with Golf Digest in November 2021, Woods indicated that his full-time career as

2632-468: The United States in most of the years, and one or two were staged elsewhere. Starting in 2007, all three of the individual World Golf Championships events were played in the United States, which attracted criticism from some golfers, including Tiger Woods and Ernie Els , and in the media outside the United States. PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem responded by insisting that playing in the U.S

2726-483: The United States which drew criticism from some players and commentators. After Cadillac decided not to renew sponsorship of the event, it moved to Club de Golf Chapultepec in Naucalpan , just northwest of Mexico City in 2017. Grupo Salinas took up sponsorship, although their name does not appear in the title of the tournament. Donald Trump had purchased and renamed Trump National Doral in 2012, and many saw

2820-823: The United States ; the WGC-CA Championship (2007–2010), then the WGC-Cadillac Championship (2011–2016), when it was hosted at Doral Golf Resort , Florida ; and the WGC-Mexico Championship (2017–2020), when it was played at Club de Golf Chapultepec in Mexico . In 2021, the tournament was disrupted by travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic ; it was relocated to The Concession Golf Club in Florida and titled as

2914-800: The WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship , where he was knocked out in the second round by missing a 5-foot putt, Woods revised his putting technique and tied for second at The Honda Classic , with the lowest final-round score in his PGA Tour career. After a short time off due to another leg injury, Woods won the Arnold Palmer Invitational , his first win on the PGA Tour since the BMW Championship in September 2009. Following several dismal performances, Woods notched his 73rd PGA Tour win at

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3008-581: The WGC-Bridgestone Invitational , recording his 5th win of the season and 8th win at the event in its 15-year history. His second-round 61 matched his record score on the PGA Tour and could easily have been a 59 were it not for some short missed birdie putts on the closing holes. This gave him a seven-stroke lead that he held onto for the rest of the tournament. But at the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club, Woods never

3102-868: The WGC-Workday Championship . It was sanctioned and organized by the International Federation of PGA Tours and the prize money was official money on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour . Tiger Woods had the record number of wins with seven. The winner received a Wedgwood trophy named the Gene Sarazen Cup. Founded in 1999, the first two events were held in November at the Valderrama Golf Club in Southern Spain . The third event

3196-653: The Zozo Championship in October 2019, which was the first-ever PGA Tour event played in Japan . Woods, who played a highly publicized skins game earlier in the week at the same course as the Championship, held at least a share of the lead after every round of the rain-delayed tournament, giving him a three stroke victory over Hideki Matsuyama . The win was Woods's 82nd on Tour, tying him with Sam Snead for

3290-407: The cut . However, he quickly returned to form and ended the year by winning six consecutive tour events. At the season's close, Woods had 54 total wins that included 12 majors; he broke the tour records for both total wins and total majors wins over eleven seasons. Woods continued to excel in 2007 and the first part of 2008. In April 2008, he underwent knee surgery and missed the next two months on

3384-532: The major championships . In the pantheon of golf events, the WGCs ranked below the major championships and above most other competitions, although The Players Championship , promoted by the PGA Tour as the "fifth major", may also claim such status. Despite the name, the World Golf Championships did not claim to crown a recognised 'world champion'. The World Golf Championships came to an end as

3478-538: The 1994 NCAA champions. He enrolled at Stanford in the fall of 1994 under a golf scholarship and won his first collegiate event, the 40th Annual William H. Tucker Invitational, that September. He selected a major in economics and was nicknamed " Urkel " by college teammate Notah Begay III . In 1995, he successfully defended his U.S. Amateur title at the Newport Country Club in Rhode Island and

3572-505: The Junior World Championships six times, including four consecutive wins from 1988 to 1991. Woods's father Earl wrote that Tiger first defeated him at the age of 11 years, with Earl trying his best. He lost to Woods every time from then on. Woods first broke 70 on a regulation golf course at age 12. When Woods was 13 years old, he played in the 1989 Big I, which was his first major national junior tournament. In

3666-528: The Masters Champions Dinner on April 5, 2016. For the first time in his career, he missed all four majors in one year due to problems with his back. In October 2016, he told Charlie Rose on PBS that he still wanted to break Jack Nicklaus's record of 18 major titles. Woods underwent back surgery in December 2016 and spent the next 15 months off the Tour. He made his return to competitive golf in

3760-681: The PGA Tour announced the 2023 WGC Match Play would be the last WGC tournament. The COVID-19 pandemic severely hampered the WGCs, as several tournaments were moved and the WGC-HSBC Champions in China was never played again once the pandemic began. As the PGA Tour's conflict with LIV Golf began, the PGA Tour pursued an "elevated status" for some existing events which have some similarities to WGC events (smaller fields, no cut, and higher prize money). The WGC Championship, WGC Match Play and WGC Invitational events all began in 1999, although

3854-429: The PGA Tour since 2013. He then tied for sixth with a score of five under par at the 2018 Open Championship . At the last major of the year, the 2018 PGA Championship , Woods finished second, two shots behind the winner Brooks Koepka . It was his best result in a major since 2009 (second at the 2009 PGA Championship ) and moved him up to 26th in the world rankings. His final round of 64 was his best-ever final round in

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3948-583: The PGA Tour's "Florida Swing", but in 2019 it was moved to February to follow events on the West Coast and precede the tournaments in Florida. The 2019 event was sold out due to being Tiger Woods ' first professional appearance in Mexico. The 2021 event was originally scheduled to take place again in Mexico, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the event was moved to Florida in January 2021. On February 16, it

4042-653: The PGA Tour. Between 2000 and 2006, the men's World Cup was accorded WGC status. The WGC Champions , first held in 2005, was awarded World Golf Championships status starting with the 2009 edition, becoming the fourth WGC tournament on the worldwide calendar. In April 2011, the Sunshine Tour announced that it would host a fifth WGC event. The event, to be known as the Tournament of Hope , was to be linked to awareness of poverty and HIV/AIDS in Africa. In early 2012 it

4136-514: The TAG Heuer Professional Golf Watch won the prestigious iF product design award in the Leisure/Lifestyle category. Woods also endorsed the Tiger Woods PGA Tour series of video games; he has done so since 1999. In 2006, he signed a six-year contract with Electronic Arts , the series' publisher. In February 2007, Woods, Roger Federer , and Thierry Henry became ambassadors for the " Gillette Champions" marketing campaign. Gillette did not disclose financial terms, though an expert estimated

4230-405: The WGC Invitational is the direct successor of the World Series of Golf , which began in 1976 and the WGC Match Play is a direct successor to the Andersen Consulting World Championship of Golf which began in 1995. The WGC Championship originally traveled to different venues around the world. After 2006 it found a home at Doral Resort in Florida superseding the Doral Open , a long-standing event on

4324-662: The World Golf Championships. The tournament consisted of a field of 72 players filled based upon the following criteria: The tournament was a 72-hole stroke play event with no cut. If there was a tie after 72 holes, there was a sudden death playoff to decide a winner. Only three playoffs occurred in the tournament's history; in 1999, 2005 and 2018; Tiger Woods being involved in two of them. Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records. Source: 19°25′52″N 99°14′38″W  /  19.431°N 99.244°W  / 19.431; -99.244 World Golf Championships The WGC tournaments offered comparable prize money to

4418-403: The Year more than once. Since his record-breaking win at the 1997 Masters , Woods has been the biggest name in golf and his presence in tournaments has drawn a huge fan following. Some sources have credited him for dramatically increasing prize money in golf, generating interest in new PGA tournament audiences, and for drawing the largest TV ratings in golf history. His recognition as one of

4512-408: The age of 20. By the end of April 1997, he had won three PGA Tour events in addition to his first major, the 1997 Masters , which he won by 12 strokes in a record-breaking performance. He reached number one in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in June 1997, less than a year after turning pro. Throughout the first decade of the 21st century, Woods was the dominant force in golf. He

4606-402: The bottom of the leaderboard both times. He finished tied for 18th at the Quicken Loans National on August 2. In late August 2015, Woods played quite well at the Wyndham Championship finishing the tournament at 13-under, only four strokes behind the winner, and tied for 10th place. Woods offered only a brief comment on the speculation that he was still recovering from back surgery , saying it

4700-529: The cut and finished in 47th place at 13-over par, 23 shots behind the winner Scottie Scheffler . In August 2022, Woods, Rory McIlroy , Mike McCarley , and the PGA Tour announced the formation of TGL , a six-team virtual golfing league. In November 2023, Woods revealed himself as an co-owner and player for Jupiter Links Golf Club , founded with investments by David Blitzer . On August 20, 2007, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife Maria Shriver announced that Woods would be inducted into

4794-410: The cut. He next played at The Open Championship , contested at Hoylake, where Woods had won eight years prior. Woods fired a brilliant 69 in the first round to put himself in contention, but shot 77 on Friday and eventually finished 69th. Despite his back pain, he played at the 2014 PGA Championship where he failed to make the cut. On August 25, 2014, Woods and his swing coach Sean Foley parted ways. In

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4888-490: The deal could total between $ 10 million and $ 20 million. In October 2007, Gatorade announced that Woods would have his own brand of sports drink starting in March 2008. "Gatorade Tiger" was his first U.S. deal with a beverage company and his first licensing agreement. Although no figures were officially disclosed, Golfweek magazine reported that it was for five years and could pay him as much as $ 100 million. The company decided in early fall 2009 to discontinue

4982-430: The event was historically held after this date it would have meant that it would not have formed part of the PGA Tour regular season unless it was moved. The event was reinvented with a new sponsor ( CA, Inc , and later Cadillac ), a new hosting month (March), and a new permanent host ( Doral, Florida ). The decision to host on the Blue Monster course at Doral Golf Resort brought to an end the Ford Championship at Doral ,

5076-401: The event, notching his fourth win of the 2013 season. It was the quickest he got to four wins in any season of his professional career. Woods had a poor showing at the 2013 U.S. Open as a result of an elbow injury that he sustained at The Players Championship . In finishing at 13-over-par, he recorded his worst score as a professional and finished 12 strokes behind winner Justin Rose . After

5170-414: The final round, he was paired with pro John Daly , who was then relatively unknown. The event's format placed a professional with each group of juniors who had qualified. Daly birdied three of the last four holes to beat him by only one stroke. As a young teenager, Woods first met Jack Nicklaus in Los Angeles at the Bel-Air Country Club , when Nicklaus was performing a clinic for the club's members. Woods

5264-400: The four years under Foley, he won eight times but no majors. He had previously won eight majors with Harmon and six with Haney. Woods said there was currently no timetable to find a replacement swing coach. On February 5, 2015, Woods withdrew from the Farmers Insurance Open after another back injury. Woods stated on his website that it was unrelated to his previous surgery and he would take

5358-553: The greatest total number of weeks of any golfer in history. He has been awarded PGA Player of the Year a record 11 times and has won the Byron Nelson Award for lowest adjusted scoring average a record eight times. Woods has the record of leading the money list in ten different seasons. He has won 15 professional major golf championships (trailing only Jack Nicklaus , who leads with 18) and 82 PGA Tour events (tied for first all time with Sam Snead ). Woods leads all active golfers in career major wins and career PGA Tour wins. Woods

5452-463: The highest for any professional golf tournament. Winners generally receive 70 to 78 Official World Golf Rankings points, the most awarded for any tournament apart from the major championships, which carry 100 points, and The Players Championship , which is allocated 80. Tiger Woods has dominated these tournaments, winning 16 of the first 32 individual (non-World Cup) events and winning at least one event each year from 1999 to 2009. From 2000 to 2006

5546-403: The list of the world's top 1,000 golfers. On his return to regular competition, Woods made steady progress to the top of the game, winning his first tournament in five years at the Tour Championship in September 2018 and his first major in 11 years at the 2019 Masters . Woods has held numerous golf records. He has been the number one player in the world for the most consecutive weeks and for

5640-413: The men's golf World Cup , a tournament for teams of two players representing their country, was a World Golf Championship event, although it was not an official money event on any tour. Beginning in 2007 it is no longer part of the World Golf Championships, but it is still played, and is currently known as the Mission Hills World Cup . Also from 2000 to 2006, two or three of the four events were staged in

5734-425: The most famous athletes in modern history includes being depicted in a wax sculpture at Madame Tussauds . During the first decade of his professional career, Woods was the world's most marketable athlete. Shortly after his 21st birthday in 1996, he signed endorsement deals with numerous companies, including General Motors , Titleist , General Mills , American Express , Accenture , and Nike . In 2000, he signed

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5828-400: The most lucrative endorsement contracts in golf history at that time. Woods was named Sports Illustrated ' s 1996 Sportsman of the Year and PGA Tour Rookie of the Year . On April 13, 1997, he won his first major , the Masters , in record-breaking fashion and became the tournament's youngest winner at age 21. Two months later, he set the record for the fastest ascent to No. 1 in

5922-404: The most victories all time on the PGA Tour. In December 2020, Woods had microdiscectomy surgery on his back for the fifth time. The operation was to remove a pressurized disc fragment that was pinching his nerve and causing him pain during the PNC Championship. Woods returned to play in his first professional tournament since his 2021 motor vehicle crash at the 2022 Masters Tournament . He made

6016-556: The move as being driven by sponsors and the PGA Tour wanting to distance themselves from controversy. It was also an opportunity to counter criticism that not enough World Golf Championship events were held outside the United States. The Club de Golf Chapultepec is a tree-lined parkland course with tight fairways and undulating terrain, built approximately 1.36 miles (more than 7,800 feet) above sea level, which results in much longer ball flights than other golf events. In 2017 and 2018 it continued to be held in March, which meant it interrupted

6110-412: The position. In August, Woods hired Sean Foley as Haney's replacement. The rest of the season went badly for Woods, who failed to win a single event for the first time since turning professional, while nevertheless finishing the season ranked No. 2 in the world. In 2011, Woods's performance continued to suffer; this took its toll on his ranking. After falling to No. 7 in March, he rebounded to No. 5 with

6204-448: The remainder of the season due to additional knee surgery, and that his knee was more severely damaged than previously revealed, prompting even greater praise for his U.S. Open performance. Woods called it "my greatest ever championship." In Woods's absence, television ratings for the remainder of the season suffered a huge decline from 2007. Woods had a much anticipated return to golf in 2009, when he performed well. His comeback included

6298-448: The rest of the year without playing any professional golf. Woods returned to competitive golf at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. He shot rounds of 69–68–75–68 and finished tied for 9th place. His world ranking went from 1,199th to 668th, which was the biggest jump in the world rankings in his career. On March 11, 2018, he finished one-shot back and tied for second at the Valspar Championship in Florida, his first top-five finish on

6392-466: The second oldest golfer ever to win the Masters, after Jack Nicklaus who was 46 when he triumphed in 1986. In August 2019, Woods announced via social media that he underwent knee surgery to repair minor cartilage damage and that he had an arthroscopic procedure during the Tour Championship. In his statement, Woods also confirmed that he was walking and intends on traveling and playing in Japan in October. Woods played in his first 2020 PGA Tour event at

6486-455: The seventh time he won the event. In March, he won the WGC-Cadillac Championship , also for the seventh time, giving him his 17th WGC title and first since 2009. Two weeks later, he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational , winning the event for a record-tying 8th time. The win moved him back to the top of the world rankings. To commemorate that achievement, Nike was quick to launch an ad with the tagline "winning takes care of everything". During

6580-455: The silver medal as leading amateur at The Open Championship , he tied the record for an amateur aggregate score of 281. He left college after two years in order to turn professional in the golf industry. In 1996, Woods moved out of California, stating in 2013 that it was due to the state's high tax rate. Woods turned professional at age 20 in August 1996 and immediately signed advertising deals with Nike, Inc. and Titleist that ranked as

6674-409: The time the publicity spoke of a "World Tour" which might develop on the basis of the World Championships and the majors. The "World Tour" concept seems to have been dropped, but the four events usually attract almost all of the elite players who are eligible to compete and they rank among the most prestigious and high-profile events outside of the majors. The prize money on offer is very close to being

6768-425: The time, Elin . Woods admitted to multiple marital infidelities, and the couple eventually divorced. He fell to number 58 in the world rankings in November 2011 before ascending again to the number-one ranking between March 2013 and May 2014. However, injuries led him to undergo four back surgeries between 2014 and 2017. Woods competed in only one tournament between August 2015 and January 2018, and he dropped off

6862-463: The top spot in July after swapping it back and forth with Singh over the first half of the year. Woods began dominantly in 2006, winning his first two PGA tournaments but failing to capture his fifth Masters championship in April. Following the death of his father in May, Woods took some time off from the tour and appeared rusty upon his return at the U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club , where he missed

6956-410: The tour. Woods returned for the 2008 U.S. Open , where he struggled the first day but ultimately claimed a dramatic sudden death victory over Rocco Mediate that followed an 18-hole playoff, after which Mediate said, "This guy does things that are just not normal by any stretch of the imagination," and Kenny Perry added, "He beat everybody on one leg." Two days later, Woods announced that he would miss

7050-552: The youngest golfer to achieve the Career Grand Slam . At the end of 2000, Woods had won nine of the twenty PGA Tour events he entered and had broken the record for lowest scoring average in tour history. He was named the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, the only athlete to be honored twice, and was ranked by Golf Digest magazine as the twelfth-best golfer of all time. When Woods won

7144-452: Was "just my hip" but offering no specifics. Woods had back surgery on September 16, 2015. In late March 2016, he announced that he would miss the Masters while he recovered from the surgery; he had also missed the 2014 Masters due to a back problem. "I'm absolutely making progress, and I'm really happy with how far I've come," he explained in a statement. "But I still have no timetable to return to competitive golf." However, he did attend

7238-407: Was a member of the American team at the 1994 Eisenhower Trophy World Amateur Golf Team Championships (winning), and the 1995 Walker Cup (losing). Woods graduated from Western High School at age 18 in 1994 and was voted "Most Likely to Succeed" among the graduating class. He starred for the high school's golf team under coach Don Crosby. Woods learned to manage his stuttering as a boy. This

7332-682: Was a member of the military and had playing privileges at the Navy golf course beside the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos , which allowed Tiger to play there. Tiger also played at the par 3 Heartwell golf course in Long Beach , as well as some of the municipals in Long Beach. In 1978, Woods putted against comedian Bob Hope in a television appearance on The Mike Douglas Show . At age three, he shot

7426-693: Was a retired U.S. Army officer and Vietnam War veteran. Earl was born to African-American parents and was also said to have had European and Native American descent. Kultida (née Punsawad) is originally from Thailand , where Earl met her when he was on a tour of duty there in 1968. She is of mixed Thai, Chinese, and Dutch ancestry. In 2002, ESPN claimed: "For the record, he is one-quarter Thai, one-quarter Chinese, one-quarter African American, one-eighth Caucasian and one-eighth Native American." Tiger has described his ethnic make-up as " Cablinasian " (a syllabic abbreviation he coined from Caucasian, Black, American Indian, and Asian). Woods's first name, Eldrick,

7520-595: Was announced Workday, Inc. would become the new title sponsor. Collin Morikawa won the 2021 event by three strokes ahead of Billy Horschel , Viktor Hovland and Brooks Koepka . In August 2021, the PGA Tour released its schedule for the 2021–22 season . It was confirmed that the Mexico Championship (WGC Championship) and the FedEx St. Jude Invitational ( WGC Invitational ) would no longer be part of

7614-428: Was announced that the tournament would be played in 2013; later in 2012 it was announced that the tournament would not be a WGC event, but ultimately the tournament never took place. The WGC concept was introduced to create a larger group of golf tournaments with a high global profile by bringing the leading golfers from different tours together on a more regular basis, rather than just for the major championships . At

7708-488: Was broken by Jim Liu in 2010. He was named 1991's Southern California Amateur Player of the Year (for the second consecutive year) and Golf Digest Junior Amateur Player of the Year. In 1992, he defended his title at the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, becoming the tournament's first two-time winner. He also competed in his first PGA Tour event, the Nissan Los Angeles Open (he missed the 36-hole cut), and

7802-506: Was chosen by his mother because it began with "E" (for Earl) and ended with "K" (for Kultida). His middle name Tont is a traditional Thai name. He was nicknamed Tiger in honor of his father's friend, South Vietnamese Colonel Vuong Dang Phong, who had also been known as Tiger. Woods has a niece, Cheyenne Woods , who played for the Wake Forest University golf team and turned professional in 2012 when she made her pro debut in

7896-837: Was due to be held in Missouri , but was cancelled following the September 11 attacks in New York . The remaining five events were held in late September / early October, twice in Ireland and the United States , and once in England . The event was dominated by Tiger Woods who won five of the first seven editions. In 2007 the PGA Tour introduced the FedEx Cup , and moved the Tour Championship forward to mid September. As

7990-402: Was in contention, making 2013 his fifth full season where he did not win a major; he was in contention in only two of the four majors in 2013. After a slow start to 2014, Woods sustained an injury during the final round of The Honda Classic and was unable to finish the tournament. He withdrew after the 13th hole, citing back pain. He subsequently competed in the WGC-Cadillac Championship but

8084-430: Was involved in every aspect of the launch of Buick 's Rendezvous SUV . A company spokesman stated that Buick was happy with the value of Woods's endorsement, pointing out that more than 130,000 Rendezvous vehicles were sold in 2002 and 2003. "That exceeded our forecasts," he was quoted as saying, "It has to be in recognition of Tiger." In February 2004, Buick renewed Woods's endorsement contract for another five years, in

8178-463: Was named Golf Digest Amateur Player of the Year, Golf World Player of the Year, and Golfweek National Amateur of the Year. The following year, Woods won his third consecutive U.S. Junior Amateur; he remains the event's only three-time winner. In 1994, at the TPC at Sawgrass in Florida, he became the youngest winner of the U.S. Amateur , a record he held until 2008 when it was broken by Danny Lee . He

8272-835: Was not held between 2020 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic , and the Match Play will cease following the 2023 edition. The winners receive Wedgwood trophies named for a golf legend. The HSBC Champions features the Old Tom Morris Cup; the Dell Match Play Championship, the Walter Hagen Cup; the Mexico Championship, the Gene Sarazen Cup; and the Fedex St. Jude Invitational, the Gary Player Cup. Dustin Johnson

8366-436: Was not widely known until he wrote a letter to a boy who contemplated suicide. Woods wrote, "I know what it's like to be different and to sometimes not fit in. I also stuttered as a child and I would talk to my dog and he would sit there and listen until he fell asleep. I also took a class for two years to help me, and I finally learned to stop." Woods was heavily recruited by college golf powers. He chose Stanford University ,

8460-460: Was part of the show, and he impressed Nicklaus and the crowd with his skills and potential. Earl Woods had researched in detail the career accomplishments of Nicklaus and had set his young son the goals of breaking those records. Woods was 15 years old and a student at Western High School in Anaheim when he became the youngest U.S. Junior Amateur champion; this was a record that stood until it

8554-468: Was the top-ranked golfer in the world from August 1999 to September 2004 (264 consecutive weeks) and again from June 2005 to October 2010 (281 consecutive weeks). During this time, he won 13 of golf's major championships. The next decade of Woods's career was marked by comebacks from personal problems and injuries. He took a self-imposed hiatus from professional golf from December 2009 to early April 2010 in an attempt to resolve marital issues with his wife at

8648-510: Was visibly in pain during much of the last round. He was forced to skip the Arnold Palmer Invitational at the end of March 2014, and after undergoing back surgery , he announced on April 1 that he would miss the Masters for the first time since 1994. Woods returned at the Quicken Loans National in June, however he said that his expectations for the week were low. He struggled with nearly every aspect of his game and missed

8742-488: Was voted Pac-10 Player of the Year, NCAA First Team All-American, and Stanford's Male Freshman of the Year (an award that encompasses all sports). At age 19, Woods participated in his first PGA Tour major, the 1995 Masters , and tied for 41st as the only amateur to make the cut. At age 20 in 1996, he became the first golfer to win three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles and won the NCAA individual golf championship . In winning

8836-597: Was wrong and I was foolish." During this period, several companies ended their endorsement deals with Woods. Woods returned to competition in April at the 2010 Masters , where he finished tied for fourth place. He followed the Masters with poor showings at the Quail Hollow Championship and the Players Championship, where he withdrew in the fourth round, citing injury. Shortly afterward, Hank Haney , Woods's coach since 2003, resigned

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