Eldrick Woods, better known as Tiger Woods, began his career in the Professional Golfers' Association of America in 1996. Shortly thereafter, at age 21, he became the youngest golf professional to win the Masters. He also set numerous earnings records, voted PGA Player of the Year and AP Male Athlete of the Year multiple times and won four Masters, 14 major titles and 50 wins, surpassing Jack Nicklaus' record by three years.
Childhood
Born Dec. 30, 1975 in Cypress, California, Eldrick Woods was born to Earl and Kultida Woods. In honor of an old Army soldier and close friend, Earl gave his son the nickname "Tiger." At 6 months, Tiger began to mimic his father, who enjoyed hitting golf balls into a net. By age 3, Tiger played an impressive game at the Navy Golf Club in California, making 48 shots over nine holes. He made special appearances on television shows such as "Good Morning America," the "Mike Douglas Show" and "That's Incredible." At age 9, he won the first of many Optimist International Junior Championships. By age 15, Tiger became the youngest U.S. Junior Amateur player in golf history.
Young Adult
Tiger continued to win numerous amateur golf championships and garnered attention from fellow professional golfers, fans of golf and the media. He attended Stanford University, where he was lured away from finishing his degree by lucrative professional contracts and endorsement deals. In 1996, Tiger decided to play professional golf. Since he was better known by his moniker, he also legally changed his name from Eldrick to Tiger on his 21st birthday. He then went on to win three professional golf tournaments and was named "Sports Illustrated" Player of the Year.
Professional Career
As soon as Tiger turned pro, he signed a $40 million endorsement deal with Nike. Tiger also signed a $20 million endorsement deal with Titleist. He went on to win impressive amounts of prize money, earning more than $40 million in career earnings. He won many golf invitationals, championships and other events including the World Golf Championship, the Masters and the U.S. Open and was named PGA Player of the Year multiple times. By age 30, Tiger surpassed previous records set by golf greats such as Jack Nicklaus by earning 14 major titles and 50 wins. As his professional career progressed, Tiger experienced a series of knee injuries. Ignoring doctors orders, he went on to play and win the 2008 U.S. Open. As a result, he went on to further injure his knee as well as fracture his tibia. He took a one-year hiatus to focus on his health as well as spend time with his growing family.
Personal Life
In 2004, Tiger married Swedish model Elin Nordegren. A few years later, Tiger's father and mentor succumbed to his battle against cancer. In mourning, Tiger pulled out of golf tournaments for some time but then turned around and won the British and Buick Open. In 2007, his wife gave birth to their first child, a daughter. In 2009, Tiger and Elin welcomed a son. That year also marked a dark period in Tiger's personal life as word of an affair between Tiger and a nightclub manager began to spread. As the public and media demanded more information, Tiger secluded himself in privacy and dropped out of all major tournaments in 2009. Soon, more than a dozen women claimed to have had an affair with Tiger. As a result of his transgressions, Tiger took a break from golf to help mend his family. Many endorsement deals with companies such as Accenture and Gillette were dropped. Elin filed for divorce, which was granted in August 2010. She is said to receive $100 million from Tiger.
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