Woods, 6, was the size of a pot in Los Alamitos, California in 1982. His real name is Eldrick, but his father nicknamed him “Tiger” after a South Vietnamese soldier he fought with during his time there. Vietnam War. Woods and his father, Earl, are celebrating after a 15-year-old Tiger won the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship in 1991. He won the tournament in 1992 and 1993 as well. Woods, 16, rushed to the Los Angeles Open in 1992. This was his first taste of the PGA Tour, albeit as an amateur. He lost the cut of 36 holes. Woods played for the United States during the Amateur World Cup, which took place in France in 1994. Woods hits a T-shirt during the 1995 Walker Cup, an international team match. Woods speaks to the media after winning his third US Amateur Series in 1996. Throughout his life, Woods wore red on the final day of a major tournament. Woods played two years of college golf at Stanford University. He won the NCAA Individual Golf Championship in 1996. Woods became a professional in August 1996 and it was not long before he won his first tournament. Six weeks after announcing he would become a professional – with a popular “Hello, world” Nike advertising campaign – Woods won the Las Vegas Invitational. That gave him this big check, a two-year exception to the PGA Tour and a place in next year’s Masters. Woods made history at the 1997 Masters, losing the field by 12 touches to win his first big. At the time, it was also a record low Masters 18 score below par. Woods hugs his father, Earl, after winning the 1997 Masters. Earl, a former Green Bereto, was widely credited with developing his son’s great talent and pushing him to become the ultimate competitor. Woods arrives at an airport in Hamburg, Germany in May 2000. Woods plays a shot from the ninth Fairway during the 2000 US Open in Pebble Beach, California. Woods won the tournament with 15 shots, a record for any major. It was Woods’s third major title at this point. had also won the PGA Championship in 1999. One month after the US Open, Woods won the British Open in 2000 at the Old Course in St. Louis. Andrews of Scotland. That gave him the career Grand Slam – a victory in each of the four different big companies – at the age of 24. Woods came out on top at the 2000 PGA Championships in Louisville, Kentucky. Throughout his career, Woods has always had the biggest galleries, with thousands of people flocking from hole to hole to watch him play. It has also been credited with bringing millions of new fans to the sport. Woods reacts as he sinks a putt during a playoff game in the 2000 PGA Championship. Woods defeated Bob May in the playoffs to beat his third consecutive big team. Fans watch Woods climb to the 18th hole in the 2001 Masters. Woods won the tournament and completed what is now called the Tiger Slam – four consecutive major titles. Woods talks to golf legend Jack Nicklaus at the Memorial tournament in June 2001. The two are widely regarded as the two best golfers in history and only Nicklaus has won more major titles than Woods. Woods arrives in a military vehicle before a golf fair in Fort Bragg, North Carolina in 2004. Woods spent a week training with Army troops before hosting a golf clinic for the Tiger Woods Foundation. Woods’s father, Earl, was stationed at the base in the 1960s. Woods and Phil Mickelson rolled their backs during the final round of the Ford Championship in March 2005. For much of Woods’s career, Mickelson was considered his greatest opponent. Woods is celebrating with his partner, Steve Williams, after his famous chip-in at the 2005 Masters. Woods won his fourth green jacket. Woods hugs Williams after winning the British Open in Hoylake, England in 2006. It was Woods’ first major victory since his father’s death just months earlier. Woods stands with his mother, Kultida, and daughter, Sam, as a statue of him and his father is unveiled at the Tiger Woods Learning Center in Anaheim, California, in January 2008. Woods had a broken tibia and a torn ligament in his knee, but cut short Rocco Mediat’s playoff win at the US Open in 2008. It was his third win at the US Open and his 14th major title. President Barack Obama hosted Woods at the White House Oval Office in April 2009. Woods hits a shot during a PGA Championship practice round in August 2009. Woods is holding his daughter, Sam, as he and his wife, Elin, watch a Stanford football game in November 2009. Woods married model Elin in 2004. The couple also have a son, Charlie. Woods plays virtual golf with talk show host Jimmy Fallon in 2011. Woods jokes with great golfer Arnold Palmer after winning the Bay Hill Invitational in March 2013 and regaining his place as the world’s top golfer. Woods fell to the ground in pain after being shot in The Barclays in August 2013. A few months later, he was undergoing back surgery for a bitten nerve. From left, Woods, Jason Dufner and Mickelson hang out at the Muirfield Village Golf Club, where the Presidents Cup took place in Dublin, Ohio, in October 2013. Woods kisses his then-girlfriend, ski superstar Lindsay Vaughn, at an event in Beaver Creek, Colorado, in 2015. The two have been dating for several years. Woods was the leader of the US team in winning the Presidential Cup in December 2019. Woods putts during the second round of the Masters in November 2020.
