Tiger Woods is the most renowned name in the field of golf. An American professional golfer, he today boasts of being the number one golf player in the world. Tiger Woods was born as Eldrick Tiger Woods on 30th December 1975, in Cypress (California), to Earl Woods and Kultida Woods. His father was a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel. The only child of his parents, he has two half-brothers, Earl Jr. (born 1955) and Kevin, and one half-sister, Royce (from his father’s first marriage).
He is a Buddhist by religion, the faith adopted from his mother. Tiger Woods got the nickname of Tiger from Vuong Dang Phong, his father’s friend. With time, he started being known by the name ‘Tiger’ and in 1996; he changed his name legally from Eldrick to Tiger. He spent his growing up years in Orange County and went to Western High (Anaheim) for high school. He won the first tournament of his life ‘Optimist International Junior Championship’ in 1984 and from then onwards, started his journey to be the No. 1 golf player in the world.
In 1996, Tiger Woods turned pro and in 1997, at the age of 21-plus, he won his first major championship, The Masters. The same year, he bagged the title of the ‘PGA Player of the Year’ for the first time. In 1998, he attained the position of the No. 1 Golf Player in the world the first time. Tiger Woods got engaged to Elin Nordegren, a Swedish model, in the year 2003 and in October 2004, he married her at Sandy Lane resort on the Caribbean island of Barbados. In June 2007, he became the proud father of a small girl, whom he named Sam Alexis Woods.
Tiger Woods Facts
1975 - Born Eldrick T. Woods on 30th December in Cypress, California
1976 - Imitates his father’s swing at the age of 6 months
1978 - Comes on the Mike Douglas Show and putts against Bob Hope
1979 - Shoots a 48 over nine holes at the Navy Golf Club in Cypress, Calif
1984 - Wins Optimist International Junior Championship for the first time
1991 - Becomes youngest U.S. Junior Amateur Champion
Voted Southern California ‘Amateur Player of the Year’
Voted Golf Digest ‘Amateur Player of the Year’
1992 - Wins U.S. Junior National Championships for the first time
Competes in his first PGA Tour event, the Nissan Los Angeles Open
1994 - Wins U.S. Amateur Championship at the TPC at Sawgrass and becomes
the youngest winner ever
1995 - Wins U.S. Amateur Championship
Voted Pac-10 ‘Player of the Year’
Participates in the Masters, his first PGA major tournament and comes 41st (the only amateur to make the cut)
1996 - Becomes first golfer to win three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles
Wins NCAA Individual Men's Championship
Ties British Open, record for an amateur
Turns pro in August
Signs endorsement deals worth $40 million from Nike & $20 million from Titleist
Voted Sports Illustrated ‘Sportsman of the Year’
1997 - Wins first major championship, The Masters, being the youngest winner
Wins three other PGA events
Achieves No. 1 world ranking in his 42nd week as a Pro
Voted PGA Player of the Year
1998 - Wins one official PGA event (BellSouth Classic)
Closes the year with a No. 1 world ranking
1999 - Wins second PGA major title
Records eight PGA victories overall
Defeats David Duval at the Showdown at Sherwood
Voted PGA Player of the Year and AP Male Athlete of the Year
2000 - Wins Mercedes Championship and AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
Wins U.S. Open at Pebble Beach
Breaks or ties a total of nine records at the U.S. Open
Wins the British Open
Wins PGA Championship
2001 - Wins the Masters tournament
Wins five overall PGA events
Voted PGA Player of the Year
2002 - Wins the Masters tournament
Wins PGA major
Wins U.S. Open at Bethpage Black
2004 - Marries Elin Nordegren, a Swedish model
2005 - Wins Buick Invitational
Wins the Masters tournament
Wins the British Open
2006 - Wins Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines
Loses his father to cancer
Wins the British Open
Wins the Buick Open
Wins PGA Championship
2007 - Wins PGA Championship
Become the proud father of a beautiful girl, Sam Alexis Woods
Source : lifestyle.iloveindia.com
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