15-time major champion who transformed golf globally.
Eldrick Tont Woods was born in Cypress, California in 1975, son of an African American Vietnam veteran and Thai mother, and entered golf as a child prodigy — shooting 48 for nine holes at age 3. He turned professional in 1996 after winning 3 consecutive US Amateur Championships. His 15 major championships — Masters (5), US Open (3), The Open Championship (3), PGA Championship (4) — are second only to Jack Nicklaus's 18 and were won across a career spanning 1997 to 2019. His 82 PGA Tour victories equal Sam Snead's all-time record. He has spent 683 weeks as world number one — the most in history by a distance, including a consecutive record of 281 weeks. His scoring average of 68.17 is the lowest sustained average in PGA Tour history. His 1997 Masters victory — by 12 shots at 21, setting the tournament record for lowest score — announced a dominance that would reshape golf. He held all 4 major titles simultaneously in 2000-01 — the Tiger Slam. His 2019 Masters victory — his 15th major, after 11 years without one, following spinal fusion surgery — is the greatest comeback in golf history. A serious car accident in February 2021 required reconstruction of his right leg; his return to competitive golf at the Masters was an act of extraordinary determination.
Dominant golf career with 15 major championships and record-breaking achievements
How They Played
Aggressive power game with exceptional short game and mental toughness
Lasting Impact
Transformed golf's global popularity and is widely considered one of the greatest golfers of all time
Masters 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2019
He appeared on The Mike Douglas Show demonstrating putting at age two.
Did You Know?Career Honours
- Masters 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2019
- US Open 2000, 2002, 2008
- The Open Championship 2000, 2005, 2006
- PGA Championship 1999, 2000, 2006, 2007
- PGA Tour Player of Year 11x
- PGA Tour Vardon Trophy 9x