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By Jack Bantock, CNN
3 minute read
Published 6:23 AM EDT, Wed April 10, 2024
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Tiger Woods reacts after winning the Masters golf tournament in April 2019. It was his 15th major title and his first since 2008.
Woods had his first brush with fame when he was just 2 years old. The young golfing prodigy appeared on "The Mike Douglas Show" in 1978, winning a putting contest with comedian Bob Hope.
Woods, 6, sizes up a putt in Los Alamitos, California, in 1982. His real name is Eldrick, but his father nicknamed him "Tiger" after a South Vietnamese soldier he fought alongside with during the Vietnam War.
Woods and his father, Earl, celebrate after a 15-year-old Tiger won the US Junior Amateur Championship in 1991. He won the event in 1992 and 1993 as well.
Woods, 16, tees off at the Los Angeles Open in 1992. That was his first taste of PGA Tour competition, albeit as an amateur. He missed the 36-hole cut.
Woods played for the United States during the World Amateur Team Cup, which took place in France in 1994.
Woods hits a tee shot during the 1995 Walker Cup, an international team event.
Woods talks to the media after winning his third-straight US Amateur in 1996. Throughout his life, Woods has worn red on the final day of a big tournament.
Woods played two years of college golf at Stanford University. He won the NCAA individual golf title in 1996.
Woods turned professional in August 1996, and it didn't take long for him to win his first tournament. Six weeks after he announced he was going pro — with a famous "Hello, world" ad campaign for Nike — Woods won the Las Vegas Invitational. That earned him this big check, a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour and a spot in the following year's Masters tournament.
Woods made history at the 1997 Masters, blowing away the field by 12 strokes to win his first major. At the time, it was also a record-low Masters score of 18 under par.
Woods hugs his father, Earl, after winning the 1997 Masters. Earl, a former Green Beret, was widely credited with developing his son's prodigious talent and pushing him to be 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 by 15 shots, a record for any major. It was Woods' third major title by this point; he had also won the 1999 PGA Championship.
A month after the US Open, Woods won the 2000 British Open at the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland. That gave him the career Grand Slam — a win in each of the four different majors — at the age of 24.
Woods chips out of the rough at the 2000 PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky. Throughout his career, Woods has always had the largest galleries, with thousands of people flocking from hole to hole to watch him play. He's also been credited with bringing in millions of new fans to the sport.
Woods reacts as he sinks a putt during a playoff at the 2000 PGA Championship. Woods defeated Bob May in the playoff to win his third straight major.
Fans watch Woods tee off on the 18th hole at the 2001 Masters. Woods went on to win the event and complete what's now called the Tiger Slam — four consecutive major titles.
Woods chats with golf legend Jack Nicklaus at the Memorial tournament in June 2001. The two are widely considered to be the two greatest golfers in history, and only Nicklaus has won more major titles than Woods.
Woods arrives in a military vehicle before a golf exhibition in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in 2004. Woods spent the week training with Army troops before hosting a junior golf clinic for his Tiger Woods Foundation. Woods' father, Earl, was stationed at the base in the 1960s.
Woods and Phil Mickelson line up their putts during the final round of the Ford Championship in March 2005. For much of Woods' career, Mickelson was considered his biggest rival.
Woods celebrates with his caddie, Steve Williams, after his famous chip-in at the 2005 Masters. Woods went on to win his fourth green jacket.
Woods hugs Williams after winning the British Open in Hoylake, England in 2006. It was Woods' first major win since the death of his father just a couple of months earlier.
Woods stands with his mother, Kultida, and his 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 fractured tibia and a torn ligament in his knee, but he gutted out a playoff win over Rocco Mediate at the 2008 US Open. It was his third US Open win and his 14th major title.
President Barack Obama hosted Woods in the White House Oval Office in April 2009.
Woods hits a shot during a PGA Championship practice round in August 2009.
Woods holds his daughter, Sam, as he and his wife, Elin, attend a Stanford football game in November 2009. Woods married Elin, a model, in 2004. The couple also have a son, Charlie.
Woods approaches a lectern before giving a televised statement in February 2010. Woods apologized for being unfaithful to his wife and letting down both fans and family. "I had affairs, I cheated," he said. "What I did was not acceptable, and I am the only person to blame." It was his first public appearance since being hospitalized a couple months earlier following a car crash outside his home. Woods said he was in therapy for "issues," which he did not explain. He and his wife divorced in August 2010.
Woods plays virtual golf with talk-show host Jimmy Fallon in 2011.
Woods jokes with golf great Arnold Palmer after winning the Bay Hill Invitational in March 2013 and regaining his spot as the world's top-ranked golfer.
Woods falls to the ground in pain after hitting a shot at The Barclays in August 2013. A few months later, he would undergo back surgery for a pinched nerve.
From left, Woods, Jason Dufner and Mickelson hang out at the Muirfield Village Golf Club, where the Presidents Cup was taking place in Dublin, Ohio, in October 2013.
Woods kisses his then-girlfriend, skiing superstar Lindsey Vonn, at an event in Beaver Creek, Colorado, in 2015. The two dated for a couple of years.
In 2017, Woods was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. Woods, who was rehabbing from another back surgery, said in a statement that he had "an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications" and that alcohol was not involved. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving and went on probation.
Woods is trailed by jubilant fans during the final round of the Tour Championship in Atlanta in 2018. It was his first PGA Tour victory since 2013.
President Donald Trump presents Woods with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, in May 2019. It was just a month after Woods won his fifth Masters and 15th major. Trump hailed Woods as a "global symbol of American excellence" and congratulated him on his "amazing comeback."
Woods captained the US team to a Presidents Cup win in December 2019.
Woods putts during the second round of the Masters in November 2020.
Woods and his son, Charlie, warm up before the final round of the PNC Championship in December 2020. Videos of Charlie's impressive swing, a swing that looks much like his father's, went viral on social media.
Law enforcement officers investigate the scene of Woods' rollover crash in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, in February 2021. Woods suffered serious leg injuries in the one-car accident and had to be pulled from his vehicle by emergency responders.
Woods plays a shot at the PNC Championship as his son, Charlie, watches in December 2021. It was Tiger's first time competing since the car crash, and he used a golf cart to get around the course. He and Charlie finished in second place. "I'm a long way away from playing tournament golf," Tiger said. "This is hit, hop in a cart."
Woods attends the trophy ceremony for the Genesis Invitational, which he hosted in Pacific Palisades, California, in February 2022. A year after his crash, he said he still hoped for a return to the PGA Tour but said he was "frustrated" with the timeline of his recovery. He spoke of his intention to return to competitive golf while conceding he won't be able to play a full tour schedule.
Woods and his mother, Kultida, pose for photos during his induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame in March 2022. "I had unbelievable parents, mentors, friends who supported me in the darkest of times and celebrated the highest of times," he said in his acceptance speech. "All of you allowed me to get here, and I want to say thank you very much from the bottom of my heart."
Woods hits a tee shot at the Masters as he made his return to competitive golf in April 2022. He finished his first round with a 1-under-par 71.
In pictures: Golf icon Tiger Woods
CNN —
These days, Tiger Woods merely being among the field at The Masters is a story in itself, but the five-time champion insists he’s not returning to Augusta National to make up the numbers – he’s playing to win.
The 48-year-old will tee up for the 26th time at the 88th edition of the prestigious tournament on Thursday, marking only his second competitive appearance of the season and his first major start since last year’s event in Georgia.
There, Woods withdrew during his third round after much limping, a painfully familiar sight in the 15-time major champion’s sporadic tournament appearances since suffering serious leg injuries in a 2021 car crash.
Doubts swirled as to whether he had played his final Masters – even Woods suggested it before the tournament began – but one year on, he is back and eyeing up Jack Nicklaus’ all-time record of six green jackets.
“If everything comes together, I think I can get one more. Do I need to describe that any more than that, or are we good?” Woods, smiling, told reporters Tuesday.
“I still think that I can [win],” he added. “I haven’t got to that point where I don’t think I can’t.”
One more Masters win would see Woods (pictured, 2000) tie Nicklaus (right) with six wins at Augusta National.
To say it would be a shock victory would be something of an understatement. Despite Woods’ strong claim to being the greatest to ever swing a club, his recent injuries see the world No. 959 arrive in Augusta as a rank outsider in a star-studded 89-player field.
His bookmaker’s odds dwarf those of world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, a favorite for many given his scintillating form, defending champion Jon Rahm, grand slam chasing Rory McIlroy and a host of other stars who have accumulated a flurry of titles since Woods last won in October 2019. Six months earlier, he had ended an 11-year-wait for his 15th major title at Augusta National.
Earlier this week, one longtime friend expressed apprehensions over the 82-time PGA Tour winner’s ability to navigate the fabled course’s hilly terrain – concerns Wood did little to quell Tuesday.
“I hurt every day … I ache every day,” he admitted, adding that he would be playing with painkillers.
“As far as my physicality on certain shots, every shot that’s not on a tee box is a challenge,” continued Woods, who underwent surgery to fuse his ankle following last year’s withdrawal.
“The ankle doesn’t hurt anymore … so that’s fine. It’s other parts of my body that now have to take the brunt of it … the back, the knee, other parts of the body … and just the endurance capability of walking a long time and being on my feet for a long time.”
Woods visibly struggled with movement at last year's tournament.
Even if he doesn’t win come Sunday, Woods will make history simply by making it to the weekend.
Woods has made the cut in 23 consecutive starts at Augusta National, a record he shares with Fred Couples and Gary Player. Despite boasting a career measured almost exclusively in silverware, Woods would be proud to set a new benchmark for reliability.
“It’s consistency, it’s longevity, and it’s an understanding of how to play this golf course,” he said.
“That’s one of the reasons why you see players that are in their 50’s and 60’s make cuts here, or it’s players in their late 40s have runs at winning the event, just the understanding of how to play it.”
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