Tiger Woods Facts You Didn’t See Coming
From child prodigy to one of the most successful golfers of all time, Tiger Woods is a walking legend. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Woods will forever be in the history books. When it comes to his personal life, things have been a bit bumpier though – from a nasty divorce to a very public arrest to a decline in world rankings, Woods has suffered plenty while enjoying the many pleasures life has to offer. But just what don’t we know about the all American athlete? You’d be surprised.
His Real Name
Eldrick Tont Woods. That is actually this great golfer’s real name! ‘Tiger’ is the nickname Woods got in honor of his father’s friend Col. Vuong Dang Phong. Phong has also been known as Tiger.
His Real Name
Like Father, Like Son
Before he was even two years old, Tiger’s dad introduced him to golf as he was amateur in the sport himself. Earl Woods quickly saw the potential his son had and heck, Tiger even went on to become a child prodigy. How little did either of them know just how much that introduction would change Tiger’s life.
Like Father Like Son
Bob Hope
In 1978, Tiger Woods made his first television appearance. I suppose we should mention that he was just two when he appeared on the television show! What an amazing accomplishment. He appeared on The Mike Douglas Show and putted against the comedian Bob Hope.
Bob Hope
Star In The Making
By the time Tiger was three years old, he shot a 48 over nine holes over the Cypress Navy course. At age five, he even appeared in Golf Digest and on ABC’s “That’s Incredible”. Things were looking beyond incredible for the young star. No one could fully grasp just how amazing of a golfer Tiger Woods would grow up to become.
Star In The Making
Not Even 7
He wasn’t even seven years old when he made yet another major impression on the public. Tiger took first place at the Under Age 10 section of the “Drive, Pitch, and Putt” competition at the Cypress Navy course, California. This kid was a whiz!
Not Even 7
Not Again
Earl, Tiger’s dad, wrote that his son first defeated him when he was 11 years old, and Earl was really trying his best. From that moment on, Earl lost to Tiger every single time. By then, Woods had won the Junior World Championships six times and that includes four consecutive wins from 1988 to 1991. At 15, he was the youngest U.S. Junior Amateur champion ever. This record stood until 2010, Jim Liu was the one to break it finally.
Not Again
Growing Fast
Tiger Woods was growing so fast that he couldn’t even keep the same size set of clubs. Between the ages of 16 and 17, he changed the length of his clubs on two separate occasions!
Growing Fast
Stanford
In 1994, Tiger Woods enrolled at Stanford University under a golf scholarship. The college lad chose economics as his major and wound up with the nickname of “Urkel” by his college teammate Notah Begay III. However, after two years at Stanford, Woods dropped out so that he could focus on his professional golfing career. We’re not saying that was the smartest decision, but he did accomplish incredible feats after that.
Stanford
Video Games
When it comes to his hand and finger control, Tiger Woods must have a secret for that success. And as it turns out, he does credit such skill to a particular thing – video games. Yup, Woods’ fine hand and finger control is all due to playing video games when he was young. Woods also said that the games taught him to overcome his fear of failure.
Video Games
Woods And EA Games
If there was ever a game more appropriate for Tiger Woods to play, it would have to be his own. EA Sports and Tiger Woods had a long-running history. EA created a video game dedicated to him, called, “Tiger Woods PGA Tour,” in 1998. This trend continued for years to come.
Woods And EA Games
I Apologize
In 1996, Tiger Woods was set to receive the award for top college golfer at a Stanford dinner. However, he skipped the event. Why we don’t know, but what we do know is that Woods personally wrote 200 letters to the guests apologizing for his not being there.
I Apologize
No, Thank You
While at a tournament in Thailand in 2000, Tiger was actually offered Thai citizenship. However, he very politely turned the offer down. Tiger’s mother, Kultida “Tida”, is originally from Thailand. She met Tiger’s dad while he was on tour of duty in 1968. So no, they weren’t just handing out citizenship willy-nilly, Woods had a legitimate reason to be offered such an honor.
No Thank You
The Youngest
In 2006, Tiger Woods became the youngest golfer to have reached 50 victories at the age of 30. How many of us can say the same? While it’s not on the same level, it’s still an impressive accomplishment for someone who had just turned 30.
The Youngest
Losing His Father
It was in April 2006 that Tiger Woods’ mind was clearly somewhere else. His father’s medical condition was getting worse as he was suffering from cancer. He decided it was necessary to take a 3-month break from golf. It was a smart idea.
Losing His Father
Nike
After an incredible junior, college, and amateur career, Tiger Woods was just 20 when he turned professional in 1996. By 2000, he signed an impressive five-year, $105 million contract with Nike. At the time, that was the largest endorsing deal an athlete had ever signed.
Nike
His Own Book
If you thought his hand was only good for a swing, then you have another thing coming. Tiger Woods wrote his own book called, “How I Play Golf”. The book came out in 2001 and sold more than 1.5 million copies.
His Own Book
It’s Love
In November 2003, Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren, a Swedish former model, got engaged! The two met during The Open Championship in 2001 after being introduced by the Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik, Elin was actually his au pair at the time. October 2004 is when the couple tied the knot. Together they have two children, Sam and Charlie.
It’s Love
A Break
From December 2009 to April 2010, Woods took a break from professional golf. The reason? He needed to focus on his marriage as the couple was facing difficulties. Eventually, the duo divorced. That was a result of Woods’ extramarital indiscretions with many women. At the same time, Woods was hit with multiple injuries and was treated by Dr. Anthony Galea with HGH, which lead to a loss of golf form. This caused Woods’ ranking to gradually fall to a terribly low placement of 58.
A Break
Almost Disqualified
Tiger’s fans were up in arms in April 2013 during the Masters Tournament, when officials wanted to disqualify Woods for an illegal drop shot. After much discussion and review, he was given a 2-stroke penalty, but no disqualification.
Almost Disqualified
Back Surgery
In 2014 and 2015, Woods had back surgery but he couldn’t recapture his dominant form. By 2015, he had fallen to #104. This was the first time since 1996 that he fell outside the top 100. In May 2016, he even dropped out of the world top 500 for the first time ever. By July 2017, the Official World Golf Ranking ranked him at number 1,005 – this the worst of his career and also the only time he was out of the top 1,000. Let’s remember that Woods had ranked as number one for 683 weeks, that’s more than any other player in history.
Back Surgery
Eye Surgery
It wasn’t only back surgery that he underwent. Tiger also did laser eye surgery back in 1999. The procedure was a success and he doesn’t need to wear glasses anymore.
Eye Surgery
That Moolah
The Golf Digest claims that Tiger Woods made a whopping $769,440,709 from 1996 to 2007! We can’t even wrap our minds around that kind of money. Moreover, the magazine predicted he would pass one billion by 2010. But in 2009, Forbes confirmed that the legend was the world’s first athlete to earn over a billion dollars, after the $10 million bonus he received for the FedEx Cup title.
That Moolah
An Expensive Athlete
That same year, his net worth was $600 million, which made him the second richest person of color in America, behind Oprah Winfrey. In 2015, Woods ranked 9th in the world’s highest-paid athletes ranking.
An Expensive Athlete
Some Concern
Early on his career, some golf experts were concerned about Woods’ impact on the competitiveness and public appeal of professional golf. Bill Lyon, the sportswriter for Knight Ridder asked once in a column, “Isn’t Tiger Woods actually bad for golf?” Although Lyon did conclude that he wasn’t. In the beginning, a few pundits feared that Tiger Woods would actually drive out the spirit of competition by making existing courses obsolete, thus relegating opponents to compete for second place every week.
Some Concern
Yardage
In the PGA Tour rotation, many courses added yardage to their tees. Why? They wanted to try to reduce the advantage of long hitters such as Tiger Woods, a strategy that became widely known as “Tiger-Proofing”. Woods, however, said that he welcomed the change, saying that yardage to courses had no effect on his ability to win.
Yardage
Buddhist
Ever since he was a kid, Woods has been raised in the Buddhist faith. He carried on practicing Buddhism into his professional golf career. Woods admitted that he “believes in Buddhism… Not every aspect, but most of it.” Woods credits his deviations and infidelity to when he lost sight of his faith. He admitted, “Buddhism teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint. Obviously, I lost track of what I was taught.
Buddhist
Lucky Red
Just why does Tiger always wear red on Sundays? He revealed to GOLF that he started doing so as a junior at Stanford University, where the school color is red. “I just stuck with it out of superstition, and it worked,” he said. “I’ve had a few wins wearing red, and it’s not going to change.”
Lucky Red
Privacy
In a sort of ironic sense of semantics, Tiger Woods bought himself a yacht and named it “Privacy”. The 150-foot yacht might get him away from land, but it certainly does attract attention.
Privacy
His Stutter
While on 60 Minutes, Tiger revealed that he overcame his stutter as a kid in two ways. One, his school. However, his second trick was to practice speaking to his dog! His struggles also led him to create the Tiger Woods Learning Center in 2006. Many people didn’t know about his stutter, that is until Woods wrote a letter to a boy contemplating suicide. He wrote, “I know what it’s like to be different and to sometimes not fit in. I also stuttered as a child and I would talk to my dog and he would sit there and listen until he fell asleep. I also took a class for two years to help me, and I finally learned to stop.”
Tiger Woods
A Mess
In November 2009, the National Enquirer wrote a story claiming Tiger Woods had an extramarital affair with the New York City nightclub manager Rachel Uchitel, who flat out denied the claim. Just two days later, Woods was driving from his Florida mansion when he collided with a fire hydrant, a tree, and several hedges near his home. He was treated for minor facial lacerations and also received a ticket for careless driving. Intense media speculation followed with Woods releasing a statement claiming sole responsibility for the accident, he also called it a “private matter” and credited his wife for helping him. A few days later, he announced he wouldn’t appear at any tournaments because of his injuries.
A Mess
Voicemails
In December 2009, after Us Weekly reported a so-called mistress and the release of a voicemail message allegedly left by Woods, he admitted to “transgressions” and apologized to “all of those who have supported [him] over the years”. Within a matter of days, many more women came out and said they also had affairs with Woods. The golfer released another statement, admitting to infidelity and announcing that he would take “an indefinite break from professional golf.”
Voicemails
Gillette
Tiger Woods joined a team of other sporting legends like Thierry Henry and Roger Federer in February 2007. This team would become ambassadors for the “Gillette Championships” marketing campaign.
Gillette
Losses
After Woods’ multiple infidelities came out, many companies re-evaluated their relationships with the golfer. Accenture, AT&T, Gatorade, and General Motors all completely ended their sponsorship deals. Gillette then suspended advertising featuring Woods and TAG Heuer dropped Woods from advertising. Golf Digest also suspended Woods’ monthly column. However, Nike and Electronic Arts continued to work with him. A study came out and estimated that his affairs cost him between $5 billion and $12 billion.
Losses
Therapy
In February 2010, Tiger Woods announced he had been in a 45-day therapy program. He apologized for his actions once again. “I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and fame, I didn’t have to go far to find them. I was wrong. I was foolish.” Just a few weeks later, Woods announced his return to professional golf.
Therapy
Recent Woes
Just in May 2017, Woods was arrested for driving under the influence. He fell asleep in his car while stopped at a traffic lane with the engine running. Later he admitted that he was taking prescription drugs and didn’t know how it might interact with alcohol. As a result, he entered a program and skipped arraignment before pleading guilty to reckless driving. He earned a year of probation, was fined $250, and was ordered to undergo 50 hours of community service. Moreover, he had to undergo regular drug tests and if he failed, he would be sentenced to 90 days in jail with an additional $500 fine.
Recent Woes
His Statement
During Memorial Day weekend, Tiger Woods released a statement on his arrest. He wrote, “I’m currently receiving professional help to manage my medications and the ways that I deal with back pain and a sleep disorder. I want to thank everyone for the amazing outpouring of support and understanding especially the fans and players on tour.”
His Statement
Comeback
Beginning of 2018, Tiger Woods announced his comeback. And he really meant it. After his latest back surgery and at the urging of his kids to win tournaments again, Woods has stepped up on the green and there are moments when we see the old Tiger. After the 2018 Masters, he said, “The crowds have been incredible. It’s been awesome this entire comeback. I got a standing ovation on the range. Coming up to the first tee, the people come out of the clubhouse and the putting green. They’re really into it.”
Comeback
Best Friends
Years after their public divorce, Tiger Woods is speaking about ex-wife, Elin Nordegren. “It’s not how I would change 2009 and how it all came about. It would be having a more open, honest relationship with my ex-wife,” Woods said to Us magazine. “Having the relationship that I have now with her is fantastic. She’s one of my best friends. We’re able to pick up the phone, and we talk to each other all the time. We both know that the most important things in our lives are our kids. I wish I would have known that back then.” But that wasn’t all he said in the interview.
Best Friends
Honesty Is The Best Policy
Woods doesn’t think that it was just his infidelities that lead to the couple’s divorce. “When it comes down to it, right down to it, it’s just having a more open, honest relationship with my ex-wife when we were married,” Woods said. “Our frustrations would have come out if we had talked about it and been open and honest with each other. Which we are now, and it’s absolutely fantastic.” But what about his kids? What do they know?
Honesty Is The Best Policy
The Kids
Tiger admitted that he has spoken to his kids about his past mistakes. “For instance, I’ve told her this, I’ve taken the initiative with the kids, and told them up front, ‘Guys, the reason why we’re not in the same house, why we don’t live under the same roof, Mommy and Daddy, is because Daddy made some mistakes,'” Woods revealed. “I just want them to understand before they get to the Internet age and they log on to something or have their friends tell them something. I want it to come from me so that when they come of age, I’ll just tell them the real story. But meanwhile, it’s just, ‘Hey, Daddy made some mistakes. But it’s okay. We’re all human. We all make mistakes. But look what happened at the end of it. Look at how great you are. You have two loving parents that love you no matter what.'”
The Kids
The Future
“It was too tough, too tough,” Woods said about his marriage and divorce. But things are different now. “We try and help each other out on all occasions. And we work through it with the kids, the parenting program. She is one of my best friends now, and it’s all because of my kids. We’ve worked so hard, and I’ve shown her how much I love them. We’ve worked so hard at co-parenting, to make sure that their lives are fantastic.”
The Future
Helping Out
Even though Tiger Woods has been in the spotlight of the public’s criticism, it’s important to remember the good that he has done. One key example of the good heart this golfing legend has can be tied to the Haiti earthquake of 2010. The sports star donated $3 million to the relief effort.
Helping Out
Winning Everywhere
When you look at Woods’ track record, he has rung up quite a winning log. He has successfully won 137 tour titles, as well as 14 majors! Now that’s what separates him from the pack.
Winning Everywhere
What A Player
2009 brought Tiger Woods what he deserved in the form of a new title. He was named the “Athlete of the Decade” by the Associated Press. AP also gave him the title of “Male Athlete of the Year” four times! Sports Illustrated was just as infatuated and named him the “Sportsman of the Year” on more than one occasion.
What A Player
Junk Food
In many ways, the god of golf is actually just like a lot of regular people that we know. One example that truly highlights this is what he enjoys to eat. Despite not eating it whenever he actually feels like it, Woods loves himself some McDonald’s cheeseburgers, as well as food from Taco Bell.
Junk Food
Mom’s Love
Not many know this, but now you do. Back then, when Tiger was just getting started, his mother made him something special that he would cherish for the rest of his life. She stitched a club head cover with the words, “Love from Mom”, written in Thai.
Moms Love
His Favorite Movie
If you were to take a guess as to what Woods’ favorite movie is, what would it be? The answer is Caddyshack! It shouldn’t be all that surprising since it is about golf, and it is straight up hilarious!
His Favorite Movie
His Favorite Music
What about music? Michael Jackson? Close enough, I guess. He has a thing for the music of Janet Jackson, U2, and Boyz II Men. Who would have thought?
His Favorite Music
Not Playing Golf
When the great Tiger Woods isn’t playing golf, what does his perfect day look like? According to him, it would include the likes of surfing, skiing, playing golf, and spear-fishing. Oh, did we mention that he would ideally like to do all of these things in the same day?!
Not Playing Golf