Tiger Woods’s 10 facts You Must Know – Eldrick Tont Woods, better known as Tiger Woods, was born on December 30, 1975, in Cypress, California, the only child of an African American Army officer father and a Thai mother.
He is the first golfer of African American or Asian descent to win the Masters Tournament, one of the most prestigious events in golf.
Tiger Woods’s 10 facts You Must Know
Education was important
While Tiger Woods certainly showed early promise in the game of golf, he wasn’t allowed to, nor did he want to focus exclusively on it. His father, Earl Woods, and their mother Kultida Woods made sure of that. Especially his mother, because she was the authority in the house. Tiger did well in school and graduated from Anaheim’s Western High School in the year 1994. Not only did he graduate, but he was voted “Most Likely to Succeed.”He then accepted a golf scholarship to Stanford University – one of them the most elite universities in the world. The tiger is no dummy.
The story behind the name “Tiger”
The word “tiger” usually refers to a large, striped cat known to inspire fear and dread respect from people who see them in the wild. So why did Tiger’s parents make the decision to give him such a unique name? It goes back to his father, Earl Woods, during the Vietnam War. When placed there he befriended Lt. Col. Vuong Dang “Tiger” Phong and he paid tribute to that friendship by naming his son after him. That being said: “Tiger” is really a nickname that has stuck – Tiger’s real name is Eldrick Tony Woods.
First signs of progress
Little “Tiger” Woods could still play big golf. Not too long after him, he learned to walk, and he learned to play golf. This was largely due to his father’s influence. Earl Woods was a veteran, so he was allowed to play golf with the Navy Los Alamitos Golf Course. About a year after he first picked up a club and learned to swing, he was a Tiger and is making quite a bit of progress. At three years old, he managed to shoot a 48 over a nine-hole course. Considering the pros are 40 or less, not bad for a 3-year-old!
The youngest champion ever
Tiger was well-known to golf enthusiasts before he turned pro at the age of 20 in 1996. After he turned pro, he was well-known to every one other. That’s because he won the Tournament of Champions in 1997 and became one the youngest person to do so. Not only did he win the tournament, but he led the game by 12 strokes. This is still the largest margin of victory in tournament history. Mere two months later, he became the No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Ranking. He became the fastest golfer to reach this level.
Tiger’s best friend
Tiger Woods and Earl Woods have a special connection. Not only is he Earl Tiger’s father, but also his best friend. Earl is the one who introduced Tiger golf, coached him along the way, and was there to celebrate an amazing career. Unfortunately, in the mid-1990s, Earl became ill with prostate cancer. It grew more difficult until he died of the disease in 2006. He was 74 years old. The tiger was deeply affected by his death – lost both his father and best friend.
Tiger red clothes
On the last day of any tournament, you’re bound to see Tiger Woods on the deck out in red. He chooses to wear red for a very special reason: his mother says it is the color of power that must bring good luck. Kultida Punsawad is Tiger’s mother. She is Thai/Dutch/Chinese. Earl Tiger met in the late 1960s when he was stationed in Thailand. Cultida has a big influence on the tiger’s faith – including his Buddhist faith – so it’s not. Surprisingly he was left with red for luck.
Tiger cares about others
Tiger Woods had quite a privileged upbringing in a safe neighborhood with a loving family. However, he is well aware that many young children do not. He was lucky so he feels a responsibility to help others who are not so lucky. He did this shortly after turning pro at the age of 20. Tiger and his father created the Tiger Woods Foundation. Although promoting golf to disadvantaged children is one part, mostly focused on improving health, education, and welfare. Shortly after the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, the foundation donated 3 million dollars to the country.
A billion dollars
It’s no secret that golf has made Tiger Woods a very wealthy man. how rich Well, according to Forbes, he earned nearly $1.7 billion during his tenure 30-year career. Although a scandal-ridden divorce took some of that away from him, he is still very rich. Much—perhaps indeed most—of his wealth comes from confirmation. Companies like American Express, Nike, Gatorade, and Monster. Energy and many others have signed lucrative contracts with the world’s best golfer. He used the money from these deals to invest in real estate, which he still owns increasing his wealth.
Tiger, the writer
Although most people think of Tiger Woods simply as a golfer, he is also quite the guy-gifted writer. In fact, from 1997 to 2011, Woods wrote a regular column for the popular Golf Digest magazine. He turned some of this writing into a 2001 book called How I Play Golf. With a name like that and a big picture of Tiger on the cover, no wonder the book he did incredibly well. With more than 1.5 million books sold, he became the world’s best-selling golf guide.
Know your caddies
The role of the caddy in golf is twofold. First, the caddy must be carried around the player bag with all necessary clubs. Second, the caddy has to provide some moral support and advice if required. Tiger Woods is very specific their carriers. Wood doesn’t want any old caddy standing by his side. Veteran caddy MikeCowan was Tiger’s first caddy from 1996 to 1999. After that, Tiger chose Steve Williams caddied for him from 1999 to 2011. Currently, it is Joe LaCava.