Tiger Woods (1975–)

Many call Tiger Woods the most celebrated golfer who has ever lived. Remarkably, this designation pertains to a golfer in his mid-twenties. Woods's multiracial background—his father is African American and his mother is a native of Thailand—has helped to destroy the perception that golf is an elitist, white-men-only sport.

When he was fifteen, Woods became the youngest golfer ever to win the U.S. Junior Amateur title. Then he was the first to earn three consecutive U.S. amateur titles. He turned professional in 1996, and the following year won his initial Masters golf tournament by twelve strokes, the greatest margin for victory in the competition's history. He finished eighteen under par, and at age twenty-one he also was the youngest Masters champ ever. That year, Woods earned over $800,000 on the Professional Golf Association tour, playing in just eight tournaments, and Sports Illustrated (see entry under 1950s—Sports and Games in volume 3) named him its "Sportsman of the Year."

Other victories followed, but all were topped in the 2000–2001 season when Woods achieved the unprecedented by winning all four major golf titles: the U.S. Open, the British Open, the PGA championship, and the Masters.

—Rob Edelman

For More Information

Strege, John. Tiger: A Biography of Tiger Woods. New York: Broadway Books, 1997.

Tiger Woods: Official Site.http://www.tigerwoods.com (accessed April 4, 2002).

Woods, Earl. Playing Through: Straight Talk on Hard Work, Big Dreams, and Adventures with Tiger. New York: HarperCollins, 1998.

Woods, Earl. Training a Tiger: A Father's Guide to Raising a Winner in Both Golf and Life. New York: HarperCollins, 1997.