Tiger Woods

Eldrick "Tiger" Woods was born on December 30, 1975 in Cypress, California, USA. At the moment, he is living in Orlando, Florida. He is the only son of Earl and Kultida Woods. Tiger is 6'2" tall and weighs around 160-170 lbs. After graduating from Western High School he took up studiying at Stanford University, but dropped out to become a professional golfer in his junior year.

Tiger’s parents introduced their only child to the game of golf by giving him a putter to practice with at a very early stage of his life. He picked the game up fast and was shooting in the high 40's for nine holes before his third birthday. At the age of 8, he won the first of six Optimist International Junior World Titles. He is the only player in USGA history who won the Junior Amateur and Amateur titles. He played in his first professional tournament in 1992, at age 16, the Nissan Los Angeles Open. After playing as an amateur (he won the U.S. Junior Amateur Championships in 1991, 1992, and 1993, and the U.S. Amateur title in 1994, 1995, and 1996) and two years at Stanford University, where he won the NCAA title, Woods turned professional in 1996. His first tournament as a pro took place on August 29, 1996 at the Greater Milwaukee Open, in which he got 60th place. His first victory was the Los Vegas Invitational, during the same year.

Woods was selected as 1997, 1999 and 2000 Player of the Year by the PGA TOUR (Jack Nicklaus Award), the PGA of America, and the Golf Writers Association of America. His adjusted scoring average in 2000 of 67.79 strokes was the lowest ever – breaking his record of 68.43 in 1999 – and earned the Byron Nelson Award on the PGA TOUR and the Vardon Trophy from the PGA of America. He also had an actual scoring average in 2000 of 68.17 strokes, breaking Nelson’s record of 68.33 strokes in 1945.

Sports Illustrated selected Woods as the 1996 and 2000 Sportsman of the Year. He was the first to win that award more than once. L’Equipe (France) selected him as 2000 World Champion of Champions. The Associated Press chose Woods as the Male Athlete of the Year for 1997, 1999 and 2000. He and Michael Jordan are the only athletes to win that award three times. He was selected as Reuters 2000 Sportsman of the Year.

He was chosen as ESPY Male Athlete of the Year in 1997 (tied with Ken Griffey, Jr.), 1999 and 2000. The founding members of the World Sports Academy, in voting for the Laureus Sports Awards, also selected Tiger as 1999 World Sportsman of the Year.