50 Fun Facts About Tiger Woods

What is Tiger Woods's real first name?

His mother chose it because it starts with E for Earl and ends with K for Kultida.

The nickname 'Tiger' honours a friend of his father's from which country?

Colonel Vuong Dang Phong, who served alongside Earl Woods, was also known as Tiger.

In which California city was Tiger Woods born?

He learned the game at the Navy Golf Course next to the base at Los Alamitos, where his Army-officer father had playing privileges.

His mother Kultida came from which country?

She met Earl during his tour of duty in 1968; Woods coined 'Cablinasian' to describe his mixed heritage.

As a two-year-old, Woods putted against which comedian on The Mike Douglas Show?

A year later he shot 48 for nine holes at the Navy course.

According to Earl Woods, how old was Tiger when he first beat his father at golf?

Earl was playing his best, and he never beat his son again.

Which university did Woods attend on a golf scholarship?

He majored in economics; teammate Notah Begay III nicknamed him 'Urkel'.

Woods was the first golfer to win how many consecutive U.S. Amateur titles?

He also won three straight U.S. Junior Amateurs, and remains the only three-time champion of that event.

How old was Woods when he turned professional in August 1996?

He immediately signed Nike and Titleist deals that were the richest in golf history at the time.

By how many strokes did Woods win the 1997 Masters, his first major?

He was 21, the youngest and first non-white winner at Augusta, and 44 million Americans watched the final round.

Woods shot what score on his first nine holes of the 1997 Masters before running away with it?

He came home in 30 for a 70 and never looked back, finishing at a record 270.

At which course did Woods win the 2000 U.S. Open by a record 15 strokes?

That margin beat Old Tom Morris's 13-shot record from the 1862 Open at Prestwick.

Which two players tied for second at that 2000 U.S. Open?

Els shot the only sub-par round of the final day and still lost by fifteen.

Winning which tournament completed the 'Tiger Slam' of four straight majors?

He is the only player to hold all four professional majors at once, though not in a single calendar year.

How many consecutive PGA Tour events did Woods win in 2000, the longest streak since Ben Hogan?

Hogan had done it in 1948; Woods finished 2000 with nine wins in twenty starts.

What is the record number of consecutive weeks Woods held the world number-one ranking?

That run lasted from June 2005 to October 2010, after an earlier 264-week streak.

How many major championships has Tiger Woods won?

Only Jack Nicklaus, with 18, has more.

With whom does Woods share the all-time record of 82 PGA Tour wins?

He drew level with the 2019 Zozo Championship in Japan, beating Hideki Matsuyama by three.

Whom did Woods beat in a playoff to win the 2008 U.S. Open on a broken leg?

After an 18-hole playoff ended level, Woods won on the first sudden-death hole; it was the last 18-hole playoff at the event.

Which San Diego course hosted that 2008 U.S. Open?

It was the first U.S. Open on its South Course.

What did Woods crash his Cadillac Escalade into outside his Florida home in November 2009?

The 2:30 a.m. accident two days after Thanksgiving triggered the revelations that ended his marriage.

What was the name of Woods's Swedish wife, whom he divorced in 2010?

They married in 2004 and had two children, Sam and Charlie.

Which Olympic skier did Woods date from 2013?

He announced the relationship in March 2013, the same month he returned to world number one.

How many back surgeries did Woods undergo between 2014 and 2017?

He played just one tournament between August 2015 and January 2018 and fell outside the world's top 1,000.

Which event did Woods win in September 2018 for his first victory in five years?

It was his 80th PGA Tour win, at East Lake in Atlanta.

How many years passed between Woods's 14th and 15th major titles?

The 2019 Masters was his fifth green jacket, and his first major won without leading after 54 holes.

Which leader found the water twice on the back nine to hand Woods the 2019 Masters?

He went in at the 12th and again at the 15th after hitting a tree.

At 43, Woods became the second-oldest Masters champion behind which golfer?

Nicklaus was 46 when he won his sixth green jacket in 1986.

Which honour did President Trump present to Woods in May 2019?

He is one of the few active athletes to receive the nation's highest civilian award.

Where did Woods suffer his serious single-vehicle rollover crash in February 2021?

He needed emergency surgery for compound fractures in his right leg and a shattered ankle.

How many times has Woods been named PGA Player of the Year, a record?

He also led the money list in ten seasons.

Which longtime caddie did Woods dismiss in 2011 after he carried Adam Scott's bag?

Williams had replaced Fluff Cowan in 1999; Joe LaCava has caddied for Woods ever since.

Which coach worked with Woods almost exclusively from 1993 to 2004?

Haney followed from 2004 to 2010, flattening his swing plane, then Foley.

After how many years did Woods and Nike part ways in January 2024?

He then launched his own apparel line, Sun Day Red, built around his signature Sunday shirt.

In 2009, Forbes confirmed Woods as the first professional athlete to do what?

A $10 million FedEx Cup bonus tipped him over the line.

Which sports drink brand gave Woods his own product line in 2008?

'Gatorade Tiger' was discontinued in 2009 due to weak sales.

What is the name of the virtual golf league Woods and Rory McIlroy announced in 2022?

Woods co-owns and plays for Jupiter Links Golf Club in the six-team league.

In which religion was Tiger Woods raised?

He has said that losing track of its teachings on restraint contributed to his infidelity.

Woods's daughter Sam was named for what reason?

Sam Alexis was born in 2007; son Charlie Axel followed in 2009.

How often has Woods completed the career Grand Slam, a feat matched only by one other golfer?

He was 24 when he first completed it, the youngest ever.

Courses lengthening their tees to blunt Woods's power gave rise to what term?

Even Augusta National added yardage; studies found rivals scored nearly a stroke worse when playing against him.

At what age did Woods become the youngest ever U.S. Junior Amateur champion?

Jim Liu broke the record in 2010; Woods defended the title in 1992 to become its first two-time winner.

What childhood difficulty did Woods reveal in a letter to a boy who had contemplated suicide?

He said he would talk to his dog, who listened until he fell asleep, and took a class for two years to overcome it.

What procedure did the severely myopic Woods have in 1999, after which he immediately resumed winning?

His eyesight had been rated 11 diopters; he needed the procedure again in 2007.

Which award did Woods receive in 2000 and 2001 as its inaugural recipient?

The BBC did give him its Overseas Sports Personality prize in 2000.

Which Buick SUV did Woods help launch in 2002, with 130,000 sold in its first two years?

Buick renewed his endorsement in 2004 for a reported $40 million over five years.

Who caddied for Woods from his 1996 pro debut until he was dismissed in March 1999?

Steve Williams replaced him; Joe LaCava, once Fred Couples's caddie, then carried the bag from 2011 to 2023.

In which California city did the $50-million Tiger Woods Learning Center open in 2006?

It has since added campuses in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Stuart, Florida.

How large was the first-edition print run of Woods's 2001 book How I Play Golf, a record for a golf title?

He also wrote a Golf Digest instruction column from 1997 to 2011 and a 2017 memoir about the 1997 Masters.

With which company did Woods launch his 'Sun Day Red' apparel line in February 2024?

The line is built around the red shirt he traditionally wears in final rounds, weeks after the Nike split.