Tiger Woods is not just one of the biggest names in golf but also one of the most well-known names in the history of sports.
Even though this star player has made many headlines with his skills, there are some things that you should know about him. Did you know that Woods is a child prodigy? Did you know that his name is not even Tiger?
No. 15.
As a child, he had a stutter Tiger has been determined and driven since the very beginning. As a child, Tiger had a stutter, but he practised hard to get rid of it.
He had once described his stutter as “lost somewhere between the brain and the mouth.” To improve his speech, Tiger would train regularly and would talk to his dog often.
Moreover, overcoming this challenge motivated him immensely to accomplish other goals in his life.
No. 14.
His real name is not Tiger Though he is known around the world as Tiger Woods, Tiger is actually not his real name. His birth name is Eldrick Tont Woods.
Eldrick is a mix of his father and mother’s names and Tont is a Thai name chosen by his mother. His father was in the army and his friend and fellow soldier Col.
Vuong Dang Phong was known as Tiger. As a tribute to their friendship, he chose to name his son Tiger.
No. 13.
He was the world’s first billionaire athlete. Michael Jordan, Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James, and many other athletes might now be famous for making billions for their impeccable skills.
However, before these players, Tiger Woods was the one who paved the way for them. Woods was the first-ever athlete to earn a billion in career earnings.
In 2009, he won 10 million dollars in the FedEx Cup. And before winning the cup, he had earned $895 million from prize money, appearance fees, sponsorship and golf course design.
Combined with the $100 million in annual off-the-course earnings. This brought his total career winnings to the billion-dollar mark.
No. 12.
A rare achievement In 1996, he won the US Am and the division 1 NCAA Championship. Other than him only 4 other golfers have achieved the feat of winning these championships in the same year.
It includes Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Ryan Moore.
No. 11.
He is a writer Tiger Woods might be unbeatable on the course, but this star player is good at other things too.
Throughout his career, he has hosted many videos and tutorials to explain his techniques and teach new techniques to his fans. Woods picked up the pen in 2001.
He wrote a golf instruction booklet called “How I Play Golf” for golf fanatics. And as expected, it was an instant hit. The booklet has sold over a million copies. Have you read it yet?
No. 10.
He was a child prodigy Tiger Woods is regarded as one of the most skilled players in the history of golf. Woods might have risen to fame in his youth, but he had started showing signs of his mastery ever since he was a child.
Like Mozart who started performing music at 6 and Bobby Fischer who won a chess championship at 14, Woods too started early.
When he was 12, Woods broke 70 strokes at a major golf course. But that’s not all, he had already made his television debut at age 3 when he putted against Bob Hope.
No. 9.
He had a nickname in college Woods had already made a name for himself in his teens and he was heavily recruited when it was time to move forward into a college.
After a lot of thought, he decided to go with Stanford. In college too he had an impressive career. He won three amateur titles and was named Pac 10 Player of the Year, NCAA First-Team All-American and Stanford’s Male Freshman of the Year.
Despite all of his achievements in sports, he was nicknamed ‘Urkel’ by his teammates. Urkel was a nerdy character from a sitcom called “Family Matters”.
In E!’s “True Hollywood Story”, his friend reveals, “He felt like it was insulting to him, he felt like it was borderline racist. It just made him feel like he was back in high school again.”
No. 8.
He has near perfect vision Tiger Woods has the eyes of a tiger. If you are going to be hitting balls that fly across the greens, you will definitely need the vision to make a perfect aim.
Woods allegedly has a near-perfect vision to help him in his game. In 1999 he underwent laser eye surgery and immediately after that he won seven of the next 10 events.
No. 7.
He was unstoppable in his 20s Tiger Woods was definitely a force to be reckoned with! Early on in his career, when players may have the talent to rise to the top but often lack the discipline, Woods showed drive and determination like none other.
He was unstoppable! In fact, in his 20s this star player won 46 times! That is 16 more than any other player in their 20s in the history of the PGA Tour.
No. 6.
He is a philanthropist Woods might have been the first athlete to earn in billions, but it doesn’t mean that he likes to keep it all to himself.
Tiger Woods runs a foundation called The Tiger Woods Foundation that is dedicated to helping children.
Through the charitable organization, he aims to support community-based programs that improve the health, education, and welfare of all children in America.
No. 5.
He was ranked as the number 1 for 683 weeks. When you know you are the best at what you do, ranks and numbers don’t really mean much.
But we are sure this was something even Woods would have loved. He spent 683 weeks as the number one golfer in the official world golf ranking.
He spent double the time at #1 than Greg Norman who spent the second-longest duration as number 1.
No. 4.
He is ranked third on all-time European Tour wins The PGA Tour has been special for Tiger Woods as it was this tour that catapulted him to his success.
However, PGA Tour isn’t the only one where he’s had success. He also enjoys an extremely successful European Tour record.
This is a testament to his skills since Woods has never had a full season in Europe, despite that he has over 40 wins under his belt. He is topped by Seve Ballesteros and Bernhard Langer.
No. 3.
His father was his first coach As you already know, Tiger was a child prodigy, but his talents would have never been discovered if his father didn’t hand him the club at a young age.
His father Earl was an avid golf fanatic and was his first coach. Earl not only taught him how to play golf but also instilled an innate love for the sport in him.
From the age of 6 months, Tiger would watch his father in the garage and that’s where his journey began.
No. 2.
His son is already dominating the sport Tiger Woods has a 12-year-old son Charlie Woods. And Charlie sure had his father’s golf skills and the future looks bright for this kid.
Tiger and Charlie captivated the golf world at last week’s PNC Championship and again at this year’s event. It won’t be long before they take the trophy home. And he even has Tiger’s mannerisms.
No. 1.
And finally! Is he going to make a comeback? Earlier this year in February, Woods was badly injured in a car crash.
He has been out of action ever since and fans have been speculating if the 45-year-old golfer will return or not. Well, turns out Woods is not ready to retire yet.
A recent video that he shared on social media, shows him back on the golf course. Despite the gap, he hasn’t lost his technique. In the video he can be seen driving a ball down the fairway.
He had injured his right leg and foot in the accident and in the video, he can be seen wearing a compression sock.
However, what caught everyone’s eye was the caption that read “making progress”. And together with his son Charlie he played at the PNC Championship.
So we are hoping he will make a comeback soon. We are rooting for you Tiger! When do you think Woods will make his comeback?
