Tiger Woods: a legend, the G.O.A.T, the most dominant athlete ever. These all are phrases that have been used to describe the single greatest golfer to ever step on the course.

To understand how Tiger got to this point, let me take you back all the way back to December 30, 1975, with the birth of Eldrick Tiger Woods. We didn’t know it then, but the world of golf would never be the same. One day in 1976, Tiger saw his dad hitting golf balls into a net and stood to the side, imitating his swing. That was when he fell in love with the game.

After starting to play on his own, his incredible natural skill and talent landed himself in the public eye. He appeared on The Mike Douglas Show at the age of 2 years old. He was shooting under 48 on 9 holes at 3 years old, and when he turned 5, he appeared on Golf Digest and the TV show That’s Incredible. Tiger was a standout talent from the day he could walk, with his dad teaching and mentoring him every step of the way. Growing up in Cypress, California, golf was a year-round occurrence for Tiger. He played in all of his free time, before and after school. His love for the game was unmatched. At the age of 8 he played and won a Junior World Golf Championship. In 1991, at the mere age of 15, he became the youngest player to ever win a U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. He then went on to win again in 1992 and 1993.

In 1994, after his great U.S. Junior Am run, he accepted a full ride scholarship to play at the University of Stanford, a legendary golf program. It was that same year in 1994 where Tiger changed the meaning of dominance. He won three straight U.S. Amateur championships in 1994, 1995, and 1996, a feat nobody else has ever accomplished. He also became the youngest player to ever win a U.S. Am, at 18 years old in 1994. In total, Tiger won 6 straight national amateur championships. In 1995, Tiger played as an Amateur in the Masters, the most prestigious golf tournament there is. A year later, in 1996 Tiger won the collegiate national championship for Stanford.

After he left college, Tiger began his professional career when he turned pro in August 1996. It was that same year when he won his first professional tournament at the Las Vegas National. In that same rookie season, he was named “Sportsman of the Year” by Sports Illustrated. In his first seasons, he was physically dominant, with an athletic build and a frame over six feet tall. He mastered his swing to consistently hit the ball over 300 yards, the longest on tour at that point.

Over Tiger’s entire career, he accomplished feats we had never seen before and may never see again. He overcame great adversity throughout his career in order to achieve these accomplishments. He has won 15 majors (4 PGA Championships, 3 U.S. Open Championships, 3 Open Championships, and 5 Masters Championships.) This puts him 2nd all time in majors won. More incredible however, are his 67 other career wins, placing him at the top of the all-time wins list with 82. In 359 tournaments with 82 wins, he created a career win rate of 22.8%, the highest we have ever seen.

Most notably in recent years, Tiger has overcome much adversity. He endured six surgeries on his back and knees and was also arrested for a DUI and reckless driving. However, he managed to put everything behind him and return his focus to golf. Most recently, he finished an amazing story after coming back to win the 2019 Masters Championship following his recent surgeries. That was his last win to date.

Sadly, in early 2021, he was a part of a tragic accident that left him unable to walk. That didn’t stop him, however. His drive and determination to get better has paid off. By the end of 2021 he wasn’t just walking, he was playing again. In the 2021 PNC Championship, Tiger played with his son Charlie, where they placed 2nd behind John Daly’s team. With these new appearances, we hope to have Tiger back next year, though he has said he will likely never be able to play full time golf ever again.