Sometimes it seems like Tiger Woods was born holding a golf club in his hands. This is not too far of a stretch. Ever since he was a child, Woods played golf with his father. And by the time he was eight years old, he was showing remarkable talent and skill for the sport. This is evident by his young appearance on the television show “Good Morning America.” His father was Woods’ mentor and really helped him reach his potential as a golfer. In addition, Woods is an extremely competitive person. He once said that if he were to play basketball, he would want to be that person with the ball in his hands, taking the last-minute shot to win the game.

Impressive Track Record

Tiger Woods has a long list of successes as a professional golfer. In 1997, Woods became the first African-American, and the youngest man, to ever win the U.S. Masters. His career did not stop after such an impressive display of athleticism. From 2001 to 2012, Woods was able to “rake in the dough” with fourteen Majors, only second to Jack Nicklaus. During this time, Woods was referred to as the highest paid professional athlete. Woods has more career earnings than any PGA player ever. This is due to the fact that he has won 76 official PGA Tour events. This is the second highest amount of wins in golf history.

In the 1997 Masters Tournament, Woods won with a nine-shot lead. In 1999, he won the PGA Championship with one stroke. The very next year, he won the U.S. Open by 15 strokes. Within that same year, Woods won the Open Championship and the PGA Championship, making a very impressive stand by taking three championships in a single year. From 2001 to 2008, he has won two more PGA Championships, two Open Championships, three Masters Tournaments, and two U.S. Opens. Overall, Woods has a pretty impressive record.

Personal Issues

Tiger Woods has had his own share of “ups and downs.” When his father died in 2006, Woods struggled with playing his best. However, he still won a few championships. In 2010, Woods made his return to golf after a year off due to personal reasons. His abilities were not up to “par” with his regular performance standard.

On a more personal note, Tiger Woods has been known to associate with Michael Jordan. Jordan is actually a pretty good golfer, but he says that he must play a perfect game just to keep up with Woods. This is due to the amazing drive that Woods has. He typically shoots forty to eighty yards past the average professional golfer. Jordan, strong as he is, has a hard time keeping up with Woods’ drive.

Well-Rounded

Along with his ability to drive, Woods has set some impressive records. He has been the PGA “Player of the Year” ten times, along with the PGA Tour “Player of the Year.” He has also been the PGA Tour Money Leader an astounding nine times. In addition, he has received the Vardon trophy eight times and the Byron Nelson Award nine times.

Overall, Woods has stood out as one of the best golfers the PGA has ever seen. He still holds some of the top positions in PGA history and sets the standard for other players to achieve.

About the Author: Phil Oscarson is an avid golfer/golf analyst. He currently resides in the southern California region so he’s able to golf year round. When Phil isn’t golfing or writing, he is usually consulting for GolfZing.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Related Blogs:
Tiger Woods Timeline Part 1: 1975 – 2001
Tiger Woods Timeline Part 2: 2002 – 2012