Tiger Woods 2008 US Open TPC Sawgrass 8-shot comeback

Lore & Background

Woods turned professional in 1996 at age 20. He won his first major, the 1997 Masters, by 12 strokes. At the 2000 U.S. Open he won by a major-record 15 strokes. After winning the 2001 Masters he became the only player to win four consecutive major championships in a one-year period, known as the 'Tiger Slam'. He dominated golf in the first decade of the 2000s, holding the world number-one ranking for 264 consecutive weeks (August 1999 to September 2004) and again for 281 consecutive weeks (June 2005 to October 2010). He later won the 2019 Masters, his first major in 11 years.

Reader's Guide

Woods has won 15 major championships (second only to Jack Nicklaus's 18) and 82 PGA Tour events (tied with Sam Snead for the all-time record). He is one of six men to complete the career Grand Slam, the youngest to do so, and one of two golfers to achieve the career Grand Slam three times. He has been named PGA Player of the Year a record 11 times and led the PGA Tour money list in 10 seasons.

Did You Know?

• Woods was awarded AP Athlete of the Year four times and AP Athlete of the Decade of the 2000s.
• He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in May 2019.
• As of April 2026, his net worth was estimated at US$1.5 billion by Forbes.
• Woods was involved in a single-car collision on February 23, 2021, and underwent emergency surgery for compound fractures in his right leg and a shattered ankle.