Challenges in the Life of Tiger Woods in a Detailed Timeline

A closer look at the defining struggles that shaped Tiger Woods's life and career.

Tiger Woods is a highly accomplished American professional golfer, considered one of the greatest of all time. He is tied for the most PGA Tour wins and ranks second in major championships. A World Golf Hall of Fame inductee, Woods holds numerous records and is a globally recognized athlete.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1994: First time Tiger Woods was absent from the Masters

In March 2014, after undergoing back surgery, Tiger Woods announced that he would miss the Masters for the first time since 1994.

1997: Civil Case Initiated

In 1997, Tiger Woods and Arnold Palmer initiated a civil case against Bruce Matthews and others to stop the unauthorized sale of their images and signatures in the memorabilia market.

1998: Tiger Woods had a lackluster season

Tiger Woods had a lackluster season in 1998.

2003: Phil Mickelson Jokes About Woods' "Inferior Equipment"

In 2003, Phil Mickelson made a joke about Tiger Woods using "inferior equipment," which upset Nike, Titleist, and Woods, as he was still using True Temper Dynamic Gold steel-shafted clubs and smaller steel clubheads.

2003: Impact on other Golfers Score

In 2003-2004, during a slump, the University of California economist Jennifer Brown, found that other golfers scored worse when competing against Tiger Woods than when he was not in the tournament. The scores of highly skilled golfers are nearly one stroke higher when playing against Woods.

2003: Tiger Woods Slump

Tiger Woods's career hit a slump in 2003 and he did not win a major.

September 2004: End of First Reign as World Number One

In September 2004, Tiger Woods's 264-week streak as the top-ranked golfer in the world ended.

September 2004: Vijay Singh Overtakes Tiger Woods

In September 2004, Vijay Singh overtook Tiger Woods in the Official World Golf Rankings, ending Woods's record streak of 264 weeks at No. 1.

2006: Dominant start, Father's death, and six consecutive tour wins

In 2006, Tiger Woods began the year dominantly, winning his first two PGA tournaments. Following the death of his father in May, Woods took time off and appeared rusty upon his return at the U.S. Open. However, he quickly regained form and ended the year by winning six consecutive tour events. By the close of the 2006 season, Woods had 54 total wins, including 12 majors.

April 2008: Knee surgery, U.S. Open Victory, and season-ending surgery

In April 2008, Tiger Woods underwent knee surgery and missed two months of the tour. He returned for the 2008 U.S. Open, where he claimed a dramatic sudden death victory over Rocco Mediate, followed by additional knee surgery two days later that would cause Woods to miss the remainder of the season due to severe damage.

October 2008: Announcement of Punta Brava Course in Mexico

In October 2008, Tiger Woods Design announced a third course in Punta Brava, Mexico, but it incurred delays due to permit issues and an environmental impact study.

November 2009: Woods Involved in Car Accident Following Affair Allegations

In November 2009, following the publication of a story claiming he had an extramarital affair, Tiger Woods crashed his Cadillac Escalade SUV near his Florida home, resulting in minor injuries and a ticket for careless driving.

December 2009: Tiger Woods Takes Hiatus from Golf

In December 2009, Tiger Woods took a self-imposed hiatus from professional golf to address marital issues.

December 2009: Companies Re-evaluate Relationships with Woods

In December 2009, following Tiger Woods's admission of multiple infidelities, TAG Heuer dropped Woods from advertising. A study estimated shareholder loss caused by Woods' affairs to be between $5 billion and $12 billion.

2009: Discontinuation of Gatorade Tiger

In early fall 2009, Gatorade decided to discontinue the "Gatorade Tiger" drink due to weak sales.

2009: Factors Attributed to Project Problems

Problems encountered by Tiger Woods' design projects have been attributed to overly optimistic estimates, declines throughout the global economy, and the decreased appeal and marketability of Woods following his 2009 infidelity scandal.

February 2010: Al Ruwaya Golf Course Progress

As of February 2010, only seven holes had been completed on the Al Ruwaya Golf Course in Dubai, Tiger Woods Design's first project.

February 2010: Golf Digest Suspends Woods' Monthly Column

Beginning with the February 2010 issue, Golf Digest magazine suspended Tiger Woods' monthly column.

February 2010: Televised apology and endorsement deals ended

In February 2010, Tiger Woods delivered a televised apology for his behavior, admitting he was wrong and foolish. During this period, several companies ended their endorsement deals with Woods.

February 19, 2010: Woods Gives Televised Statement

On February 19, 2010, Tiger Woods gave a televised statement in which he apologized for his actions and announced he went through a 45-day therapy program.

October 2010: End of Second Reign as World Number One

In October 2010, Tiger Woods's second dominant stretch as the top-ranked golfer in the world came to an end.

2010: Return to competition, Coaching change, and Winless Season

In 2010, Tiger Woods returned to competition at the Masters, finishing tied for fourth place. He then had poor showings and withdrew from the Players Championship due to injury. Hank Haney resigned as his coach, and Sean Foley was hired as his replacement. Woods failed to win a single event in 2010, despite finishing the season ranked No. 2 in the world.

April 2011: The New York Times Reports Al Ruwaya Golf Course Project Shelved

In April 2011, The New York Times reported that The Tiger Woods Dubai project, including the Al Ruwaya Golf Course, had been shelved permanently.

August 2011: TAG Heuer Officially Ended Deal With Woods

In August 2011, TAG Heuer officially ended their deal with Tiger Woods when his contract expired.

November 2011: Tiger Woods's World Ranking Drops

In November 2011, Tiger Woods's world ranking fell to number 58.

2011: Ranking decline, Leg injuries, Caddie change, and winless streak broken

In 2011, Tiger Woods's performance continued to suffer, impacting his ranking. Despite a strong showing at the Masters, leg injuries caused him to miss several summer stops. He fired his caddie Steve Williams and eventually hired Joe LaCava. His ranking fell to #58 before rising to No. 50. Woods broke his winless streak with a victory at the Chevron World Challenge in December 2011.

2013: Elbow Injury, Poor U.S. Open Showing, and WGC-Bridgestone Invitational Win

In 2013, Tiger Woods had a poor showing at the U.S. Open due to an elbow injury. He returned at the Open Championship after a break. He then won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, recording his 5th win of the season. He did not win a major in 2013, being in contention in only two of the four majors.

2013: Dissolution of Partnership Between Tiger Woods Design and Dubai Holding

In 2013, the partnership between Tiger Woods Design and Dubai Holding was dissolved.

March 12, 2014: Jury Rules Against Woods

On March 12, 2014, a Florida jury found in favor of Gotta Have It on its breach of contract and other related claims, rejected ETW's counterclaims, and awarded Gotta Have It $668,346 in damages.

March 2014: Injury at The Honda Classic

In March 2014, Tiger Woods sustained an injury during the final round of The Honda Classic and was unable to finish the tournament, withdrawing after the 13th hole due to back pain. He later skipped the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

April 1, 2014: Missing the Masters for the first time since 1994

On April 1, 2014, after undergoing back surgery, Tiger Woods announced that he would miss the Masters for the first time since 1994.

May 2014: Tiger Woods Falls From Number One Ranking

In May 2014, Tiger Woods lost the number one ranking again.

2014: Fourth Back Surgery

In 2017, it was noted that Tiger Woods underwent his fourth back surgery since 2014.

2014: Missing Masters

In March 2016, Tiger Woods announced that he would miss the Masters while recovering from back surgery; he had also missed the 2014 Masters due to a back problem.

February 5, 2015: Withdrawal from Farmers Insurance Open due to back injury

On February 5, 2015, Tiger Woods withdrew from the Farmers Insurance Open due to another back injury, unrelated to his previous surgery. He took a break from golf until his back healed.

August 2015: Tiger Woods takes time off due to Injuries

In August 2015, Tiger Woods competed in his last tournament for an extended period, due to injuries.

September 16, 2015: Back Surgery

On September 16, 2015, Tiger Woods underwent back surgery.

March 2016: Missing the Masters

In late March 2016, Tiger Woods announced that he would miss the Masters while recovering from back surgery; he had also missed the 2014 Masters due to a back problem.

December 2016: Another Back Surgery

In December 2016, Tiger Woods underwent back surgery and spent the next 15 months off the Tour. He made his return to competitive golf in the Hero World Challenge.

May 29, 2017: Woods Arrested for DUI

On May 29, 2017, Tiger Woods was arrested near his home in Jupiter Island, Florida, for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He was found asleep in his car, which was stationary in a traffic lane with its engine running.

July 3, 2017: Woods Tweets About Completing Intensive Program

On July 3, 2017, Tiger Woods tweeted that he completed an out-of-state intensive program to tackle an unspecified issue.

August 9, 2017: Woods Pleads Not Guilty

At his arraignment on August 9, 2017, Tiger Woods had his attorney submit a not guilty plea for him and agreed to participate in a first-time DUI offender program and attend another arraignment.

October 27, 2017: Woods Pleads Guilty to Reckless Driving

At a hearing on October 27, 2017, Tiger Woods pleaded guilty to reckless driving and received a year of probation, a $250 fine, 50 hours of community service, and regular drug tests.

2017: Tiger Woods Undergoes Back Surgeries

Between 2014 and 2017, Tiger Woods underwent a total of four back surgeries, impacting his career.

2017: Back problems continue, fourth back surgery, and return to competitive golf

In 2017, Tiger Woods's back problems continued to hinder him. He missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open, pulled out of a European Tour event, and announced he would not play in the 2017 Masters Tournament. Woods underwent his fourth back surgery since 2014 and returned to competitive golf at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. His world ranking jumped from 1,199th to 668th.

August 2019: Woods Undergoes Knee Surgery

In August 2019, Tiger Woods announced via social media that he underwent knee surgery to repair minor cartilage damage. He had an arthroscopic procedure during the Tour Championship. Woods confirmed he was walking and planned to travel to Japan in October.

December 2020: Woods Undergoes Back Surgery

In December 2020, Tiger Woods underwent microdiscectomy surgery on his back for the fifth time to alleviate pain caused by a pressurized disc fragment.

February 23, 2021: Tiger Woods Involved in Car Accident

On February 23, 2021, Tiger Woods was hospitalized after a single-car collision and underwent emergency surgery for serious leg injuries.

2021: Woods Involved in Motor Vehicle Crash

In 2021, Tiger Woods was involved in a motor vehicle crash, leading to his absence from professional tournaments until the 2022 Masters Tournament.

2022: Woods Returns to Play at Masters Tournament

In 2022, Tiger Woods returned to professional play at the Masters Tournament following his 2021 motor vehicle crash. He made the cut and finished 47th, 23 shots behind the winner.