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, recognized as one of the greatest of all time. He's tied for the most PGA Tour wins and ranks second in major championships, holding numerous records. His impact transcends golf, making him one of the most famous athletes in modern history. Woods is an inductee into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Sections (6)

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

1998: Woods Has Lackluster Season

After a successful start to his professional career, Tiger Woods had a lackluster 1998 season.

2003: Phil Mickelson's equipment joke

In 2003, Phil Mickelson made a joke about Tiger Woods using "inferior equipment," which upset Nike, Titleist, and Woods himself. This highlighted the impact of Woods' equipment choices on his performance and the perception of his game at the time.

2003: Woods Does Not Win a Major

In 2003, Tiger Woods did not win a major, marking a slump in his career.

September 2004: End of Woods's First Reign as Top-Ranked Golfer

In September 2004, Tiger Woods's streak of 264 consecutive weeks as the top-ranked golfer in the world came to an end.

September 2004: Singh Overtakes 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.

2004: Major win streak ends

In 2009, Tiger Woods did not win a major. It was the first year since 2004 that he did not do so.

2006: Dominant start, father's death, and consecutive tour event wins

In 2006, Tiger Woods began the year dominantly by winning his first two PGA tournaments, but did not win The Masters. Following the death of his father in May, he took time off, returning with a rusty performance at the U.S. Open. He quickly regained form, winning six consecutive tour events and finishing the season with 54 total wins, including 12 majors.

April 2008: Knee surgery and dramatic U.S. Open victory

In April 2008, Tiger Woods underwent knee surgery and missed two months on the tour. He returned for the 2008 U.S. Open, where he secured a dramatic sudden-death victory over Rocco Mediate after an 18-hole playoff, despite playing with a severely damaged knee, and announced he would miss the remainder of the season due to more knee surgery.

November 2009: Affair Allegations and Car Accident

In November 2009, the National Enquirer published a story alleging that Tiger Woods had an extramarital affair with Rachel Uchitel. Shortly after, on November 27, Woods was involved in a car accident near his Florida home, resulting in minor injuries and a ticket for careless driving. He later took responsibility for the crash and announced he would not participate in upcoming tournaments due to his injuries.

December 2009: Woods Takes Hiatus from Golf

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

December 2009: Sponsorships Re-evaluated

In December 2009, following Tiger Woods's admission of infidelity, several companies, including Accenture and AT&T, ended their sponsorship deals with him. TAG Heuer also dropped Woods from advertising and eventually ended their deal in August 2011. A study estimated shareholder losses caused by Woods's affairs to be between $5 billion and $12 billion.

2009: Comeback year overshadowed by marital infidelities and break from golf

In 2009, Tiger Woods had a highly anticipated return to golf, performing well and with a notable performance at the Presidents Cup, but he did not win a major, the first time since 2004. At the end of 2009, his marital infidelities were revealed, leading him to announce an indefinite break from competitive golf in December.

2009: Factors Impacting Woods' Projects

In 2009, various problems arose for Woods's projects attributed to overly optimistic value estimates, the global economic downturn, and the decreased marketability of Woods following his infidelity scandal.

February 2010: Status of Al Ruwaya Golf Course

As of February 2010, only seven holes of the Al Ruwaya Golf Course in Dubai, the first course designed by Tiger Woods Design, had been completed.

February 2010: Golf Digest Suspends Column

In February 2010, Golf Digest magazine suspended Tiger Woods's monthly column, which had been running since 1997, due to the controversies surrounding him.

February 2010: Televised apology and endorsement losses

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: Televised Statement and Apology

On February 19, 2010, Tiger Woods gave a televised statement in which he apologized for his actions and discussed his 45-day therapy program. He admitted to feeling entitled and foolish.

August 23, 2010: Divorce from Elin Nordegren

On August 23, 2010, Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren officially divorced after six years of marriage.

October 2010: End of Woods's Second Reign as Top-Ranked Golfer

In October 2010, Tiger Woods's second reign as the top-ranked golfer in the world ended, marking the conclusion of a significant era in his career.

2010: Return to competition, coaching changes, and winless season

In 2010, Tiger Woods returned to competition at the Masters, finishing tied for fourth. He had poor showings at subsequent championships, leading to an injury withdrawal. His coach, Hank Haney, resigned and Woods hired Sean Foley as his replacement. Woods failed to win an event for the first time since turning professional, though he finished the season ranked No. 2.

April 2011: Shelving of the Tiger Woods Dubai project

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 Ends Deal

In August 2011, TAG Heuer officially ended their sponsorship deal with Tiger Woods when his contract expired, following earlier suspension of advertising in December 2009.

November 2011: Woods's World Ranking Falls

In November 2011, Tiger Woods's world ranking fell to number 58, marking a low point in his career.

2011: Continued struggles, caddie change, and winless streak broken

In 2011, Tiger Woods's performance continued to decline, affecting his ranking. Despite a strong showing at the Masters, he missed summer stops due to leg injuries. He fired his caddie, Steve Williams, and after a period with an interim caddie, hired Joe LaCava. After faltering for much of the year, Woods broke his winless streak with a victory at the Chevron World Challenge in December.

2012: Putting adjustment, leg injury, and PGA Tour win

In 2012, Tiger Woods started the season with struggles in final rounds. After being knocked out of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, he revised his putting technique and tied for second at The Honda Classic. Following a short time off due to a leg injury, Woods won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, his first win on the PGA Tour since the BMW Championship in September 2009. He later tied Jack Nicklaus for PGA Tour victories at the Memorial Tournament and then surpassed Nicklaus at the AT&T National.

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 sustained at The Players Championship. He returned at the Open Championship, finishing tied for 6th. Two weeks later, Woods won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. However, he was not in contention at the PGA Championship, marking his fifth full season without a major win.

March 2014: Injury and withdrawal from tournaments

In March 2014, Tiger Woods sustained an injury during the final round of The Honda Classic, withdrawing after the 13th hole due to back pain. He competed in the WGC-Cadillac Championship but was visibly in pain.

April 1, 2014: Back surgery and missed Masters

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

May 2014: Woods's Ranking Falls Again

In May 2014, Tiger Woods's ranking fell again after ascending to the number one ranking in March 2013.

August 25, 2014: Parting ways with swing coach Sean Foley

On August 25, 2014, Tiger Woods and his swing coach Sean Foley parted ways. During their four years together, Woods won eight times but no majors.

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, stating it was unrelated to his previous surgery and that he would take a break from golf.

August 2015: Woods Competes in Last Tournament for a While

In August 2015, Tiger Woods competed in only one tournament between August 2015 and January 2018, marking a period of limited participation due to injuries.

September 16, 2015: Back surgery

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

March 2016: Missing the Masters due to surgery recovery

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

December 2016: Back surgery and time off the Tour

In December 2016, Tiger Woods underwent back surgery and spent the next 15 months off the Tour.

May 29, 2017: Arrest 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: Completion of Intensive Program

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

August 9, 2017: Arraignment and Not Guilty Plea

At his arraignment on August 9, 2017, Tiger Woods had his attorney submit a not guilty plea for him regarding his DUI charge. He agreed to participate in a first-time driving under the influence offender program and attend another arraignment on October 25.

October 27, 2017: Guilty Plea to Reckless Driving

On October 27, 2017, Tiger Woods pleaded guilty to reckless driving. He received a year of probation, was fined $250, and ordered to undergo 50 hours of community service along with regular drug tests. He was prohibited from drinking alcohol during the probation.

2017: Woods Undergoes Back Surgeries

Between 2014 and 2017, Tiger Woods underwent four back surgeries, impacting his ability to compete.

2017: Continued back problems, further surgery, and return to competitive golf

In 2017, Tiger Woods's back problems persisted, leading to him missing the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open and pulling out of a European Tour event. He announced he would not play in the 2017 Masters Tournament and later underwent his fourth back surgery since 2014. He returned to competitive golf at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

February 23, 2021: Woods Hospitalized After Car Collision

On February 23, 2021, Tiger Woods was hospitalized in serious but stable condition after a single-car collision and underwent emergency surgery to repair compound fractures sustained in his right leg in addition to a shattered ankle.