Childhood and Education Journey of Tiger Woods in Timeline

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Tiger Woods

An overview of the childhood and early education of Tiger Woods, highlighting the experiences that shaped the journey.

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.

1968: Earl Woods Meets Kultida Punsawad

In 1968, Earl Woods met Kultida Punsawad in Thailand while on tour of duty, where she is originally from.

December 30, 1975: Tiger Woods Born

On December 30, 1975, Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods was born. He would later become one of the most famous and successful golfers in history.

Others born on this day/year

1978: Tiger Woods Appears on The Mike Douglas Show

In 1978, Tiger Woods appeared on The Mike Douglas Show, putting against comedian Bob Hope.

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1984: Tiger Woods Wins Junior World Golf Championships

In 1984, at the age of eight, Tiger Woods won the 9–10 boys' event at the Junior World Golf Championships.

1988: Tiger Woods Wins Junior World Championships

In 1988, Tiger Woods secured one of four consecutive wins at the Junior World Championships.

1989: Tiger Woods Plays in the Big I Tournament

In 1989, at age 13, Tiger Woods participated in the Big I, his first major national junior tournament, and played alongside pro John Daly.

1991: Tiger Woods Wins Junior World Championships

In 1991, Tiger Woods secured one of four consecutive wins at the Junior World Championships.

1991: Tiger Woods Named Player of the Year

In 1991, Tiger Woods was named Southern California Amateur Player of the Year and Golf Digest Junior Amateur Player of the Year.

1992: Tiger Woods Wins U.S. Junior Amateur Championship

In 1992, Tiger Woods defended his title at the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, becoming the tournament's first two-time winner and was named Golf Digest Amateur Player of the Year.

1993: Woods Begins Working with Butch Harmon

In mid-1993, while still an amateur, Tiger Woods began working almost exclusively with leading swing coach Butch Harmon.

1994: Tiger Woods Graduates High School

In 1994, Tiger Woods graduated from Western High School and was voted "Most Likely to Succeed."

1994: Tiger Woods Wins U.S. Amateur

In 1994, at the TPC at Sawgrass in Florida, Tiger Woods became the youngest winner of the U.S. Amateur.

1994: Tiger Woods Enrolls at Stanford

In the fall of 1994, Tiger Woods enrolled at Stanford University on a golf scholarship.

1995: Tiger Woods Defends U.S. Amateur Title

In 1995, Tiger Woods defended his U.S. Amateur title and received several awards including Pac-10 Player of the Year.

1995: Tiger Woods Plays in Walker Cup

In 1995, Tiger Woods participated in the Walker Cup as a member of the American team.

1996: Establishment of the Tiger Woods Foundation

In 1996, Tiger Woods and his father Earl established the Tiger Woods Foundation, initially named the Tiger Woods Foundation, to promote golf among inner-city children.

1996: Tiger Woods Wins Three Consecutive U.S. Amateur Titles

In 1996, at age 20, Tiger Woods became the first golfer to win three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles and won the NCAA individual golf championship. He also left college and turned professional.

1996: Endorsement Deals

Shortly after his 21st birthday in 1996, Tiger Woods signed endorsement deals with numerous companies, including General Motors, Titleist, General Mills, American Express, Accenture, and Nike.

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.

1997: Woods Begins Writing for Golf Digest

Tiger Woods began writing a golf instruction column for Golf Digest magazine in 1997.

1999: Tiger Woods Undergoes Laser Eye Surgery

In 1999, Tiger Woods underwent successful laser eye surgery to correct his severe myopia.

2000: Nike Contract Extension

In 2000, Tiger Woods signed a 5-year, $105 million contract extension with Nike, which was the largest endorsement package signed by a professional athlete at that time. Woods's endorsement helped Nike Golf become a leading golf apparel and equipment company.

2000: Woods Discusses His Buddhist Faith

In a 2000 article, Tiger Woods stated that he "believes in Buddhism ... not every aspect, but most of it."

2001: Woods and Nordegren Introduction

In 2001, Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren were introduced during The Open Championship by Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik.

2001: Publication of "How I Play Golf"

In 2001, Tiger Woods wrote a best-selling golf instruction book, "How I Play Golf", which had the largest print run for a golf book's first edition, with 1.5 million copies.

How I Play Golf
How I Play Golf

2002: ESPN Claims Woods' Ancestry

In 2002, ESPN claimed that Tiger Woods is one-quarter Thai, one-quarter Chinese, one-quarter Caucasian, one-eighth African American, and one-eighth Native American.

November 2003: Woods Engaged to Elin Nordegren

In November 2003, Tiger Woods became engaged to Elin Nordegren.

October 5, 2004: Woods Marries Elin Nordegren

On October 5, 2004, Tiger Woods married Elin Nordegren at the Sandy Lane resort in Barbados.

May 3, 2006: Death of Earl Woods

Earl Woods, Tiger Woods' father, passed away on May 3, 2006.

November 2006: Woods Announces Golf Course Design Company

In November 2006, Tiger Woods announced his intention to begin designing golf courses around the world through a new company, Tiger Woods Design.

2006: Woods Purchased Estate in Jupiter Island, Florida

In 2006, Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren purchased a $39-million estate in Jupiter Island, Florida, and began constructing a 10,000-square-foot home.

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.

2006: Opening of the Tiger Woods Learning Center

In 2006, the Tiger Woods Learning Center (TWLC), a $50-million facility in Anaheim, California, opened, providing college-access programs for underserved youth.

2007: Birth of Sam Alexis Woods

In 2007, Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren's first child, a daughter named Sam Alexis Woods, was born.

2007: Tiger Woods Undergoes Second Laser Eye Surgery

In 2007, Tiger Woods underwent a second laser eye surgery due to deteriorating vision.

2008: Record Broken by Danny Lee

In 2008, Danny Lee broke Tiger Woods's record as the youngest winner of the U.S. Amateur.

January 2009: Speech at Obama Inaugural Celebration

In January 2009, Tiger Woods delivered a speech commemorating the military at the We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial.

April 2009: Visit to the White House

In April 2009, Tiger Woods visited the White House while promoting the AT&T National golf tournament.

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.

2009: Birth of Charlie Axel Woods

In 2009, Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren's son, Charlie Axel Woods, was born.

April 2010: Tiger Woods Returns to Golf

In early April 2010, Tiger Woods returned to professional golf after taking a hiatus to resolve personal issues.

August 23, 2010: Woods and Nordegren Divorce

After six years of marriage, Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren divorced on August 23, 2010.

2010: Record Broken by Jim Liu

In 2010, Jim Liu broke Tiger Woods' record as the youngest U.S. Junior Amateur champion.

2010: Woods Moved to Jupiter Island

In 2010, Tiger Woods moved to the Jupiter Island, Florida estate following his divorce from Elin Nordegren.

2012: Cheyenne Woods Turns Professional

In 2012, Tiger Woods's niece, Cheyenne Woods, turned professional and made her debut in the LPGA Championship.

March 18, 2013: Woods Announces Relationship with Lindsey Vonn

On March 18, 2013, Tiger Woods announced that he and Olympic gold medal skier Lindsey Vonn were dating.

2013: Tiger Woods Moves Out of California

In 2013, Tiger Woods stated that he moved out of California in 1996 due to the state's high tax rate.

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.

May 2015: Woods and Vonn Split Up

In May 2015, Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn ended their relationship.

April 5, 2016: Attending Masters Champions Dinner

On April 5, 2016, Tiger Woods attended the Masters Champions Dinner.

November 2016: Rumored Relationship with Kristin Smith

From November 2016 to August 2017, Tiger Woods was rumored to be in a relationship with stylist Kristin Smith.

December 2016: Golf with President Trump

In December 2016, Tiger Woods played golf with President Donald Trump at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.

March 2017: Publication of "The 1997 Masters: My Story"

In March 2017, Tiger Woods published a memoir, "The 1997 Masters: My Story", co-authored by Lorne Rubenstein, focusing on his first Masters win.

The 1997 Masters: My Story
The 1997 Masters: My Story

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 2017: Rumored Relationship with Kristin Smith ends

From November 2016 to August 2017, Tiger Woods was rumored to be in a relationship with stylist Kristin Smith.

November 2017: Golf with President Trump

In November 2017, Tiger Woods played golf with President Donald Trump at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.

2017: Tiger Woods Undergoes Back Surgeries

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

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.

October 2019: Announcement of Memoir "Back"

In October 2019, Tiger Woods announced that he would be writing a memoir titled "Back".

Roaring Back: The Fall and Rise of Tiger Woods
Roaring Back: The Fall and Rise of Tiger Woods

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.

September 28, 2021: Launch of Tiger Woods' NFT Collection

On September 28, 2021, Tiger Woods' "Iconic Fist Pumps Collection," his first digital Non-fungible token (NFT) collection, launched on the DraftKings Marketplace in collaboration with Autograph.io.

November 2021: Tiger Woods Discusses His Career

In November 2021, in an interview with Golf Digest, Tiger Woods indicated that his full-time career as a professional golfer was likely over.

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: End of Relationship with Erica Herman

Between late 2017 and late 2022, Tiger Woods was in a relationship with restaurant manager Erica Herman.

2023: Herman Files Suit Against Woods

In early 2023, Erica Herman filed suit against Tiger Woods in relation to a non-disclosure agreement, alleging that it violates the Speak Out Act and claiming she was owed $30 million.

January 8, 2024: Parting Ways with Nike

On January 8, 2024, Tiger Woods announced that he would be parting ways with Nike after 27 years, ending one of the most lucrative endorsements any athlete has had.

February 12, 2024: Announcement of "Sun Day Red" Apparel Line

On February 12, 2024, Tiger Woods partnered with TaylorMade to launch his golf apparel line, dubbed "Sun Day Red," featuring his signature red shirt.

February 4, 2025: Death of Kultida Woods

Kultida Woods, Tiger Woods' mother, died on February 4, 2025.

March 23, 2025: Woods Confirms Relationship With Vanessa Trump

On March 23, 2025, Tiger Woods confirmed his relationship with Vanessa Trump.

June 2025: Tiger Woods' Net Worth

As of June 2025, Tiger Woods' net worth is estimated at US$ 1.3 billion, according to Forbes.