History of Tiger Woods in Timeline
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.
1968: Earl Woods Meets Kultida Punsawad
In 1968, Earl Woods met Kultida (née Punsawad) in Thailand while on a tour of duty, marking the beginning of their relationship.
1974: Johnny Miller Wins
In 1974, Johnny Miller had achieved a feat not achieved again until Tiger Woods finished the 1999 season with eight wins, including the PGA Championship.
1978: Woods's First TV Appearance
In 1978, Tiger Woods made a television appearance on The Mike Douglas Show, putting against comedian Bob Hope.
1988: Woods Wins Junior World Championships
In 1988, Tiger Woods had consecutive wins from 1988 to 1991 at the Junior World Championships.
1989: Woods Plays in First National Junior Tournament
In 1989, at the age of 13, Tiger Woods played in the Big I, his first major national junior tournament, and was paired with pro John Daly.
1991: Woods Wins Junior World Championships
In 1991, Tiger Woods had consecutive wins from 1988 to 1991 at the Junior World Championships.
1991: Woods Named Southern California Amateur Player of the Year
In 1991, Tiger Woods was named Southern California Amateur Player of the Year for the second consecutive year and Golf Digest Junior Amateur Player of the Year.
1994: Woods Graduates High School
In 1994, Tiger Woods graduated from Western High School and was voted "Most Likely to Succeed" among the graduating class. He also learned to manage his stuttering.
1994: First Masters
In 1994, Tiger Woods played in his first Masters. In 2014, he missed the Masters for the first time since 1994 after undergoing back surgery.
1994: Woods Wins Third Consecutive U.S. Junior Amateur
In 1994, Tiger Woods won his third consecutive U.S. Junior Amateur, remaining the event's only three-time winner. He also became the youngest winner of the U.S. Amateur.
1994: Woods Enrolls at Stanford University
In the fall of 1994, Tiger Woods enrolled at Stanford University under a golf scholarship and won his first collegiate event that September.
1995: Woods Defends U.S. Amateur Title
In 1995, Tiger Woods successfully defended his U.S. Amateur title and was voted Pac-10 Player of the Year, NCAA First Team All-American, and Stanford's Male Freshman of the Year.
1995: Woods Competes in Walker Cup
In 1995, Tiger Woods was a member of the American team at the Walker Cup, which they lost.
August 1996: Woods Turns Professional
In August 1996, at age 20, Tiger Woods turned professional and immediately signed advertising deals with Nike, Inc. and Titleist.
1996: Establishment of the TGR Foundation
In 1996, Tiger Woods and his father Earl established the Tiger Woods Foundation (later renamed the TGR Foundation). The primary goal of the foundation was to promote golf among inner-city children.
1996: Woods Turns Professional
In 1996, Tiger Woods turned professional at the age of 20, following an outstanding junior, college, and amateur golf career.
1996: Woods Wins Third Consecutive U.S. Amateur Title
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.
April 13, 1997: Woods Wins First Major
On April 13, 1997, Tiger Woods won his first major, the Masters, in record-breaking fashion and became the tournament's youngest winner at age 21.
1998: Woods Has Lackluster Season
After a successful start to his professional career, Tiger Woods had a lackluster 1998 season.
March 1999: Dismissal of Fluff Cowan
In March 1999, Tiger Woods dismissed his caddie Fluff Cowan, who had been with him since the start of his professional career.
August 1999: Woods Ranked Top Golfer
From August 1999 to September 2004, Tiger Woods was the top-ranked golfer in the world, marking a period of dominance in his career.
1999: Woods Finishes Season with Eight Wins
In 1999, Tiger Woods finished the season with eight wins, including the PGA Championship, a feat not achieved since Johnny Miller did it in 1974.
1999: Woods Undergoes Laser Eye Surgery
In 1999, Tiger Woods underwent successful laser eye surgery to correct his myopia.
1999: Woods Part of Ryder Cup Winning Team
In 1999, Tiger Woods was part of the American winning team for the Ryder Cup.
2000: Woods Achieves Career Grand Slam
In 2000, Tiger Woods won six consecutive events on the PGA Tour and became the youngest golfer to achieve the Career Grand Slam at age 24. At the end of 2000, Woods had won nine of the twenty PGA Tour events he entered and had broken the record for lowest scoring average in tour history.
2000: Belief in Buddhism
In a 2000 article, Tiger Woods stated that he believes in Buddhism, though not every aspect of it. He later attributed his infidelity to losing track of his Buddhist teachings, which emphasize restraint.
2001: Introduction to Elin Nordegren
In 2001, Tiger Woods was introduced to Elin Nordegren during The Open Championship by Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik, who employed her as an au pair.
2001: Woods Wins 2001 Masters
In 2001, Tiger Woods won the Masters, becoming the only player to win four consecutive major professional golf titles, known as the "Tiger Slam", although not in the same calendar year.
2002: ESPN Claims About Woods's Ancestry
In 2002, ESPN claimed that Tiger Woods is one-quarter Thai, one-quarter Chinese, one-quarter African American, one-eighth Caucasian, and one-eighth Native American.
2002: Woods Continues Dominance
In 2002, Tiger Woods continued to dominate the tour following a stellar 2001.
November 2003: Engagement to Elin Nordegren
In November 2003, Tiger Woods became engaged to Elin Nordegren, a Swedish former model.
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.
2003: Start of coaching with Hank Haney
In 2003, Tiger Woods started being coached by Hank Haney, a position that Haney resigned from in 2010.
March 2004: Coached by Hank Haney
In March 2004, Tiger Woods began to be coached by Hank Haney. Haney worked on flattening Tiger's swing plane. Although Woods continued to win tournaments with Haney, his driving accuracy declined significantly.
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.
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.
June 2005: Woods Reclaims Top Ranking
In June 2005, Tiger Woods reclaimed the top spot as the world's number one golfer, beginning another dominant period in his career.
May 3, 2006: Death of Earl Woods
Earl Woods, Tiger Woods's father, died on May 3, 2006.
November 2006: Announcement of Tiger Woods Design
In November 2006, Tiger Woods announced his intention to begin designing golf courses around the world through a new company called Tiger Woods Design.
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.
2006: Opening of the Tiger Woods Learning Center
In 2006, the Tiger Woods Learning Center (TWLC) opened in Anaheim, California. The $50-million, 35,000-square-foot facility provides college-access programs for underserved youth.
August 2007: Announcement of The Cliffs at High Carolina
In August 2007, Tiger Woods announced The Cliffs at High Carolina, a private course in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina. This was another project by Tiger Woods Design.
2007: Birth of Daughter Sam Alexis Woods
In 2007, Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren welcomed their first child, a daughter named Sam Alexis Woods. Woods stated that he chose the name Sam because his own father had always called him Sam.
2007: Woods Undergoes Second Laser Eye Surgery
In 2007, Tiger Woods underwent laser eye surgery a second time due to his vision deteriorating again.
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 2008: Groundbreaking for The Cliffs at High Carolina
In November 2008, groundbreaking took place for The Cliffs at High Carolina. However, the project later faced financial difficulties.
2008: Woods's Record Broken
In 2008, Danny Lee broke Tiger Woods's record of being the youngest winner of the U.S. Amateur.
January 2009: Woods Commemorates Military 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: Woods Visits White House Promoting AT&T National
In April 2009, Tiger Woods visited the White House while promoting the golf tournament he hosts, the AT&T National.
September 2009: BMW Championship Win
In September 2009, Tiger Woods won the BMW Championship. After this, he did not win on the PGA Tour again until 2012, when he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
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: Birth of Son Charlie Axel Woods
In 2009, Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren's son, Charlie Axel Woods, was born.
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.
2009: Last WGC Title before 2013
In March 2013, Tiger Woods won the WGC-Cadillac Championship, giving him his first WGC title since 2009.
2009: Al Ruwaya Golf Course expected completion
The Al Ruwaya Golf Course was initially expected to finish construction in 2009.
2009: Last Block Party concert event
The last Block Party concert event, benefiting the Tiger Woods Foundation, was held in 2009 in Anaheim.
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.
April 2010: Woods Returns to Golf
In early April 2010, Tiger Woods returned to professional golf after a hiatus to resolve marital issues.
May 2010: Hank Haney's Resignation
In May 2010, Hank Haney resigned as Tiger Woods's coach under questionable circumstances. He was subsequently replaced by Sean Foley.
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.
December 2010: TWF Employee Count
As of December 2010, the Tiger Woods Foundation employed approximately 55 people.
2010: Record Broken by Jim Liu
In 2010, Jim Liu broke Tiger Woods's record of being the youngest U.S. Junior Amateur champion. Woods had become the youngest champion at age 15.
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.
June 2011: Dismissal of Steve Williams
In June 2011, Tiger Woods dismissed his caddie Steve Williams after Williams caddied for Adam Scott in the U.S. Open. Woods then replaced Williams with his friend Bryon Bell on an interim basis.
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.
October 2011: Inaugural Tiger Woods Invitational
In October 2011, the Tiger Woods Foundation hosted the first Tiger Woods Invitational at Pebble Beach. This event served as a fundraiser for the foundation.
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: Cheyenne Woods Turns Professional
In 2012, Cheyenne Woods, Tiger Woods's niece, turned professional and made her pro debut in the LPGA Championship.
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.
March 2013: Woods Ascends to Number One Again
In March 2013, Tiger Woods ascended again to the number-one ranking, marking a comeback in his career.
March 18, 2013: Relationship with Lindsey Vonn
On March 18, 2013, Tiger Woods announced that he and Olympic gold medal skier Lindsey Vonn were dating.
May 2013: The Players Championship win
In May 2013, Tiger Woods won The Players Championship, his second career win at the event and his fourth win of the 2013 season, achieving four wins faster than any other season in his career.
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.
2013: Dominating play, multiple wins, and return to world No. 1
In 2013, Tiger Woods had a return to dominating play, winning the Farmers Insurance Open for the seventh time in January. In March, he won the WGC-Cadillac Championship, also for the seventh time, and then the Arnold Palmer Invitational for a record-tying eighth time. This moved him back to the top of the world rankings, and Nike launched an ad to commemorate the achievement.
2013: 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 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.
May 2015: Split with Lindsey Vonn
In May 2015, Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn ended their relationship.
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.
August 2015: Solid showing at Wyndham Championship
In August 2015, Tiger Woods played well at the Wyndham Championship, finishing the tournament at 13-under, only four strokes behind the winner, and tied for 10th place.
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.
April 5, 2016: Attending Masters Champions Dinner
On April 5, 2016, Tiger Woods attended the Masters Champions Dinner, despite missing the tournament due to his recovery.
October 2016: Desire to break Nicklaus's record
In October 2016, Tiger Woods told Charlie Rose on PBS that he still wanted to break Jack Nicklaus's record of 18 major titles.
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: Woods Plays 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.
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.
March 2017: Publication of "The 1997 Masters: My Story"
In March 2017, Tiger Woods published his memoir, "The 1997 Masters: My Story," co-authored by Lorne Rubenstein, focusing on his first Masters win.
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.
August 2017: End of Rumored Relationship with Kristin Smith
From November 2016 to August 2017, Tiger Woods was rumored to be in a relationship with stylist Kristin Smith.
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.
November 2017: Woods Plays 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: 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.
January 2018: Woods Returns to Regular Competition
In January 2018, Tiger Woods returned to regular competition after a period of limited participation due to injuries.
September 2018: Woods Wins Tour Championship
In September 2018, Tiger Woods won his first tournament in five years at the Tour Championship, marking a significant comeback.
September 23, 2018: Tour Championship win
On September 23, 2018, Tiger Woods won the season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club, marking his 80th PGA Tour career win.
May 2019: Woods Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom
In May 2019, Tiger Woods was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Trump, the fourth golfer to receive the honor.
October 2019: Announcement of Memoir "Back"
In October 2019, Tiger Woods announced he would be writing a memoir book titled "Back."
2019: Woods Wins 2019 Masters
In 2019, Tiger Woods won his first major in 11 years at the 2019 Masters, marking a significant career achievement.
2019: Sale of The Cliffs at High Carolina Site
In 2019, the 800-acre site for The Cliffs at High Carolina was sold for $19.3 million after the project suffered cash flow problems and suspended construction.
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.
September 28, 2021: Launch of "Iconic Fist Pumps Collection" NFT
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. This collection featured 10,000 digital pictures of his iconic moments, and some included his official digital signature.
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: Lawsuit Filed by Erica Herman
In early 2023, Erica Herman filed suit against Tiger Woods regarding a non-disclosure agreement, alleging that it violates the Speak Out Act. Herman claimed she was owed $30 million due to breach of an oral agreement.
February 12, 2024: Announcement of "Sun Day Red" Apparel Line
On February 12, 2024, Tiger Woods and TaylorMade announced the launch of his golf apparel line, dubbed "Sun Day Red", which features Woods' signature red shirt.
2024: Listing of land from The Cliffs at High Carolina
In 2024, 550 acres of the original Cliffs at High Carolina site were listed for about the same price as the previous sale, with development plans still on file but no clear evidence of Tiger Woods' involvement.
February 4, 2025: Death of Kultida Woods
Kultida Woods, Tiger Woods's mother, died on February 4, 2025.
March 23, 2025: Relationship with Vanessa Trump confirmed
On March 23, 2025, Tiger Woods confirmed his relationship with Vanessa Trump.
May 2025: Woods's Net Worth Estimated
As of May 2025, Tiger Woods's net worth is estimated at US$ 1.3 billion, according to Forbes.
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