Tiger Woods is one of the most prominent names in the world of sports. Born on December 30, 1975, the 43-year-old American professional golfer has built a very strong reputation since he was just a little boy.
Woods, at the age of three, charmed the public with his high-spirited attitude in the fairway. He had a friendly but competitive match with the comedian Bob Hope, and Woods immediately snatched the hearts of the fans ever since.
Start Them Young!
His best buddy in the golf course and prime mentor is his U.S. Army infantry officer father, Earl Woods. Earl can still recall the time when his son had his first ever win against him when he was just eleven years old. Having the taste of victory, Tiger never let his father bounce back after that.
Tiger Woods’ Debut
At the age of 13, Tiger Woods debut on his first tournament with John Daly. Unfortunately, he lost the battle, but having defeated by just one stroke isn’t that bad at all.
He didn’t let that lost define who he was though. In fact, as he reached the age of seventeen, he already took home not just one, not two, but three U.S. Junior Amateur Championships. He actually set a world record of being the only three-time winner on the said competition.
Professional Career
Tiger officially entered the professional level on August 29, 1996, and since then, he has been unstoppable. In less than a year, he had already won the Masters on April 13, 1997.
Tiger was already worth $60 million by the time he was 21, upon signing a $40 million deal with Nike and another $20 million deal with Titleist.
On May 20, 1997, Tiger closed another $30 million deal with American Express. Combining all his brand partnerships and tournament winnings, Tiger was already worth $100 million in a span of eight months. Nike renewed its contract with Tiger in September 2000 for a five-year $100 million deal, and the rest is history.
Off the Course
Tiger is unsurprisingly one of the highest-paid athletes of all time. Having started at a very young age, he never forgets to treat himself for all the hard work he put into his career.
When he is off the course, he either is cruising on a luxury yacht, on a private jet, splashing money on mega-mansions or simply playing video games with the boys.