Tiger Woods (Eldrick Tont Woods, born 30 December 1975) is an American professional golfer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins with 82 and second in men's major titles with 15. He won the 1997 Masters by 12 strokes and the 2019 Masters 22 years later. This biography follows his life and career up to November 2026.
Tiger Woods at a Glance
| Full name | Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods |
| Born | 30 December 1975, Cypress, California, United States |
| Age | 50 (as of November 2026) |
| Profession | Professional golfer |
| Turned professional | August 1996, at age 20 |
| Major championships | 15 (second only to Jack Nicklaus's 18) |
| PGA Tour wins | 82 (tied with Sam Snead for the record) |
| World number one | Record spells of 264 and 281 consecutive weeks |
| Honours | World Golf Hall of Fame; Presidential Medal of Freedom (2019) |
| Children | Sam (born 2007) and Charlie (born 2009) |
Early Life
Tiger Woods was born in Cypress, California, the only child of Earl Woods, a retired US Army officer, and Kultida "Tida" Woods, who was from Thailand. His mother chose his first name, Eldrick, because it began with "E" for Earl and ended with "K" for Kultida, and he was nicknamed Tiger in honour of his father's friend, a South Vietnamese colonel also known as "Tiger". He had an outstanding junior, college and amateur career before turning professional in August 1996 at the age of 20 and immediately signing advertising deals with Nike. Earl Woods died on 3 May 2006 and Kultida Woods on 4 February 2025.
Rise to Number One
Woods won his first major, the 1997 Masters, by 12 strokes in a record-setting performance, and reached number one in the world rankings in June 1997, less than a year after turning professional. At the 2000 US Open he won by a major record 15 strokes, which many regard as the greatest performance in golf history. After winning the 2001 Masters he became the only player to hold all four major titles at once in a feat known as the "Tiger Slam". He held the number one ranking for 264 consecutive weeks from August 1999 to September 2004 and for 281 consecutive weeks from June 2005 to October 2010. He completed the career Grand Slam at the youngest age and is one of two golfers, with Jack Nicklaus, to complete it three times. He won the 1999 Ryder Cup with the United States.
Injuries and Comebacks
Woods took a self-imposed break from golf from December 2009 to April 2010 to address marital problems, and he fell to number 58 in the world rankings in November 2011 before returning to number one between March 2013 and May 2014. Injuries led to four back surgeries between 2014 and 2017, and he played only one tournament between August 2015 and January 2018. He won the Tour Championship in September 2018, his first victory in five years, and then the 2019 Masters, his first major in 11 years. In May 2019 President Donald Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. On 23 February 2021 he was hospitalised after a single-car collision and had emergency surgery for compound fractures in his right leg and a shattered ankle. In August 2022 he, Rory McIlroy and the PGA Tour announced the TGL league, and he played for the Jupiter Links team in March 2026.
Records and Awards
Woods has been named PGA Player of the Year a record 11 times, led the PGA Tour money list in 10 seasons, and was Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year three times. He was AP Athlete of the Year four times, and AP Athlete of the Decade for the 2000s. He is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Forbes listed him as the highest-paid athlete in the world for a record 11 years.
Personal Life
Woods married the Swedish former model Elin Nordegren on 5 October 2004 in Barbados, and they had two children, Sam Alexis, born in 2007, and Charlie Axel, born in 2009. They later divorced.
2026 Crash and Plea
On 27 March 2026 Woods was involved in a two-vehicle rollover crash near his home on Jupiter Island, Florida, and no one was injured. On 2 September 2026 he entered a no-contest plea to reckless driving and to refusing a test after the crash, and the original DUI charge was dropped, according to court reports. The judge suspended his driver's licence for five years, and prosecutors said two toxicologists found insufficient proof of impairment.
Legacy
Woods brought golf to a much wider audience and set records that few expect to be matched. His return to win the 2019 Masters after years of injury is often named as one of the great comebacks in sport. This biography draws on [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_Woods) and [WBTV's report on the plea](https://www.wbtv.com/2026/09/02/tiger-woods-enters-plea-agreement-reckless-driving-charge-over-rollover-crash/).
