Tiger Woods

(Bast)

Tiger Woods

Eldrick "Tiger" Woods (* 30 December 1975 in Cypress, California) is an American professional golfer and already in the early stages of his career one of the most successful golfers in the history of sport. He is currently the bestverdienende athletes worldwide with an annual income of about 100 million US dollars.

Origin and Life
Woods' father, Earl Woods, was a Lieutenant Colonel of the United States Army and 50% of African, Indian, and 25% to 25% of Chinese descent. He was also until his death on 3 May 2006-Chairman of the charitable Tiger Woods Foundation. His mother cult Ilda Woods is half Thailänderin and Dutch mother and Chinese origin. He is also fourth Thai, a quarter Chinese and a quarter of African and one-eighth American Indian and Dutch origin. Because of this background is attributed to him, especially in the non-white and young Americans sympathy and interest for golf to awaken. Tiger Woods is a practicing Buddhist.

He was in Cypress, California, was born and grew up in the area of Los Angeles. The Tigers nickname he got at the birth of Vuong Dang Phong, a friend of his father's, with the war fought in Vietnam. Today is Eldrick Woods practically only under this nickname known, certainly, because in golf a particularly good player of Tiger always been called. His high school was Western High in Anaheim. He studied two years at the Stanford University business administration, before he was a professional golfer.

Since the 5th October 2004, Tiger Woods with the former model Elin Nordegren married. On 18 June 2007 was her daughter Alexis Sam Woods to the world.

Woods has two half-brothers (Earl Jr., and Kevin * 1955, * 1957), and a half-sister (Royce, * 1958) from the 18-year marriage of Earl Woods with his first wife, Barbara Woods Gary.

Amateur career
Already in kindergarten age was Tiger Woods golf lessons. Three years later, he finished a 9-hole round with 48 strokes, at the age of 11 years, he played a round of golf under par (68).

At the age of eight years, he won his first major amateur tournament, namely the Junior World Golf Championship of the 9-10 year old, in 1984 was the youngest age group. As a result, he won this tournament six times, including four times in a row between 1988 and 1991. The U.S. Junior Amateur title he won 1991, 1992 and 1993, so he is still the youngest and the only multiple winner. Over the next three years he won the U.S. Amateur title of the men in front of him was still not succeeded. Here he is the youngest winner to date. From 1994, he played two years for its University, Stanford University, and then won the NCAA title. Thereafter, he was professional.

Professional career
In August 1996, he began his career as a professional and won the same year for two tournaments on the PGA Tour. As a result, he was arrested in the United States for athletes of the year.

In April 1997 he won his first major tournament, the US Masters, with a record distance of 12 shots. On 15 June of that year, he was the first time as the number 1 in the world rankings. In the second half had its shape, however, and in the following year he won not only one tournament. During this time, he worked with the well-known coach Butch Harmon intensively on his swing.

His first comeback in 1999, he laid out in June when he was with winning the Memorial Tournament a unique series of victories in the Gulf started. He won 17 tournaments on the PGA Tour in the next two years, 32 in the next five, was 264 weeks in a row number 1 in the world rankings and won seven of eleven major tournaments. His winning the Masters in 2001 marked the only time in the history of the modern Grand Slam, that a player at the same time all four major titles holds.

In the years 2003 and 2004, his career got a new kink, but he is still one of the most successful golfers in the world, but lost its former dominance. Among other things, he won not a single major and had a leading position in the world rankings to Vijay Singh meanwhile abgeben. Explain trials of journalists ranged between inferior equipment (as he moved one of the last players on the tour and graphite Großkopf Driver), and changes in his private life through the relationship with Elin Nordegren. In fact, he worked initially in secret, again in his swing, this time with the coach Hank Haney. His new swing is also the left knee, which already operates once had to be a better life.

From 2005 it was the second comeback of Tiger Woods. He won the Masters and the Open Championship two other major tournaments and captured the lead in the world rankings and money-rankings of the PGA Tour. His golfing colleagues chose him for the seventh time in nine years to the "Player of the Year" on the PGA Tour.

He 2006 after the death of his father a long break. On his return he failed the first time at the US Open, and thus for the second time ever in a major tournament, at the Cut. Yet he dominated, as usual, and won the two major tournaments Open Championship and PGA Championship. In addition, he is the 50th Victory on the US PGA Tour. Egalisierte early October with the sixth PGA Tour victory in a row his personal record from the year 1999-2000. Such a series presented in a season since Ben Hogan 1948 no more golfers. With the US Ryder Cup team, he had previously in 2004 but, as a high defeat against Europe cope. At the end of October he decided the season due to lack of mental and physical fitness to end prematurely. This was also the first time he is not at the D-The Tour Championship. At the HSBC Champions in Shanghai to the Europe-PGA Tour 2007, but he took part in the tournament and finished at 2 Square. In early November, he gave the founding of his company, "Tiger Woods design," the new golf course designs, known. In November 2006, he won for the seventh time on the PGA Grand Slam of Golf. Moreover, he was by the American news agency AP for the fourth time to athlete of the year.

At its first launch in 2007, he won the 7th US PGA tournament in a row - a personal record, only by Byron Nelson's 11 consequential victory in the year 1945 will be surpassed. The WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship Series tore through a defeat in the quarter-final, finally. At The Masters, he shared the second place. At The PLAYERS Championship he was not on the 37th Rank also. Even with the US Open, he had despite a strong third round with a blow with the residue shared second place satisfied. This placement through the 70Mio. US $ - mark career prize money.

In July, the first time joined Woods as organizer of a golf tournament, the AT & T National. Here, he shared the sixth place.

At The Open Championship, he shared the 12nd Rank.

The WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, he won with eight shots advantage. At the same time, it was the fourteenth victory in a tournament of the World Golf Championships, which in importance with the major tournaments are comparable. Of the first 26 WGC tournaments Tiger Woods has more than half won. The Edit the ninth WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, he won for the sixth time

He won at the 2007 PGA Championship. In the second round, he missed by a Lip-Roller (ball rolling on the hole edge and jumps out) on the last hole a major new lap record barely conceivable. However, with a round of 63 shots (7 under par), setting a new personal record in Major egalisierte rounds, and both the space and Major-lap record.

After the first playoff tournament of the FedEx Cup omitted, he reached the second tournament, the Deutsche Bank Championship, behind Phil Mickelson to the second rank.

He won at the semi-finals, the BMW Championship, where he Course Record materialise, and also before the finals of the FedEx Cup took the lead. This was also his 60th Victory on the US PGA Tour.

Even the finale, THE TOUR Championship, Woods decided (with eight shots ahead). At the same time, he undersold the place to record incredible six shots and played the third tournament in the history of THE TOUR Championship. That he won points with an enormous advantage to Our first FedEx Cup and thus the record prize money in the amount of 10 million US dollars. This amount, however, until the age of 45 or in a premature end to his career, and it paid off until then in a fund.

The USA team won the team against the sovereign International Presidents Cup 2007.

For family reasons, he renounced participation on the PGA Grand Slam of Golf, to him victory at the PGA Championship would be entitled.

He missed the prize money record of Vijay Singh from the 2004 season only about $ 38.000US. To mention is that Woods played only 17 tournaments, while Singh for the record 29 tournaments required.

After elfwöchiger tournament break, the longest of his career, he returned in December 2007 at the Target World Challenge, presented both a new lap record and the tournament record, and won the tournament by seven strokes ahead.

At his first tournament start 2008 he won directly at the Buick Invitational. This has been since 1999, his sixth victory in this tournament and also his 62nd Total on the US PGA Tour, which he gleichzog with Arnold Palmer. A week later, when he won the PGA European Tour counted Dubai Desert Classic.

Even with his second tournament start 2008 on the US PGA Tour when he won the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. Thus, he has 15 of the past 28 has won WGC tournaments.

For his third start on the US PGA Tour he won with a birdie on the last hole at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. With the seventh victory in a row - the ninth victory in the last ten tournaments played (a split second rank) - he also won with 64 titles on the US PGA Tour with Ben Hogan same. For the next WGC-CA Championship, he reached the fifth rank and broke through the 80Mio. US $ - mark career prize money.

At The 2008 Masters as he reached last year to the second place. That he failed to indirectly goal, the Grand Slam to reach directly at the first major tournament of the year.

Records
Among other things, he managed 142 consecutive cuts and spiraled in the 2000 US Open at Pebble Beach since 1862 by Old Tom Morris held record of the largest lead in a major tournament on 15 shots. At the Open Championship the same year at St. Andrews, he reached 19 under par with the lowest score of all the major tournaments. In addition, he holds the scoring record (sometimes together) for all four major tournaments.

On 29 In July 2005, he played in the Buick Open in the second round, the best round of his career. With a 61er round on a par 72 course egalisierte he also with 11 strokes under par the PGA Tour record. A whole series of tournaments he has won more often than any other.

With 67.79 strokes per round, he holds the record for the lowest average number of strokes. He reached this value even in two seasons, 2000 and 2007.

He is the first coloured player, who won the US Open. In the statistics of the major victories he is with 13 titles at position two behind Jack Nicklaus (18 major titles), with the victories on the US PGA Tour with 64 titles, together with Ben Hogan at 3 position behind Jack Nicklaus (73) and Sam Snead (82).

At the age of 30 years and 7 months, he was by far the youngest golfer of the 50th Tournament victory on the US PGA Tour celebrated. The same goes for his 60th Victory.

He is the only player in US PGA Tour history, the ever at the same tournament (WGC-Bridgestone Invitational 1999-2001, 2005-2007) twice hattrick (three victories in a row) did.

As the only player he held the titles of the three WGC tournaments simultaneously (WGC-CA Championship 2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational 2007, WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship 2008).

As the first golfer of the US Tour, he has in three seasons in a row at least eight tournaments won.

As the only player he has in four seasons 7 or more tournaments won.

As the only player he has four different tournaments won at least five times.

He is the only player, which is more than once succeeded, five events of the US PGA Tour in a row to win. He made it three times already

He was nine to the US PGA Tour player of the year - more than any other golfer in history (Jack Nicklaus is on second place with eight awards).

With the victory, THE TOUR Championship and the FedEx Cup 2007, he received a total of 11.26 million US dollars is the highest ever in the sport paid premium.

wikipedia