Tiger Woods is an iconic American golfer, widely regarded as one of the sport's all-time greats. Over the years, he has consistently ranked among the highest-paid athletes globally.
Woods showcased remarkable talent during his junior, college, and amateur years before turning professional at just 20 years old in the summer of 1996. By April 1997, he had already notched three PGA Tour victories, including his first major title at the 1997 Masters, where he triumphed by a staggering 12 strokes, earning $486,000. He quickly ascended to the top of the world golf rankings, achieving the No. 1 position in June 1997, less than a year into his professional career. The 2000s marked Woods’ reign over the sport, as he held the top ranking for an impressive 264 weeks from August 1999 to September 2004, and again for 281 weeks from June 2005 to October 2010.
However, Woods faced personal challenges that led to a hiatus from professional golf between December 2009 and early April 2010, during which he dealt with the fallout from a highly publicized divorce from his wife, Elin. His game suffered, resulting in a drop to No. 58 by November 2011. A turning point came in December 2011 when he ended a 107-week winless streak by winning the Chevron World Challenge. He reclaimed the No. 1 ranking in March 2013 but faced further struggles with injuries and a significant drop to No. 104 by March 2015. By May 2016, he fell out of the world top 500 for the first time in his career, and in July 2017, he reached a low of No. 1,005, highlighting the tumultuous nature of his journey in professional golf.
