Eldrick "Tiger" Woods is born to Kultida and Earl
Woods in Cypress, Calif. He is nicknamed Tiger in honor of Earl's Vietnam
combat buddy, Nguyen Phong, with whom Earl lost touch after the war. Earl had nicknamed Phong "Tiger" for his unblinking bravery. Earl later
reflects that he hoped "my son would be as courageous as my friend. I also
hoped that someday, somehow, Phong would see the names Tiger and Woods together
and make the
connection."
May 1976
At six months, Tiger takes a liking to golf by watching Earl hit
balls into a
net.
1978
Tiger receives his first golf club from Earl, who tells him: "I've
got news for you: It's going to get worse, not
better."
1978
But it does seem to get better, as Tiger appears on the Mike
Douglas Show and upstages comedian Bob Hope in a driving
contest.
1979
When Earl -- a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army -- takes Tiger,
3, to the Navy Golf Course in Cypress, both are met with alleged discrimination.
Officials twice strip Tiger of his playing privileges, but folklore has it that Earl
makes a bet with the course pro. "I said, 'If you'll spot my three-year-old
just one stroke a hole, nine holes, playing off the same tees, and he beats you,
will you certify him?' The pro started laughing and said, 'Sure.' Tiger beat him
by two strokes, got certified, then the members went over the pro's head and
kicked [Tiger] out again," says
Earl.
1981
Tiger appears on That's Incredible at age 5. He draws raves for his
precocious golfing talent. "The first time I saw Tiger hit a golf ball, I
saw a kid who'd popped out of the womb as a Magic Johnson or a Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart," remembers Rudy Duran, Tiger's first teaching
pro.
1982-89
The Today Show and Good Morning America air profiles on
the young phenom. Tiger is also featured on NBC, CBS, ESPN and
ABC.
Spring 1983
Earl begins making Tiger psychologically tough. He intentionally
distracts Tiger at every opportunity while the seven-year-old tries to shoot.
Later Tiger would say: "I'd get angry sometimes. But I knew it was for the
betterment of
me."
1984
At age 8, Tiger wins his first junior world championship, in the
10-and-under division, with a five-under-par final round at the par-3 Presidio
Hills Golf Course in San
Diego.
1987
He wins Junior World Championships in San Diego at 11. Tiger also goes
undefeated in 30-plus tournaments, most with fields of 100 players or more.
"That's when we knew he was something special, says
Earl.
August 1990
After Tiger plays with 21 touring pros in a round at the Insurance
Youth Golf Classic, a pro-junior event in Fort Worth, Tommy Moore cracks:
"I wish I could have played like that at 14. Heck, I wish I could play like
that at 27." Tiger shoots a 69 and beats or ties 18 of the pros, including
Scott Verplank, Billy Mayfair and Tiger's playing partner,
Moore.
1991
At 15, Tiger becomes the youngest player to win the U.S. Junior Amateur
Championship.
Feb. 27-March 1, 1992
Tiger take part in the Nissan Open at 16 -- his first PGA
Tour event. The youngest person to ever appear in a Tour tournament, he shoots a
147 five-over par and misses the
cut.
November 1993
Tiger accepts a scholarship to attend Stanford University
beginning in the fall of
1994.
1994
Tiger becomes the youngest player to win the U.S. Amateur Championship
just a year after prevailing at the last of three consecutive U.S. Junior
Amateur Championships. Tiger rallies from six holes behind Trip Kuehne in the
match-play event to record the greatest comeback in the tournament's history.
"See, this is the first black intuitive golfer ever raised in the
United States," says Earl afterward. Tiger becomes the only golfer in USGA
history to win both Junior Amateur and Amateur
titles.
Afterward Tiger adds: "I don't want to be the greatest minority
golfer ever; I want to be the greatest golfer ever. I want to be the Michael
Jordan of
golf."
