Tiger Woods Facts: 30 Things You Didn't Know About The Golfing Great

Tiger Woods is arguably the greatest golfer of all time with 15 Major wins and 683 weeks spent as World No.1

Tiger Woods (L) of the United States celebrates on the 18th green after winning the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 14, 2019
Tiger Woods won his 15th Major at the 2019 Masters
(Image credit: Getty Images)
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Tiger Woods bio
Row 0 - Cell 0 Row 0 - Cell 1
Full nameEldrick Tont Woods
Date of birthDecember 30 1975
BornCypress, California
NicknameTiger
Height6ft,1in
ResidesJupiter, Florida
CollegeStanford University
Turned pro1996
PGA Tour wins82
Major wins15
Career high world ranking1st
Current tourPGA Tour
SponsorsTaylorMade, Monster, Rolex, GOLFTV, Bridgestone, Vantelin Kowa, Hero, Upper Deck, Full Swing Simulators, Popstroke, Centinel Spine
Twitter@TigerWoods
Instagram@tigerwoods

Most of us know that Tiger Woods has claimed 15 Major Championship titles in his esteemed career, and also that he's recorded 82 PGA Tour titles – tied for the most all-time with Sam Snead. But there's so much more to find out about the American golfing great.  

We take a look at 30 things you might not know about the five-time Masters Champion and arguably the greatest golfer to set foot on this planet...

Tiger Woods facts:

1. His real name is Eldrick Tont Woods - Eldrick because it has his father's initial at the start (Earl) and his mother's first initial (Kutilda) at the end. What's more, Tont is a traditional Thai name.

2. His father was in the army and named his son Tiger because his fellow solider and friend Col. Vuong Dang Phong was also known as Tiger.

3. Tiger was born in Cypress, in the state of California. 

4. His mother Kultida is Thai and his father Earl was African-American.

5. His father Earl got Tiger into the game at a very young age. Tiger would watch his father hit balls in the garage from his high chair from the age of six months.

6. He first began playing at the Navy Golf Course, which his dad had access to through his job. At the age of three, he shot 48 for nine holes.

7. At the age of eight, Tiger broke 80 for the first time. Four years later, at the age of 12, he broke 70.

8. He had a glittering amateur career, winning the US Junior Championship three years in a row before then winning the US Amateur Championship three years in a row from 1994-1996. He is the only man to do that.

Tiger Woods holding the trophy after his three US Amateur Championship wins

(Image credit: Getty Images)

9. His '96 US Amateur win coincided with his NCAA Championship Division 1 victory. He is one of five men to have won both in the same year. Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Ryan Moore are the others.

10. He enjoys all sports, including basketball, soccer and diving. He is also an avid gamer, enjoying Call of Duty.

11. He opened his first golf course in 2016 – Bluejack National in Montgomery, Texas. He has now designed multiple courses around the world, including in Mexico and China.

12. Aged 24, he became the youngest golfer to win the Career Grand Slam at the 2000 Open Championship.

Tiger Woods kisses the Claret Jug after winning the 2000 Open

(Image credit: Getty Images)

13. The Tiger Woods Foundation helps children worldwide with education and has reached 10 million.

14. He and ex-wife Elin Nordegren have a daughter named Sam and a son named Charlie - whom is a very promising golfer and his PNC Championship partner.

15. He is 3rd in the DP World Tour all-time wins list with 41 victories despite never playing a full season on the DP World Tour.

16. Tiger attended Stanford University. He did not graduate and left to turn professional before the end of his degree.

17. He became the first billion dollar sportsman.

18. He is a buddhist.

19. He has spent 683 weeks as number one in the Official World Golf Ranking, more than double Greg Norman, who has spent the second-longest amount of time as World No.1.

20. He had a stutter as a child and overcame it by taking classes at school and talking to his dog at nights.

21. At the 2019 Zozo Championship, he tied Sam Snead for the most PGA Tour wins ever with 82.

Tiger Woods holds the Zozo Championship trophy in 2019

(Image credit: Getty Images)

22. He has had very few caddies. He started out with Mike 'Fluff' Cowan before moving onto Steve Williams. He then partnered with Joe LaCava, with the pair together from 2011-2023.

23. Woods plays a full bag of TaylorMade clubs barring his Scotty Cameron putter. He uses a Bridgestone ball.

24. He reportedly turned down a LIV Golf offer in the high nine-figures.

25. He now lives in Jupiter, Florida and has practice facilities at his home. He is believed to do most of his work whilst home at Medalist GC.

26. He has had 20 hole-in-ones, with three coming on the PGA Tour.

27. In the 2006-07 season, he had seven consecutive PGA Tour wins. That was the most since Bryson Nelson's 11-in-a-row during the 1945 season.

28. He holds the record for most consecutive cuts made on the PGA Tour with 142. He didn't miss a cut between 1998-2005, beating the previous record of 113.

29. He leads the PGA Tour's career money list with over $120m.

30. His favorite golf course in the world is St Andrews Old Course in Scotland, where he won the 2000 and 2005 Open Championships.

Tiger Woods' net worth and career earnings:

Tiger Woods was the first billion dollar sportsperson and has won over $120m on the PGA Tour. He's still earning $60m in endorsements alone according to Forbes, and has a net worth of $1.1bn and earnings of $1.8bn during his career.

All 15 of Tiger Woods Major wins:

Tiger Woods 1997 Masters

Woods won his maiden Major title at the 1997 Masters, setting the tournament record winning margin of 12 strokes

(Image credit: Getty Images)
  • 1997 Masters
  • 1999 PGA Championship
  • 2000 US Open
  • 2000 Open
  • 2000 PGA Championship
  • 2001 Masters
  • 2002 Masters
  • 2002 US Open
  • 2005 Masters
  • 2005 Open
  • 2006 Open
  • 2006 PGA Championship
  • 2007 PGA Championship
  • 2008 US Open
  • 2019 Masters

Tiger Woods' putter

A close up of Tiger Woods' putter

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Tiger Woods' Scotty Cameron Newport 2 putter is the most famous flat stick in golf. It's been in the bag for 14 of Woods' 15 Majors (he didn't use it in his maiden 1997 Masters triumph). He has used it for around 25 years.

Sam Tremlett
E-commerce Editor

A golfer for most of his life, Sam is a Senior Staff Writer for Golf Monthly. 

Working with golf gear and equipment over the last six years, Sam has quickly built outstanding knowledge and expertise on golf products ranging from drivers, to balls, to shoes. 

He combines this knowledge with a passion for helping golfers get the best gear for them, and as such Sam manages a team of writers that look to deliver the most accurate and informative reviews and buying advice. This is so the reader can find exactly what they are looking for.


Sam now spends most of his time testing and looking after golf gear content for the website, whilst he is also responsible for all content related to golf apparel. 

He also oversees all Tour player content as well so if you need to know what clubs Tiger or Rory has in play, Sam is the person to ask. 

Unfortunately, Sam is not a member of any club at the moment but regularly gets out on the golf course to keep up the facade of having a handicap of five. 


Sam's What's In The Bag: 

Driver: Titleist TS3 (9 degrees) 

Fairway Wood: Callaway Paradym (15 degrees), Nike Covert Tour 2.0 (19 degrees) 

Irons (4-PW): Titleist AP2 

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM7 54˚, 58˚ 

Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom X 5.5 

Ball: Srixon Z-Star Diamond

Shoes: G/FORE Gallivanter/Nike Air Zoom Infinity NEXT%/Cuater The Ringer

With contributions from