Our ICON Legends series has so far featured a number of sporting legends that can be considered to be among the greatest of all time in their respective fields. We’ve highlighted the phenomenal achievements of the likes of Serena Williams, Michael Schumacher, Lionel Messi and Frankie Dettori.
As we dive into other sports, it feels only right to honour a golfing great. Tiger Woods is undoubtedly one of the best to ever hold a club, with an incredible 15 major titles to his name. Only Jack Nicklaus can boast more than that, having won three more than Woods.
Tiger is also level in the all-time rankings of PGA Tour wins. He’s tied at the top on 82 alongside Sam Snead and with Woods’ career still going strong, he’s got every chance of leapfrogging his way into the undisputed top spot.
Bursting onto the scene
When you consider how early in his career Woods became a superstar, it’s no surprise to learn that his father first got him into the sport at the age of two. His parental guidance combined with natural talent and hard work saw Woods win his first U.S. Junior Amateur Championship when he was just 15.
After turning professional in 1996, he really made a name for himself the following year. Aged just 21, Woods’ performance at the 1997 Masters Tournament etched him into the history books.
The youngster won the iconic competition by an astonishing 12 strokes, which remains the biggest winning margin in the tournament’s history. The win was effectively sealed by his famous chip-in on the 16th, highlighting his exceptional short game.
He ultimately finished 18 shots under, consigning runner-up Tom Kite to second place for the third time in his career. Despite the huge margin of victory, Woods actually started slowly and struggled over the first nine. But he soon got into his stride, winning the second and third rounds and setting a then-tournament record of 270.
The win saw Woods crowned the youngest ever Masters champion and paved the way for dominance. Within two months he became world number one for the first time and he would later go on to hold this position for a remarkable 264 consecutive weeks from 1999 to 2004.
Majors domination
Over the next decade, Woods went on a tear, winning 13 major championships and cementing his place as the most dominant golfer of his generation. During his illustrious career, he’s been ranked No. 1 for a total of 683 weeks and during the early noughties he was virtually unbeatable.
He remains the youngest golfer, and only the fifth ever, to have won all four majors. Remarkably, in 2001 he achieved the feat of winning them all consecutively. He remains the only golfer to have achieved this feat, which was affectionately dubbed the ‘Tiger Slam’.
Woods’ incredible maiden Masters win back in 1997 sowed the seeds for a remarkable record in majors. He’s claimed the green jacket at Augusta five times, as well as winning the PGA Championship four times and the US Open and the Open Championship three times apiece.
Woods’ consistency is unmatched and he holds the record for consecutive cuts on the PGA tour with 142. His brilliance was personified when he played through the pain barrier to win the 2008 US Open in dramatic style.
Rocco Mediate managed to take him to a sudden-death playoff and, despite carrying a serious knee injury, Woods was able to come out on top. He required surgery shortly after the competition, which personified his determination and winning mentality.
The comeback
Despite his achievements, Woods has never been far from controversy. Scandal and marital problems in 2009 threatened to harm his career. But after taking a step back, Woods eventually bounced back to pick up where he left off.
He claimed his 80th PGA Tour win at the 2018 Tour Championship and was arguably back to his best. And it was this win that likely spurred him on to one of his greatest triumphs.
Just a year later, at the age of 43, Woods shocked the golfing world as he won the Masters for the fifth time. It was his first major win for 11 years and after years of battling personal and injury issues, with numerous back surgeries impacting his form, it truly cemented his position as one of the greatest golfers in history. And the golfing world certainly agreed, inducting Woods into the World Golf Hall of Fame three years ago.
Having started out almost 30 years ago, it’s a testament to the man that he’s still competing on the tour today at the age of 48. His Masters win five years ago was astonishing and, barring a miracle, it will almost certainly be the last major title he wins in his career.
It’s unclear when he’ll be hanging up his clubs and while he understandably may not be what he was, it’ll be a sad day when Woods calls time on his career.
