Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods, born Eldrick Tont Woods, is widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers in the history of the sport, with a career that has left an indelible mark on golf and popular culture.

Woods' golf journey began at a very young age, thanks to his father, Earl Woods, who introduced him to the game when he was just a toddler. His prodigious talent became evident as he rapidly rose through the ranks of junior golf. By the age of 21, he had already won his first major tournament, the 1997 Masters, by a record-breaking margin. This victory catapulted him into the limelight and marked the beginning of a remarkable career.

Tiger Woods' dominance in golf is characterized by his impressive record of 15 major championships, including five Masters titles, four PGA Championships, three U.S. Opens, and three British Opens. He held the world No. 1 ranking for a record 683 weeks, showcasing his consistency and excellence over an extended period.

Beyond his achievements, Woods has been a trailblazer in popularizing golf and transcending the sport's traditional boundaries. His impact on the sport's global reach and popularity cannot be overstated. He attracted a diverse and enthusiastic fan base, and his electrifying performances on the golf course made him a household name worldwide. In short, Tiger made golf cool.

During his early career, it appeared that he was going to shatter every major record in golf. However, Woods' career had major challenges including well-documented injuries and a highly publicized personal life. Despite setbacks and adversity, he showed his resilience by returning to competitive golf and even winning the 2019 Masters, marking one of the most remarkable comebacks in sports history.

One may be surprised to find Tiger Woods’ story on AAPI website since he is considered an African American athlete by many.  His father, Earl Woods, was born to African-American parents and was also said to have European, Native American, and possibly Chinese ancestry. His mother, Kultida (née Punsawad), is of mixed Thai, Chinese, and Dutch ancestry. In 2002, ESPN claimed: "For the record, he is one-quarter Thai, one-quarter Chinese, one-quarter Caucasian, one-eighth African American and one-eighth Native American." So, genetically speaking, he has more Asian genes than black genes. Could this be another manifestation of the American tendency to see everyone either as black or white, and leave all other races as afterthought?