Eldrick “Tiger” Woods Essay, Research Paper

Golf is one of the fastest growing sports in America. Ten years ago it was a game for doctors, lawyers, and the rich people of our country. This all changed dramatically in 1996 when a twenty-year-old African-American stepped up to the tee box. Eldrick “Tiger” Woods has opened up the game to America’s youth and introduced a new generation of golfers to the game. He is now by far the most popular member of the PGA Tour and one of the most famous athletes today.

Tiger even made noise as a child in the world of golf. He grew up in a California town only thirty-five miles away from Los Angeles. He took a liking to golf right away. He was on the “Mike Douglas Show” at the age of two, putting with Bob Hope. He shot a forty-eight on nine holes as a three-year-old. He won six Optimist International Junior tournaments by the time he was fourteen. He won three U.S. Junior Amateur titles.

He attended Stanford University on a golf scholarship. There he won the U.S. Amateur three times. He is the only person to ever win both the Junior Amateur and the Amateur event. In addition to that he won a NCAA championship. He has the most wins of any golfer to ever go to Stanford. After he won his third straight U.S. Amateur title, he decided to turn professional. Tiger-mania had begun. Upon declaring his intent to become a professional he received forty million dollars worth of endorsement contracts. This caused a media frenzy. Tiger was quick to prove that he was worth the hype when he won the Las Vegas Invitational in only his fifth tournament as a pro. He won the event by beating Davis Love III in a play-off hole. In addition to that he won the Walt Disney World Classic. Aside from his two wins he racked up three other top-ten finishes.

In only four months on the Tour he qualified for the Tour Championship. Tiger was named the 1996 PGA Rookie of the year. In addition to that he won the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year Honor. He earned $790,594 on the PGA Tour placing twenty fifth on the money list.

1997 was a very good year for Tiger. He started out the season by winning the first event of the year, the Mercedes Championship. Then came the biggest victory of his career. In the 1997 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club he won by a record margin of twelve strokes. Later that year he won two more tournaments that earned him many prestigious honors including many Player of the Year Awards.

He only won one tournament in 1998, the BellSouth Classic. But, his play became more consistent, and he gained much recognition as one of the premier long ball hitters. He still spent most of the year ranked as the number one golfer in the world. Perhaps the best thing Tiger has done is introduce the game of golf to America’s youth. He has donated time and money to programs that help get kids off the streets and on the links. His rise to stardom has helped the Tour become the most popular that it has ever been. Fans of all ages flock to the events to see Tiger hit a monster drive even though they may not even play golf.

Tiger Woods is one of the most famous athletes in the world today. His ability as a golfer and as an ambassador of golf makes him the perfect choice to carry golf into the next century. He has brought the game of golf to people who ordinarily wouldn’t have the chance to enjoy it.