Tiger Woods turned 50 on Tuesday, Dec. 30, and the life of one of the greatest golfers of all-time is officially over the hill.
Tiger Woods turned 50 on Tuesday, Dec. 30, and the life of one of the greatest golfers of all-time is officially over the hill.
The 15-time major champion and 82-time winner on the PGA Tour has a long list of accomplishments, some which are likely never to be reached again. Lately, because of injuries, Woods' focus has been on helping the PGA Tour forge a new path forward with new commissioner Brian Rolapp and being on dad duty for son Charlie, a talented golfer in the Class of 2027, and daughter Sam, who attends Woods' alma mater, Stanford.
Here's a look at some key moments in his life and career:
Tiger Woods - Quick Facts
Born: December 30, 1975
Birthplace: Cypress, California
Birth name: Eldrick Tont Woods
Parents: Earl Woods, Kultilda (Punsawad) Woods
Marriage: Elin Nordegren (October 5, 2004-August 23, 2010, divorced)
Children: Charlie Axel and Sam Alexis
Education: Stanford University, 1994-1996
Turned Pro: 1996
Major victories: 15
Tiger Woods timeline: Accomplishments through the years
1978: At the age of 2 on the "Mike Douglas Show," Woods wins a putting contest with Bob Hope.
1980: Appears on "That's Incredible."
1991: Wins U.S. Junior Amateur golf championship. Woods is the youngest winner ever.
1992: Wins his second U.S. Junior Amateur golf championship.
February 27, 1992: Competes in his first PGA tournament at the age of 16 on a sponsor exemption.
1993: Wins his third U.S. Junior Amateur golf championship, the only player to ever do so.
Tiger Woods Timeline - Going Pro
1994-1996: Wins three straight U.S. Amateur golf championships, the only player to ever do so.
August 27, 1996: Turns professional.
1996: Signs a five-year, $40 million deal with Nike.
1996: Woods earns $790,594 as a rookie on the PGA Tour and adds a reported $43 million worth of endorsement deals.
January 21, 1997: Announces the formation of the Tiger Woods Foundation.
April 13, 1997: Wins Masters by greatest margin in history.
May 19, 1997: Inks deal with American Express worth between $13 and $30 million.
June 1997: At 21 years, 24 weeks, he becomes the youngest player ever to hold the No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Rankings.
Tiger Woods Timeline - Major steps
Aug. 15, 1999: Wins PGA championship.
June 18, 2000: Wins U.S. Open by 15 shots (right), the largest margin in US Open history.
July 23, 2000: Wins Open Championship.
Sept. 14, 2000: His five-year endorsement contract with Nike is worth an estimated $85 million, making it the richest endorsement contract in sports history.
June 16, 2002: Wins his second U.S. Open.
Dec. 8, 2003: Named PGA Player of the Year for the fifth straight year.
2004: Woods earns $86.3 million, $80 million of which comes from endorsement deals.
May 13, 2005: Misses cut at Byron Nelson Championship. It is the first time since 1998 that Woods fails to make the weekend.
Nov.23, 2005: Wins PGA Grand Slam of Golf for a record-breaking sixth time.
May 3, 2006: Earl Woods dies of prostate cancer.
July 23, 2006: Wins third British Open.
August 20, 2006: Wins third PGA Championship.
August 12, 2007: Wins fourth PGA Championship.
April 15, 2008: Has arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. He had two prior surgeries on the same knee.
Tiger Woods Timeline - Fall from grace
June 18, 2008: Woods announces that he will undergo reconstructive anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery on his left knee and will miss the remainder of the PGA tour season.
Feb. 26, 2009: After an eight-month hiatus from golf due to knee surgery, Woods plays the second round of the World Golf Championships Match Play and loses to Tim Clark.
Nov. 15, 2009: Wins Australian Masters.
Nov. 27, 2009: Goes to hospital after being injured in a car accident in front of his home in Florida early in the morning. He is released later the same day. Woods is issued a citation for hitting a fire hydrant by the Florida Highway Patrol in Windermere, Fla. The resulting fallout and scandal leaves a lasting scar on his personal life and career.
Dec. 2009: Named Athlete of the Decade by the Associated Press.
Feb. 19, 2010: Makes a televised statement apologizing for being unfaithful to his wife and letting down both fans and family.
March 16, 2010: Announces he will begin his 2010 season at the Masters Tournament in April.
Oct. 31, 2010: After 281 straight weeks, the longest in Official World Golf Ranking history, Woods loses his No. 1 ranking to Lee Westwood.
2010: Loses $20 million from estimated endorsements after sponsors including Gatorade and AT&T cut ties. Nike, Upper Deck and EA Sports opt to remain with Woods.
June 7, 2011: Announces he will miss the U.S. Open due to knee and Achilles tendon injuries.
July 19, 2011: Woods announces an end to his a 12-year relationship with caddie Steve Williams.
Tiger Woods Timeline - Comeback No. 1
Aug. 4, 2011: After a nearly three-month break, Woods returns to pro golf at the Bridgestone Invitational.
Aug. 11, 2011: Plays his worst first round of golf in a major championship and misses the cut at the PGA Championship.
Oct. 3, 2011: For the first time in 15 years, Woods fails to make the top 50 in the OWGR list.
Oct. 5, 2011: Signs a new endorsement deal with Swiss watch-maker Rolex.
Dec. 4, 2011: Wins the Chevron World Challenge, though not a PGA Tour event, his first win since November 2009.
March 4, 2012: Shoots a 62 at the Honda Classic at PGA National, his lowest final round as a professional, but ties for second in the tournament.
March 25, 2012: Earns his first PGA Tour win, in the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, since September 2009.
June 3, 2012: Ties Jack Nicklaus on 73 PGA Tour victories at the Memorial Tournament.
July 2, 2012: Beats Nicklaus' PGA Tour record with the AT&T National win. Woods' 74th PGA Tour win ranks him in second place for the all-time list behind Sam Snead with 82 wins.
Sept. 3, 2012: Becomes the first PGA Tour golfer to earn $100 million.
Jan. 28, 2013: Wins 75th PGA tour title.
March 25, 2013: Wins the Arnold Palmer Invitational for the eighth time, and regains the OWGR's No. 1 spot.
May 12, 2013: Wins his 78th PGA tour title at the Players Championship.
August 4, 2013: Wins 79th PGA Tour title at the Bridgestone Invitational.
Tiger Woods Timeline - Pain and peril
March 31, 2014: Woods undergoes back surgery for a pinched nerve.
August 23, 2015: Woods posts a top-10 finish at his debut at the Wyndham Championships, but ends his season as the 257th ranked player in the world. It was his third consecutive missed cut in a major.
Dec. 1, 2015: Woods announces a third microdiscectomy surgery — a procedure to remove bone around a pinched nerve to allow space for it to heal — and admits he is unsure when he will be back on the course.
July 20, 2016: It is announced that Woods will miss the PGA Championship due to his continued recovery from back surgery. It's the first time in his pro career that he has missed all four major championships.
Dec. 4, 2016: Woods finishes 14 shots behind the winner in the Hero World Challenge, his first competitive event in more than a year.
May 29, 2017: Woods is arrested on suspicion of DUI in Jupiter, Fla. He says in a statement that he had "an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications" and that alcohol was not involved.
June 19, 2017: Woods announces that he is receiving professional help to manage medication for back pain and a sleep disorder.
July 3, 2017: Woods announces that he has completed an intensive program for managing his medications.
Oct. 27, 2017: Woods pleads guilty to reckless driving. His 12-month probation is contingent on completing any recommended treatment including DUI school, 50 hours of community services and random drug and alcohol testing. The probation is lifted less than 11 months later.
Tiger Woods - Comeback No. 2
Dec. 3, 2017: Making his long-awaited return from a fourth back surgery — his first tournament for 301 days since pulling out of the Dubai Desert Classic in February — Woods finishes in a tie for ninth place in his Hero World Challenge tournament in the Bahamas.
March 2018: Comes close to winning at the Valspar Invitational and Arnold Palmer Invitational, finishing in the top-five of each event.
April 2018: Struggles in his return to the Masters and settles for T-32.
June 5, 2018: Forbes' list of the world's highest paid athletes ranks Woods at No. 16.
June 2018: Woods begins the U.S. Open with a triple-bogey on the first hole and never recovers. He misses the cut.
July 2018: A strong run at Carnoustie excites the golf world, but Woods cannot overcome Francesco Molinari. He finishes T-6.
August 2018: The comeback continues with another close call at the PGA Championship. Woods was solid at -14, but lost to Brooks Koepka by two shots.
Sept. 2018: Woods is named to the U.S. Ryder Cup team as a player and reaches the Tour Championship ranked No. 20 in the FedEx Cup Standings. He nearly wins the FedEx Cup with his victory at the Tour Championship, his first PGA Tour triumph in 1,876 days and the 80th of his career.
Nov. 23, 2018: Finishes one shot behind Phil Mickelson on the 22nd hole in their winner-take-all, $9 million match in Las Vegas. Despite a major snafu with the pay-per-view delivery, the event is considered a success.
Dec. 2, 2018: Completes the Hero World Challenge in 17th place out of 18 golfers in the Bahamas.
Jan. 27, 2019: Closes with a 5-under 67 in the final round of the 2019 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. He ends the event at 10-under and tied for 20th.
Feb. 17, 2019: After his tournament at Riviera Country Club near Los Angeles is given "Invitational" status starting in 2020, Woods completes a long and grueling stretch in the Genesis Open, playing the final two rounds at 65 and 72. He finished T15 in the event hosted by and held to benefit his foundation.
Feb. 24, 2019: In his first competitive event ever in Mexico, Woods battles throughout the weekend and shows a bit of his old self before settling for a T10 finish. It was his first top-10 finish of 2019 and left him No. 12 in the world.
March 4, 2019: Woods announces that he will not be playing in the Arnold Palmer Invitational tournament in Orlando because of a previously undisclosed neck strain.
March 17, 2019: Finishes T30 in the Players Championship after closing with a 69.
April 11, 2019: Woods begins the Masters with a 2-under 70 and follows that up with a 68 the next day to stand just one shot off the lead heading into Round 3.
April 14, 2019 - Woods closes out a magical day at Augusta National with a one-shot victory in the 83rd Masters, his fifth green jacket, 15th major and 81st PGA Tour victory.
April 15, 2019 - President Donald Trump announces he will give Woods the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The ceremony is later scheduled for May 6, 2019.
Aug. 27, 2019: Wood undergoes arthroscopic surgery on his left knee to repair minor damage. Woods remains committed to the Zozo Championship, set for roughly two months later in Japan.
Oct. 28, 2019: Woods goes wire-to-wire in his 359th PGA Tour start and wins for the 82nd time at the Zozo, tying Sam Snead for the most victories of all-time.
Dec. 20, 2020: Woods make his debut in the PNC Championship with son, Charlie, and the duo finishes seventh.
Dec. 2020: Woods undergoes surgery on his back, a fifth microdiscectomy, to remove a pinched, pressurized disc fragment near his previous spinal fusion.
Tiger Woods - Car crash and recovery
Dec. 2021: Charlie and Woods earn a runner-up finish at the PNC Championship.
Feb. 23, 2021: Tiger Woods gets into an automobile accident in Los Angeles, California, one that severely damages his legs. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said the car "sustained major damage" and Woods was driving over 80 miles per hour, nearly twice the speed limit, before he crashed. He had multiple surgeries in the aftermath of the rollover, specifically on his right leg.
March 9, 2022: Woods is inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, part of the Class of 2021, though the ceremony is held a year later due to COVID-19.
April 2022: Woods returns to competitive action for the first time in more than a year at the Masters, making the cut and finishing T-47.
June 10, 2022: Woods becomes the first golfer in history with a net worth of more than $1 billion.
Aug. 2022: Along with Rory McIlroy, Woods announces the formation of TGL, Tomorrow's Golf League, an indoor simulator league.
April 19, 2023: Woods undergoes surgery on his right ankle, a subtalar fusion procedure. to address his post-traumatic arthritis from his previous talus fracture. This comes after withdrawing following the third round of the Masters.
Aug. 21, 2023: Named by commissioner Jay Monahan to PGA Tour Policy Board as sixth player director.
Nov. 2023: Woods announces himself as team owner of Jupiter Links Golf Club in the TGL.
Jan. 8, 2024: Woods announces he's parting ways with Nike, ending one of the longest-tenured and successful partnerships in sports history, and soon after announces his own apparel brand, Sun Day Red.
April 12, 2024: Sets a Masters record by making his 24th consecutive 36-hole cut.
Sept. 13, 2024: Another back surgery for Woods, who has microdecompression surgery of the lumbar spine for nerve impingement in the lower back.
Dec. 22, 2024: Woods and son Charlie lose in a playoff to Team Langer at the PNC Championship.
Jan. 7, 2025: TGL is launched with Tiger looking on. His team, Jupiter Links Golf Club, makes its debut on Jan. 14.
Feb. 20, 2025: Woods was reported to be in Washington D.C. to be a part of meetings with President Donald Trump, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Public Investment Fund governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan, who oversees LIV Golf.
March 11, 2025: Has surgery for a ruptured left Achilles tendon, an injury he suffered while ramping up training to return at the Masters.
Aug. 20, 2025: New PGA Tour CEO names Woods as the chair of the Future Competitions Committee, looking at how to revamp future PGA Tour schedules.
Oct. 11, 2025: Tiger undergoes his seventh microdiscectomy surgery. 2025 becomes his first year as a pro he did not play a single tournament.
Dec. 30, 2025: Woods turns 50. He's now eligible to compete on the PGA Tour Champions.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Tiger Woods: Biography, timeline and highlights from legendary career
Category: General Sports
