Tiger Woods Timeline

At age 21, Woods won the 1997 Masters by a record-setting 12-stroke margin, becoming the youngest Masters champion and the first golfer of African or Asian descent to win a major championship, transforming the sport's global appeal.

Image source: 1997 Masters Tournament

Woods defeated Sergio Garcia in a dramatic duel at Medinah to win the 1999 PGA Championship, his second major title and the start of one of the greatest stretches in golf history.

Image source: 1999 PGA Championship

Woods produced perhaps the most dominant performance in major championship history, winning the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach by 15 strokes with a record score of 12-under par.

Image source: 2000 U.S. Open (golf)

Woods completed the career Grand Slam at age 24 by winning the 2000 Open Championship at St Andrews by eight shots, becoming the youngest player ever to achieve all four modern majors.

Woods edged Bob May in a thrilling three-hole playoff at Valhalla to win the 2000 PGA Championship, completing what many call the 'Tiger Slam' stretch of four consecutive majors.

Image source: 2000 PGA Championship

By winning the 2001 Masters, Woods held all four professional major championships simultaneously, an unprecedented feat dubbed the 'Tiger Slam,' though not achieved in a single calendar year.

Image source: 2001 Masters Tournament

Woods successfully defended his Masters title in 2002, becoming only the third player to win the tournament in consecutive years and claiming his seventh major championship.

Image source: 2002 Masters Tournament

Woods captured the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, winning on a truly public course and demonstrating his dominance across all types of venues.

Image source: 2002 U.S. Open (golf)

Woods won his fourth Masters in a memorable duel with Chris DiMarco, holing a famous chip-in on the 16th hole before prevailing in a sudden-death playoff, marking his ninth major title.

Image source: 2005 Masters Tournament

Weeks after the death of his father Earl, Woods won the 2006 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, playing an emotional and strategically masterful tournament without hitting a single driver.

Image source: 2006 Open Championship

Woods won the 2006 PGA Championship at Medinah, his 12th major title, tying him with Walter Hagen for second-most all time behind Jack Nicklaus.

Image source: 2006 PGA Championship

Woods claimed his 13th major at Southern Hills in Tulsa, continuing his relentless pursuit of Jack Nicklaus's record of 18 major championships.

Image source: 2007 PGA Championship

Playing on a fractured left leg with torn ACL ligaments, Woods defeated Rocco Mediate in a legendary 91-hole U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, widely regarded as one of the most heroic performances in sports history.

Image source: 2008 U.S. Open (golf)

In one of sport's greatest comebacks, Woods won the 2019 Masters, his fifth green jacket and 15th major championship, his first major in nearly 11 years, completing an improbable return from injury and personal turmoil.

Image source: 2019 Masters Tournament

Days after his Torrey Pines triumph, Woods underwent reconstructive ACL surgery, ending his 2008 season. It marked the beginning of a series of injuries that would define the latter half of his career.

Woods crashed his SUV outside his Florida home in November 2009, triggering revelations of numerous extramarital affairs, a public scandal, loss of sponsorships, and an indefinite break from golf.

Woods and Elin Nordegren finalized their divorce in August 2010, roughly nine months after the scandal broke, closing a difficult personal chapter as Woods worked to rebuild his career.

Woods ended a winless streak of more than two years by capturing his own Chevron World Challenge event in December 2011, signaling a return to competitive form.

Image source: Hero World Challenge

Woods won the 2013 Arnold Palmer Invitational, reclaiming the world No. 1 ranking for the first time since October 2010 during a season in which he won five PGA Tour events.

Image source: Arnold Palmer Invitational

Woods had his first back surgery, a microdiscectomy, in April 2014, forcing him to miss the Masters. Back problems would plague him for years and lead to multiple additional surgeries.

Woods underwent spinal fusion surgery in April 2017, a procedure many feared might end his career. Instead, it relieved his chronic pain and set the stage for his remarkable comeback.

Woods was arrested for driving under the influence in May 2017, later attributing it to prescription medications taken after spinal fusion surgery. He subsequently sought help and began a public recovery journey.

Woods capped his stunning comeback by winning the 2018 Tour Championship at East Lake, his 80th PGA Tour victory and first since August 2013, drawing emotional scenes from massive galleries.

Image source: Tour Championship

President Donald Trump awarded Woods the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, recognizing his historic comeback and contributions to American sports.

Image source: Presidential Medal of Freedom

Woods suffered severe leg injuries when his SUV crashed and rolled over in Los Angeles County. Emergency surgery saved his right leg, and his return to competitive golf remained uncertain for months.

Image source: Tiger Woods

Eleven months after his near-fatal crash, Woods returned to competition at the PNC Championship, playing alongside his son Charlie in a heartwarming father-son team event in Orlando.

Image source: Father/Son Challenge