Archive-name: tigerwoods.faq Previously Updated: Fri Mar 20 21:52:07 EST 1998 Previously Updated: Sat Aug 21 17:38:32 EDT 1999 Previously Updated: Mon Jun 19 10:29:49 EDT 2000 Previously Updated: Fri Jun 23 23:42:43 EDT 2000 Previously Updated: Fri Jul 28 22:14:59 EDT 2000 Previously Updated: Tue Jul 16 23:29:10 EDT 2002 Previously Updated: Sun Aug 20 20:53:36 EDT 2006 Updated: Mon Aug 28 11:29:15 EDT 2006 What's New ---------- After nearly four years, I am updating the FAQ to reflect that Tiger Woods is indeed married! The Person ---------- Q. Who is Tiger Woods? Tiger Woods is a professional golf player on the Professional Golf Association Tour. Q. What makes him so special (1998)? Tiger Woods is the first _young_ African-American (see below though) to play on the PGA Tour. His amateur record is astounding, culminating with a historic third U.S. Amateur victory. (See "The Golfer" section below.) He has been widely heralded as the "next great golfer", earning comparisons to Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. In fact, Jack Nicklaus said in an interview with Billy Morris, on April 10, 1996: "Arnold and I both agree that you could take his Masters and my Masters and add them together, and this kid should win more than that. This kid is the most fundamentally sound golfer that I've ever seen at almost any age." Also, "I don't know whether he's ready to win yet or not, but he will be your favorite for the next 20 years. If he isn't, there's something wrong." Tiger won the Masters (April 10-13, 1997) in his first attempt as a professional. Tiger won the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open, totaling three Grand Slam events. Q. Is he really called "Tiger"? Yes. However, for the record, his real name is Eldrick Woods. Tiger is nicknamed after a friend of his father's from Vietnam, named Nguyen Phong. Tiger's father hoped that his son would be famous, and that Mr. Phong would see the name and get in touch. Q. What other personal details can you tell me? What do you want to know? Q. How tall is Tiger? And how much does he weigh? He's 6'2". He is also 158 pounds (according to 12/23/96 Sports Illustrated). Q. When was he born? December 30, 1975. He is an only child. Q. What are his parents' names? His father is Earl, and his mother is Kultida (also Tida). Q. Are his parents still alive? Only his mother is still alive. Earl Woods passed away on May 3, 2006. Q. What is Tiger's background/heritage? Contrary to popular marketing, Tiger is not completely of African-American descent. Earl Woods, his father, is half black, one-quarter American Indian and one-quarter Chinese. Kultida, his mother, is half Thai, one-quarter Chinese and one-quarter white. On the April 24, 1997 Oprah Winfrey show, Tiger said "I'm a 'Cablinasian'", emphasizing that he values his multi-racial background. (The word is a blend of the words Caucasian, black, Indian, and Asian.) Earl is a retired lieutenant colonel for the Army. He had children from a previous marriage. He died May 3, 2006. Q. Where's Tiger's home town? He grew up in Cypress, CA. This is south-east of Los Angeles. He now lives in a home in the villa of Isleworth, in Orlando, Florida. Q. What kind of schooling did he have? He's never attended Qualifying School. Oh, real school? He went to Western High School. He was a student at Stanford, but dropped out to become a professional golfer in his junior year. Q. Does Tiger have an email address? This is from http://www.golfonline.com/tigerweek/chang0330.html Jerry Chang (a friend of Tiger's from junior golf and college) writes at the end of his online diary about life with Tiger Woods during the Players Championship: It's been a fun ride for me, and all the email responses have been great. Unfortunately, I'm unable to answer everyone's questions about Tiger, so I did the best I could. He even read a few of them, but cyberspace isn't for him he says. However, he's stoked (a Southern California term) that he has so many supportive fans out there. So thanks to all of you. Q. How can I contact Tiger then? The Interntational Management Group (IMG) is Tiger's agency. They can be reached at: IMG 1 Erieview Plaza Cleveland OH 44114 216-522-1200 Mail sent to the above address, care of Tiger Woods ("c/o Tiger Woods") should be forwarded to him, although I have not confirmed this. Q. Does Tiger have a girlfriend? Tiger Woods is married to Elin Nordegren. They have been "an item" in the public eye after the 2002 Mastersr. By most accounts, he was introduced to her by Jesper Parnevik. Ms. Nordegren worked for Jesper and his family as a nanny. Q. Has Tiger Woods undergone laser eye surgery? Tiger used to wear glasses. However, in 1999, Tiger underwent laser eye surgery. He now endorses TLC Laser Eye Centers. The doctor who performed his surgery (in twenty minutes) was Dr. Mark Whitten (a TLC Laser Eye Centers Medical Director in Rockville, MD). Visit: http://www.eyesite.net/ The Golfer ---------- Q. What makes him so special again? (1997) When Tiger turned professional (late August 1996), he had already "done everything" as an amateur golfer, including winning the U.S. Amateur an astonishing three times (1996, 1995, and 1994). He has won the U.S. Junior Amateur champion in 1991, 1992 and 1993. His "switch" to becoming a professional was well-crafted. He signed a major deal with Nike. There were ads in the Wall Street Journal and a major television campaign from Nike (a full 60 second ad: "Hello world"). According to the 12/23/96 Sports Illustrated, he "comes closer to achieving optimum launch conditions-a combination of swing speed and angle of impact-than any of the more than 300 touring pros [Titleist] has tested over the last 20 years." He was Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year for 1996 and 1997, becoming the first athlete to have won this title two years in a row. His win at the Masters in 1997 was an astounding changing of the guard. For more on the Masters, see below. Q. What makes him so special again? (2002) In a world of super-sized expectations, Tiger is one of the few athletes who live up to his supposed "greatness". He is a winner without parallel. He has all the professional majors at least once, putting him on a short list of golfers who have achieved this feat (Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Gene Sarazen). Q. What makes him so special again? (2006) In 2006, he won both the British Open and the PGA Championship. Leading up to his victory at the PGA, it was reported that Tiger is 11 for 11 when holding or tied with the 54-hole lead (after three rounds). With his major victory in the PGA, he is now 12 for 12. Q. What's this about a Nike contract (2002)? Over the next five years he's probably going to earn up to $60 million dollars through an endorsement deal with Nike. Tiger will always sport Nike-wear. Phil Knight, the chairman of Nike, said in a statement announcing the signing of Woods: "Nike has always been associated with the world's greatest athletes, and Tiger Woods will be a very important element in Nike's continued growth." Golf only accounts for less than 2% of Nike's annual sales, at the time of Tiger Woods' signing with Nike. Q. What's the big deal with that "bouncing a golf ball on his Q. golf club" Nike commercial (2002)? The ad first begins with a tinkly, light music. Tiger picks up a golf ball on a wedge, and starts bouncing it. He keeps this up for twenty-eight seconds, moving the club deftly from his right to his left side, and between his legs. During one point, he actually allows the ball to rest on the club, before bouncing it again. At the end of the commercial, he gives the ball one last bounce, and then takes a golf-baseball swing at the ball, sending it into the air. If you've never held a sand or lob wedge, you're going to be amazed that you can bounce a ball like this. If you've tried to bounce a ball on a sand or lob wedge, you'll be amazed at the dexterity Tiger displays. The best part about this commercial is that it was entirely spontaneous. Tiger was showing off for the extras during a commercial taping, and the director asked him to do his bounce-the-ball-on-the-club trick for the camera. Per the Associated Press: "... an entirely different ad that will surely add to his legend." The ad was not without controversy. Tiger's equipment, including golf balls, is from Titleist, but the ad was by Nike. Q. What about other endorsements? Tiger has endorsements with American Express, and Tag Heuer (watches). In 1998, Wheaties named Tiger their eighth permanent spokesman, joining him with (among others) Bruce Jenner, Mary Lou Retton, Michael Jordan, and Chris Evert. As of 2002, Tiger endorses Buick. Q. Does Tiger Woods endorse a golf video game? Yes. On February 19, 1998, Electronic Arts (EA) signed a worldwide license for the "interactive entertainment rights" to use Tiger Woods' image. The EA Sports brand makes John Madden Football, Triple Play Baseball, and NASCAR racing, among other titles. Tiger, in the press release, stated: "I've played video games for many years. The chance to work with the top brand in sports gaming and play a key role in the design of an interactive golf product will be an exciting challenge." The endorsement deal is actually a sublicense to Nike, which manages the Tiger Woods "brand". For more information, visit EA on the web: http://www.ea.com/ Q. What equipment does Tiger use in 1997? Before Tiger's endorsement with Titleist, he used a mix of clubs. Golf Digest Web reported this mix: Irons - Mizuno Driver - Cobra 3 Wood - Titleist Wedges - Cleveland Ball and Putter - Titleist Given his endorsement with Titleist, he should be using all Titleist by now. The 12/23/96 Sports Illustrated reported that Tiger's driver is only 43 inches long, "an inch shorter than what most Tour pros use". The Golf Channel (www.thegolfchannel.com) presented this information in their "What's in the Bag" segment, the week Tiger won the 1999 PGA Championship: Driver: Titleist Titanium 975D 7.5 degree Three Wood: Titleist 13 degree Irons (2-PW): Titleist Prototype Wedges (SW, LW): Titleist Vokey Design 56 degree Titleist Vokey Design 60 degree Putter: Scotty Cameron by Titleist Pro Platinum Ball: Titleist Professional 90 Q. What equipment does Tiger use today (2006)? Tiger hits Nike clubs, and Nike golf balls. Q. Who is Tiger's agent? Hughes Norton, of International Management Group (IMG) was Tiger's first agent, according to the 12/23/96 Sports Illustrated. Presently, per Sports Illustrated (8/23/99), his agent is Mark Steinberg. Q. What was his first professional tournament? Tiger's first tournament as a professional was the Greater Milwaukee Open. His debut day was August 29, 1996. He finished tied for 60th place. The winner of that tournament was Loren Roberts. The first professional tournament that he ever entered was the Nissan Open in California. He accepted a sponsor's exemption at the age of 16 in 1992. Q. So...what kind of record does he have as a professional? This is his record in the first seven tournaments that he's played: T60 - Greater Milwaukee Open 11 - Canadian Open T5 - Quad City Classic T3 - B.C. Open 1 - Las Vegas Invitational 3 - Texas Open 1 - Disney Classic In the Las Vegas Invitational, he won in sudden death over Davis Love III. In the Disney Classic, Tiger won after Taylor Smith was disqualified. Had Mr. Smith not been disqualified, Tiger and he would have been in a playoff, since the two were tied at the end of the tournament. He won a stirring one hole playoff in the Mercedes Championships, beating Tom Lehman in the first event of the 1997 PGA Tour season. In April 1997, he won the Masters, breaking several records, and establishing him as the prominent golfer to watch. In August 1999, he won the PGA Championship, winning his second major, fighting off a hard-charging Sergio Garcia to win by one stroke at Medina, Illinois. In 2000, he won three of the four major championships (he missed winning the Masters). His U.S. Open victor in Pebble Beach was an astounding display of golf mastery. In 2001, he won the Masters, completing what the press has called a "Tiger Slam" (having won the past four major tournaments, over consecutive years). Q. What's significant about Tiger's win at the 1997 Masters? For Tiger, this win is significant in that it is his first "Major" as a professional. The four majors (which constitute golf's Grand Slam) are the Masters, the US Open, the British Open, and the US PGA Championship. At the "tournament" level, Tiger broke several records, some by incredible margins. He set a new standard for the famed Augusta National Golf Club, leaving many of his peers shaking their heads. (See below.) On the "impact to race relations" level, this is the first Masters win by a man of African-American/Asian heritage. Charles Sifford (first African-American to win a PGA Tour event (1969)) and Lee Elder (first African-American to play at the Masters (1975)) praised the win, and in return, Tiger praised them for paving the way. Q. What were the records that Tiger set or broke in the 1997 Masters? UPI reported these records on April 13, 1997: Lowest 72-hole total -- 270, old record 271 by Jack Nicklaus, 1965, and Raymond Floyd, 1976. Largest margin of victory -- 12 strokes, old record 9 by Nicklaus, 1965. Largest margin of victory in all 72-hole major championships -- 12 strokes, old record 11 by Willie Smith, 1899 U.S. Open. Old Tom Morris won the 1862 British Open by 13 shots and Young Tom Morris won the 1870 British Open by 12, but both events were played over 36 holes. Youngest winner -- 21 years, 3 months, 15 days. Old record 23 years, 4 days by Seve Ballesteros. Most strokes under par, back nine -- 16, old record 12 by Arnold Palmer, 1962. Low final 54-hole total -- 200, old record 202 by Johnny Miller, 1975 Low middle 36-hole total -- 131, old record 132 by Nick Price, 1986 Most 3's during a tournament -- 29, old record 26 by Larry Nelson, 1984 Q. What records did Tiger Woods tie or break with his win at the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach? According to the UPI (6/18/2000), Tiger tied or broke these U.S. Open records: Low 72 Hole Score -- 272, tied Jack Nicklaus (1880), Lee Janzen (1993). Lowest Score Under Par, 72 Holes -- 12-under. Old record, 8-under (Jack Nicklaus, 1980; Hale Irwin, 1990; Mike Donald, 1990; Lee Janzen, 1993). Lowest Score Under Par, 54 Holes -- 8-under. Old record, 7-under (George Burns, 1981; T.C. Chen, 1885; Curtis Strange, 1988; Mike Donald, 1990; Billy Ray Brown, 1990; Lee Janzen, 1993; Ernie Els, 1994). Low 36 Hole Score -- 134, tied Jack Nicklaus (1980), T.C. Chen (1985), Lee Janzen (1993). Largest Winning Margin -- 15 shots, old record 11 (Willie Smith, 1899). Largest 54 Hole Lead -- 10 shots, old record 7 (Jim Brnes 1921). Largest 36 Hole Lead -- 6 shots, old record 5 (Willie Anderson, 1903; Mike Souchack, 1960). According to the NY Times (6/19/2000), Tiger tied or broke these Major records (records spanning the Grand Slam: Masters, U.S. Open, British Open, PGA Championship): Largest winning margin, 15 strokes (previous record, 13 strokes, Old Tom Morris, 1862 British Open). Largest 54-hole lead, 10 strokes (Henry Cotton, 1934 British Open). And also, these U.S. Open records: Lowest score at any point, 12 under par (Gil Morgan, third round, 1992). Q. What are Tiger's U.S. Open exemptions? Source: 2000 U.S. Open Champtionship / Pebble Beach - Program Tiger qualified for the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach (2000) with the following exemptions: 3 - Winner of the Masters for the last Five Years (1997) 5 - Winner of the PGA of America Championship for the last Five Years (1999) 8 - From the 1999 U.S. Open, 15 Lowest Scores (Including Ties) 9 - From the 1999 PGA Tour Money List, Top 30 16 - From the 1999 Year-End World Ranking, Top 20 Point Leaders Since his U.S. Open victory at Pebble Beach, Tiger is now exempt for the next ten years. 1 - Winner of the U.S. Open for the last Ten Years (2000) Q. What records did Tiger Woods tie or break with his win at the 2000 British Open at St. Andrews (Scotland)? According to SportsTicker (7/23/2000), Tiger's British Open victory makes him: -- the fifth player in history to win all four major championships (Masters, U.S. Open, British Open, PGA Championship) in a career, joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus. -- the youngest player in history (24 years, 7 months) to win all four major championships, breaking the mark held by Nicklaus record (26 years, 6 months at 1966 British Open). -- the youngest player in history (24 years, 7 months) to win a fourth major championship, breaking the mark held by Nicklaus (25 years, 2 months at 1965 Masters). -- the first player since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win three titles in a span of four major tournaments. -- the first player since Jack Nicklaus in 1972 to hold three of the four major championship titles at the same time (1971 PGA, which was played in February, and 1972 Masters and U.S. Open). -- the first player since Tom Watson (1982) to win the U.S. and British Opens in the same year. -- the first player since Nick Price (1994) to win consecutive major championships. With his final-round 69 and total score of 19-under, he: -- broke the major championship record for lowest score in relation to par (18-under), set by Nick Faldo at the 1990 British Open and matched by Woods at the 1997 Masters. -- broke the British Open record for lowest score in relation to par (18-under), set by Faldo at St. Andrews in 1990. -- joined Greg Norman (1993) and Nick Price (1994) as the only British Open champions to shoot all four rounds in the 60s. Q. What is Tiger's record in playoffs? (2006) He is 10-1 in PGA playoffs. His only loss was to Billy Mayfair in the 1998 Nissan Open. His most recent was over Stewart Cink in the 2006 Bridgestone Invitational. Q. What was Tiger's menu at the 1998 Masters Champions dinner? As the winner of the 1997 Masters, Tiger gets to select the menu for the 1998 Masters Champions dinner, a dinner feast for the past winners of this tournament. He will be serving cheeseburgers, grilled chicken sandwiches, french fries, and strawberry or vanilla shakes. Q. Is he the youngest to win on the PGA Tour? No. However, he is the youngest since Phil Mickelson won as a 20-year-old amateur in 1991. Q. What was the "Showdown at Sherwood"? The "Showdown at Sherwood" was a made-for-TV match-play event, pitting Tiger Woods against David Duval. Some would argue that it was a way to manufacture a rivalry; others would say that it was a way to further bring golf "to the masses" (the tournament aired on ABC in prime-time, August 2, 1999). Tiger Woods won the event, 2-and-1. Woods won $1,100,000, Duval $400,000. Each would donate $200,000 to charities. Q. How did he get started playing? Like most kids, he got introduced to the game by his Dad, Earl Woods. Earl, however, makes it quite clear that he raised Tiger to be a golfing prodigy. Anecdotes abound about the way Earl Woods focused Tiger early on golf. Later, when Tiger turned professional, Earl helped pave the path by working for International Management Group (IMG), the firm which eventually would manage Tiger's career. Q. Who is Tiger's coach? Who's his caddy? Tiger's swing coach is Hank Haney. Tiger Woods was formerly coached by Butch Harmon. Tiger Woods' caddy is Steve Williams. Steve is 39 years old, and has caddied for Ray Floyd (12 years) and Greg Norman (a stint). Steve is Tiger's second caddy. Tiger Woods' first caddy was Mike (Fluff) Cowan, an 18-year veteran of the PGA Tour. At Stanford, Tiger was coached by Wally Goodwin. Q. What was Tiger's nickname on the Stanford golf team? Urkel. (See Sports Illustrated, 7/31/2000.) Q: Why did Tiger Woods split ways with his original caddy? In early March of 1999, Tiger Woods fired Mike Cowan. The formal press release stated: In a statement issued on Tuesday, however, Woods said: "I appreciate the support which Fluff has provided and recognize the contributions Fluff has made to my success. But it is time to move on. I feel confident we will remain friends." There has been speculation that Fluff's own off-course endeavors (he managed to film a commercial, and was a minor celebrity) was distracting to Tiger. Q. What's the deal with that cute Tiger club cover in his bag? It's an original. Tiger Woods' mother made this club head cover. At the Skins Game, the ABC announcers said that the words "Love from Mom", in Thai, are stitched on it. Q. Why does Tiger wear the color red on the final day of a tournament? Those with a sartorial eye probably notice that Tiger Woods always wears a red shirt on the Sunday (or final day) of any tournament. Various sources (most notably, an appearance on Jay Leno) confirms that Tiger wears red because his mother feels that it is a "power color" for Tiger. Q. Are there books on Tiger Woods? Yes. There are many now. I recommend: _Tiger Woods: The Makings of a Champion_, by Tim Rosaforte (St. Martin's Press, NY, Copyright 1997, $21.95, ISBN 0-312-15672-3, 240 pages) _Tiger Woods: The Making of a Champion_, by Sports Illustrated (Simon & Schuster, NY, Copyright 1996, $20.00, ISBN 0-684-84226-2, 96 pages) _Tiger: A Biography of Tiger Woods_, by John Strege (Broadway Books, NY, Copyright 1997, $25.00, ISBN 0-553-06219-0, 238 pages) According to the Tiger Woods mailing list, the Rosaforte book is more of a biography, and the Sports Illustrated book is more of a collection of reprints on Sports Illustrated articles on Tiger Woods. Tim Rosaforte was a writer for Sports Illustrated. The John Strege book is a biography by a reporter who has covered Tiger for the Orange County Register, since Tiger was 14 years old. There is also a book out by Tiger's father. _Training a Tiger: A Father's Guide to Raising a Winner in Both Golf and Life_, by Earl Woods and Pete McDaniel (HarperCollins Publishers, NY, Copyright 1997, $16.20, ISBN 0-062-70178-9, 256 pages) Q. Are there videos on Tiger Woods? Yes. There are at least two: "Tiger's Triple" This is a 60 minute video produced and written by Bruce J. Smith for The USGA. You get to see Tiger as a child star through his remarkable teens. USGA P.O. Box 64463, St. Paul, MN 55164-0463 1-800-755-0293 $19.95 plus $4.50 shipping and handling "Tiger Woods: Son, Hero, Champion" This is a special produced by CBS, and was aired on the April 13, the last day of the 1997 Masters. CBS Video 19 Gregory Drive South Burlington, VT 05403 1-800-542-5621 $19.98 plus shipping and handling Thanks to Mark Brown (kymar@mail.bright.net) for this information! Tiger on the Net ---------------- Q. What are some Tiger resources on the Internet? The definitive, Tiger Woods endorsed site is: http://www.tigerwoods.com/ Another good site: http://www.golfweb.com/ga96/bios/twoods.html The author keeps an FAQ and a Web page at: http://www.theworld.com/~rgu/tigerwoods/index.html There's another Tiger Woods Web Site maintained by mairj23@geocities.com: http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/2396/tiger.html There is a Tiger Woods Chat Room at: http://www.golfsw.com/tiger.htm There is a USENET newsgroup called rec.sport.golf, which entertains the occasional discussion of Tiger Woods. This FAQ -------- Q. Who maintains this FAQ? This FAQ is maintained by Rick Umali (rgu@TheWorld.com). Please send any comments about this page his way. Q. Are you Tiger Woods? No. Q. Do you know Tiger personally? No. Q. Who helped with this FAQ? Mark Heesen (mrh@inx.net) gave early corrections to this FAQ. Mark has also provided the wonderful quote by Jack Nicklaus, and much of the source material for this FAQ and the author's Web Site. Joe Daues (cgtltd@phoenix.net) provided help as well (it's Butch, not Bruce). John Stephens (jstephen@pacbell.net) added clarifications on the Disney Classic victory. Charisse Wheby (CWheby@aol.com) pointed out that Tiger's father did have children from an earlier marriage. Mark Brown (kymar@mail.bright.net) provided information on the Tiger videos. BJ Winchester, President, Unity a Multiracial Social Group (Jacksonville, FL) (BJW007@aol.com) pointed out that Tiger Woods is multi-racial, not multi-cultural. Mr. Winchester writes "This is critical to be correct because he has done so much for what we are trying to do as a community and that is acknowledge multiracial kids for ALL of what they are not A part of the sum." Ref (ref@nordnet.fr) maintains the French version of this FAQ at http://home.nordnet.fr/~ref. Thanks to all! Q. How often is this FAQ updated? No comment.