8 Lesser-Known Facts About Tiger Woods

While Eldrick Tont Woods might not ring a bell, his alias certainly will. Known globally as Tiger Woods, this golfing sensation rose from a young prodigy to a sporting icon, boasting an impressive record of 15 major championships and 82 PGA Tour victories. Discover why he’s called Tiger instead of Eldrick and more intriguing details as you read on.

1. A soldier inspired Tiger Woods' famous nickname.

Born on December 30, 1975, Woods received his nickname from his father, Earl. During his service in the U.S. Army in the Vietnam War, Earl befriended Vuong Dang Phong, a deputy province chief for the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, whom he nicknamed “Tiger” for his bravery. Earl later named his son after Phong. As reported by Golf Digest, Phong had disappeared in Vietnam, and Earl hoped the name might encourage him to reconnect if he was still alive. (Unfortunately, Phong passed away in 1976, a fact the Woods family only discovered in 1997 when Golf Digest investigated his whereabouts.)

His middle name, Tont, likely stems from his mother Kultida’s Thai background. In Thai, Tont translates to beginning.

2. At just 2 years old, Woods golfed with Bob Hope.

Convinced his son was destined for golf greatness, Earl Woods wasted no time showcasing Tiger’s talent. At age 2, Tiger Woods made an appearance on The Mike Douglas Show to display his skills. (Douglas had noticed Woods at a driving range and invited him on the show.) Footage shows Woods swinging a club while guests Bob Hope and Jimmy Stewart watch in amazement.

This wasn’t the final encounter between Hope and Woods: When Woods became a professional at 20 in 1996, The Bob Hope Classic tournament organizers invited him to compete, but he turned them down due to prior commitments.

3. At one point, Woods could have been classified as legally blind.

Sharp vision is essential in golf, a sport that relies heavily on precise hand-eye coordination. However, Woods faced a hurdle: he was nearsighted. He revealed that without glasses or contacts, he would meet the criteria for legal blindness. To address this, he underwent corrective eye surgery in 1999 and again in 2007.

4. Woods starred in a Nike ad that left viewers in awe.

Woods’s talent (and appeal) led to lucrative endorsement deals, such as a five-year, $40 million agreement with Nike in 1996, which was renewed in 2000 for an estimated $100 million. During this period, Woods filmed a commercial for Nike that captivated even those uninterested in sports. In the ad, viewable above, Woods skillfully bounces a golf ball on his club for nearly 30 seconds before launching it into the distance.

The footage was authentic, captured during a break from another commercial shoot. Director Doug Liman noticed Woods casually bouncing the ball and decided to record it. Woods completed the feat in just a few attempts. After three tries, Liman teased him about “choking under pressure.” Woods perfected it on the fourth take.

5. Woods might have negatively impacted other golfers’ performance.

In 2011, economist Jennifer Brown from Northwestern University conducted a study analyzing the performance of golfers competing against Woods from 1999 to 2010. When Woods participated in PGA tournaments, other players’ scores worsened by nearly a full stroke. Brown attributed this to “the superstar effect,” where individuals underperform in the presence of extraordinary talent. She suggested that exceptional skills, whether in sports or other fields, can discourage others, making them feel their chances of success are slim. Brown estimated that Woods may have gained up to $6 million due to this psychological impact on his competitors.

6. Certain golf courses underwent “Tiger-proofing.”

Your impact on a sport is undeniable when the game itself adapts to your supremacy. This occurred in 2001 when Augusta National extended its 6985-yard course by 300 yards following Woods’s multiple major victories. The change aimed to counteract the power and distance modern players like Woods could achieve, a strategy dubbed “Tiger-proofing.” Other courses adopted similar measures. However, it didn’t fully succeed: Woods scored 12 under par at Augusta National in 2002 and claimed yet another victory.

Through his TGR Designs, Woods has created several golf courses, with the most recent revealed for Park City, Utah, in 2023.

7. Woods’s video game faced a recall due to hidden profanities.

Celebrity athletes frequently headline popular video games, and Woods is a prime example. In 1999, Electronic Arts released Tiger Woods ’99 PGA Tour for Sony’s PlayStation. Shortly after, the company had to recall 100,000 copies due to a hidden clip from South Park containing explicit language. Although the clip was hard to find—requiring a PC to access—EA decided to remove the game from stores.

8. Woods once played in a winner-takes-all showdown.

In 2018, Woods faced off against fellow golf icon Phil Mickelson in a high-stakes event called The Match, broadcast on pay-per-view. Mickelson defeated Woods in 22 holes, claiming the $9 million prize. However, Mickelson’s victory might feel less significant given Woods’s 14 major wins compared to his five at the time. As of now, Woods has 15 majors, trailing only Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18.