Golf-The life and career of Tiger Woods

Former world number one Tiger Woods, whose ranking has slipped to a mind-boggling 416th, celebrates his 40th birthday on Wednesday amid growing speculation over what he may yet still achieve as a competitive golfer after being blighted by injuries and poor form in recent years.

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Here are key facts about Woods’ life and career:

MAKING HIS NAME

* Born in Cypress, California on Dec. 30, 1975. His full name is Eldrick Tont Woods. He was nicknamed “Tiger” after a Vietnamese soldier, a friend to his father in Vietnam.

* A child prodigy, Woods won three consecutive U.S. junior titles and three successive U.S. amateur championships before turning professional in late 1996.

* Ended that year with PGA Tour victories at the Las Vegas Invitational and Walt Disney Classic.

EARLY MAJOR IMPACT

* Became the youngest Masters winner with a tournament record aggregate of 18-under-par 270 at Augusta National in 1997. His victory margin of 12 shots was the biggest in the tournament’s history.

* After a lean spell in 1998, when he revamped his swing with coach Butch Harmon, Woods won eight titles in a golden run on the 1999 PGA tour, including his second major at the PGA Championship.

* In 2000, Woods produced one of the most successful seasons in golfing history. Romped to victory by a record 15 strokes in the U.S. Open, coasted home by eight shots in the British Open and claimed his second PGA Championship.

* Became the fifth and youngest player to win a career grand slam of all four majors and ended the year with nine titles on the PGA Tour.

* Woods won his second Masters crown in 2001 to become the first player to hold all four professional majors at the same time.

via Golf-The life and career of Tiger Woods – Yahoo Sports.