Tiger Woods has been called one of the greatest golfers to ever play the game — but his journey in the spotlight has been full of highs and lows.
The California native was a child prodigy, making his first-ever TV appearance at the age of 2 on The Mike Douglas Show in 1978 to show off his golfing skills. He turned pro in 1996 after competing on the collegiate level at Stanford University.
The golfer went on to score multiple wins over the years at the events such as the PGA Tour. At 24, he became the youngest to win a career Grand Slam at the British Open in 2000. He was also honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019.
The athlete has also made several headlines for his personal life. Woods shares daughter Sam and son Charlie with ex-wife Elin Nordegren. The pair split in 2009 after five years of marriage after reports of the athlete’s infidelity surfaced in the National Enquirer and Us Weekly.
One of his mistresses, Rachel Uchitel, spoke out about her involvement with Woods in a January 2021 HBO Max documentary titled Tiger. “I regret the mistakes that I made,” she said. “But people came at me like they wanted to blame me for the fact that a married man cheated on his wife.”
Woods has also had numerous serious car accidents over the years, including one in March 2026 that led to him being charged with a DUI, property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.
Keep scrolling to see Woods’ ups and downs through the years:
1978
Woods makes his first-ever TV appearance on The Mike Douglas Show at 2. At the time, he showed off his impressive golf talents.
1992
At 16, Woods played in his first professional tournament at the Los Angeles Open.
1994
He enrolled at Stanford University, where he would go on to win 10 collegiate events over a two-year period. He underwent his first knee surgery that same year to have two benign tumors and scar tissue removed.
1995
Woods participated in his first PGA Tour event.
1996
He played in the Greater Milwaukee Open as he made his professional debut that August, finishing in a tie for 60th place. Along with his father, Eldrick, he launched the TGR Foundation to help promote the sport among inner-city children. He was also selected by Sports Illustrated as that year’s Sportsman of the Year. Woods later received the honor again in 2000.
1997
He was awarded the Male Athlete of the Year honor at that the ESPYs. That same year, he won four events during the PGA Tour. (He went on to score eight wins at the PGA Tour two years later.)
2000
He became the youngest player to win the Grand Slam at 24 after playing in the British Open.
2003
Woods got engaged to Elin Nordegren just two years after they were introduced.
2004
Woods and Nordegren tied the knot at a resort in Barbados.
2006
The former child prodigy won back-to-back titles at the British Open, making him the first to do so since Tom Watson in 1982 and 1983. His historic win came two months after he lost his father to prostate cancer.
2007
The athlete welcomed his first child, daughter Sam, with Nordegren.
2009
Nordegren gave birth to their son, Charlie, in February. In November that year, news of Woods’ alleged affair with Rachel Uchitel surfaced in the National Enquirer and he suffered injuries days later after crashing his car into a fire hydrant. Us then broke the news of the athlete’s second alleged affair with Jaimee Grubbs. He addressed the cheating rumors via his website, writing, “I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone.”
He issued another statement via his website where he acknowledged “the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children.” He then announced his “indefinite” break from golf.
2010
He returned to golf post-scandal to play in the Masters Tournament that April, three months before his divorce to Nordegren.
2011
He withdrew from The Players Championship and was later diagnosed with an MCL sprain in his left knee and in his left Achilles tendon. He returned to the links two months later to compete at the Bridgestone Invitational.
2012
He scored his first PGA Tour victory following the cheating scandal.
2013
Woods dropped to his knees in pain while competing during the PGA Tour. That same year, he began dating skier Lindsey Vonn.
2015
Woods and Vonn called it quits after two years together.
2017
He underwent a spinal fusion surgery in April, and one month later was arrested near his Florida home for driving under the influence. He pleaded guilty and was placed on a one-year probation and received a fine and community service. Woods announced in July that he completed an in-patient treatment for his issues with medication. In November, he confirmed his relationship with Erica Herman.
2021
Woods was the subject of a two-part HBO Max documentary, titled Tiger, in January that explored many aspects of his life, including his infamous cheating scandal and his complicated relationship with his father. Shortly after the documentary’s release, Woods announced that he would be postponing his golf season after undergoing his fifth back surgery. In February, the golfer was taken to the hospital and underwent surgery on his legs after being involved in a serious single-vehicle accident in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
2022
While Woods returned to the Masters in April, he dropped out of the Hero World Challenge in November.
“In my preparation and practice for this week’s Hero World Challenge, I’ve developed plantar fasciitis in my right foot, which is making it difficult to walk,” he said in a statement. “After consulting with my doctors and trainers, I have decided to withdraw this week and focus on my hosting duties. My plan is to still compete in The Match and PNC Championship.”
News subsequently broke that Woods quietly had two additional surgeries amid his ongoing injuries from his 2021 accident.
2023
Woods and Herman’s split made headlines when she filed court docs to attempt to nullify the NDA that the athlete had her sign in 2017. She referenced the Speak Out Act, which “prohibits the judicial enforceability of a nondisclosure clause or nondisparagement clause agreed to before a dispute arises involving sexual assault or sexual harassment in violation of federal, tribal, or state law,” per Congress.
In April, Woods withdrew from the Masters in the third round due to an injury after making the cut at Augusta National.
Less than two weeks later, his team confirmed that Woods “underwent a subtalar fusion procedure to address post-traumatic arthritis from his previous talus fracture.”
The statement added: “Tiger is currently recovering and looks forward to beginning his rehabilitation.”
In May, Herman accused Woods of sexual harassment in court documents obtained by Us, claiming that her ex first sexually harassed her shortly after after she began working for his restaurant The Woods Jupiter in 2014. Herman’s attorneys went on to allege that Woods “forced her to sign an NDA” in 2017 or else she would “be fired from her job.” The athlete and Herman were already in a relationship at that point, but the lawyers pointed out in the filing that “a boss imposing different work conditions on his employee because of their sexual relationship is sexual harassment.”
Herman also claimed that Woods sexually harassed her again in 2022 when he allegedly kicked her out of their home. “The landlord made the availability of her housing conditional on her having sexual relationship with a co-tenant,” Herman’s lawyers wrote in the court filing. “That conduct amounts to sexual harassment under federal and Florida fair housing laws.”
2024
Woods was forced to withdraw from the Genesis Invitational in February after suffering from influenza. He also competed in the Masters that same year but ended the tournament with a career-worst of 16-over 304. It was the first time he finished a major championship since he was 47th in the 2022 Masters.
2026
Martin County Sheriff’s Office representatives confirmed on March 27, 2026, that Tiger Woods was arrested and charged with DUI, property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test after being involved in a rollover car crash in Jupiter Island, Florida.
“Our DUI investigators came to the scene here. Mr. Woods did exemplify signs of impairment,” police said in the press conference that same day. “They did several tests. He did explain the injuries and the surgeries that he had. We did take that into account.”
They continued, “Mr. Woods did a breathalyzer test with triple zeros, but when it came time for us to ask for urine analysis test he refused, so he’s been charged with DUI, property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.”
According to reports, Woods’ vehicle was on its side in the aftermath of the crash. The collision came mere days after Woods played golf competitively for the first time in over a year in Los Angeles as part of the Jupiter Links Golf Club.
Source: News – International – usweekly
