On December 30, Tiger Woods will celebrate his 50th birthday. In recognition of this milestone, SI Golf will reflect on his remarkable life and career, ranking his top 50 defining moments. This will include a mix of his greatest successes, significant business ventures, on-course setbacks, injuries, and even controversies.
This exploration into Woods’s life journey will commence with the ranking of moments 50 to 41 today, with four additional installments leading up to his birthday.
In his late 40s, Woods has focused more on off-course achievements, yet he continues to have a profound influence on the sport, even without actively competing in the majors. Thus, our retrospective begins.
It was initially surprising to see Tiger Woods participating in a televised exhibition, alongside teammates dressed in his signature blood-red attire. Now in his late 40s, Woods is diversifying his business interests. His collaboration with Rory McIlroy to establish an indoor golf league, in partnership with the PGA Tour, marked a bold new venture. The TGL debuted on ESPN last winter and is set to begin its second season soon.
Launched with six teams, Woods captained Jupiter Links and McIlroy led Boston Common. Despite not performing at his best and experiencing a few mishaps during the show, Woods maintained an upbeat demeanor. His team ended up in fifth place over the season, but the formation of this new league presents him with fresh opportunities to contribute to its growth and benefit financially from his investments.
Woods’s journey began at age 18 when he impressively came from six holes down to win the U.S. Amateur final against Trip Kuehne at TPC Sawgrass, marking the first of his three U.S. Amateur titles. Earlier in that tournament, he also came back to defeat Buddy Alexander, a past U.S. Open champion and then-coach of the University of Florida golf team.
One of the most memorable moments of Woods’s career occurred during the 2005 Ford Championship at Doral when he faced off against Phil Mickelson in an intense final round. With heightened anticipation, Woods started two strokes behind. The competition reached its peak as both players battled up the back nine, culminating in Woods reclaiming the top world ranking with a win after a thrilling finish.
