Before Tiger Woods golf was not seen as a major sport in popular culture. It was viewed as a game for old white men who spent their days in an office and their evenings and weekends hanging out in country clubs reading the stock pages. Perhaps this stereotype isn’t 100% accurate but golf was not a sport in the mainstream none the less. With Tiger Wood’s emergence as an elite athlete, an advertising icon and a media superstar golf was thrust into the world spotlight. Since his arrival the sport has seen unprecedented success and has been changed for the foreseeable future.
Tiger Woods began golfing as a very young child after being introduced to the game by his Father. Tiger and his Father practiced relentlessly spending countless hours on the course everyday. His Father was a strong influence in young Tiger’s life and as Tiger improved his game the two became closer. Before too long Tiger was beating boys nearly twice his age and had already begun to attract some national media attention. By the age of seven he was well known on the local golf scene and had done many an interview with news stations from all over America. His future was shaping early and many were pegging him as the man who would eventually change the game of golf.
After graduating from high school Tiger Woods attended Stanford University to play golf on a full scholarship. He was an immediate success and his media exposure increased during his time at Stanford University. He was one of the best amateur golfers in the country and a sure bet to eventually turn professional. At Stanford he majored in Economics and earned the nickname “Urkel” by his college teammates. It is unknown exactly how he felt about this moniker bestowed upon him. During his time at Stanford Tiger became the only golfer ever to win three consecutive amateur titles. After two years of college he left Stanford and turned professional.
Tiger Wood’s professional career has been nothing short of ground breaking. Upon beginning his pro career he signed record endorsement deals with Titlist and Nike the likes of which had never been seen in professional golf. Woods accomplishments have been too numerous to list. He has won more majors than any other golfer except for Jack Nicklaus, he was the youngest golfer to ever win a career Grand Slam, which entails willing all four major golf championships and he has topped the money list nine times. This is just a few of his many accomplishments. Recently his professional career has been derailed by admissions of infidelity and a self imposed sabbatical from golf. With his return to the Masters in 2010 came a renewed popularity for golf.
Tiger Wood’s has single handedly thrust golf into the spotlight. As one of the more dominant players in history, as well as being the first African American to hold such a stature interest in the game has been at an all time high. With this popularity have come higher purses for his fellow golfer and a larger number of young athletes taking up the sport of golf. It’s unknown what the future holds, but whatever the results they will certainly be high profile and add to golf’s continued rise in popularity.