Tiger Woods joins basketball players Michael Jordan and LeBron James as the only three billionaire athletes in the world. Forbes estimates Tiger Woods’ net worth at least $1 billion, double Ronaldo’s ($500 million).

“Tiger Woods has maintained his status as one of the world’s top-earning athletes, with more than $1.7 billion in earnings from salary, endorsements and other sources over his 27-year career,” Forbes said.

He has earned $121 million in prize money, more than any other professional golfer in history. During the height of his career, he held the top spot on Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes for 10 consecutive years, ending in 2012.

In 2021, the golfer earned $68 million off the course. He has barely played since a serious car accident in late February of the same year. He underwent emergency surgery for a compound fracture in his right leg along with a broken ankle.

In May, Tiger Woods announced his withdrawal from the PGA Championship. He later announced that he would not participate in the 2022 US Open. Tiger Woods said he needed time to get his body stronger, preparing for the Open Championship golf tournament.

However, to this point, less than 10% of Tiger Woods’ career earnings and net worth have come from golf winnings. The majority of his fortune comes from huge contracts with more than 10 brands, including Gatorade, Monster Energy, TaylorMade, Rolex and Nike.

Tiger Woods has used his status and income to expand into a variety of other business ventures, including a golf course design business (TGR Design), a live event production company (TGR Live), and a restaurant (The Woods).

Golfer Tiger Woods is the latest athlete to be ranked as a billionaire by Forbes. Photo: Tiger Woods.

The golf prodigy showed his talent early when he was only a few months old

It is no exaggeration to say that Tiger Woods has been a huge success in the world of golf. The 47-year-old athlete has countless professional victories and awards. This has solidified him as an important figure in the history of this sport. In fact, Tiger Woods has made his mark in golf history with many achievements since he was a 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥.

Born in California (USA) in 1975, the name Tiger was a nickname given to a Vietnamese soldier, a friend of Earl’s father. Later, the name Tiger Woods became more familiar and popular than his real name, Eldrick Tont Woods. He also has two older brothers and a half-sister.

Tiger Woods’ love for golf blossomed when he was just 6 months old, watching his father hit the ball into the net and imitating his swing. Tiger Woods’ father, an amateur golfer, had the privilege of playing golf at the Navy course next to the Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos. Tiger Woods also played golf there.

In 1978, Tiger Woods played against comedian Bob Hope during a television appearance on The Mike Douglas Show. At the age of 3, Tiger Woods shot a 48 on nine holes and was featured in Golf Digest magazine at the age of 5.

At age 8, he won the Boys 9-10 event, the youngest age group available, at the Junior World Golf Championship. He won the Junior World Championships six times in a row, including four straight victories from 1988 to 1991.

Earl said the first time Tiger Woods beat him was when he was 11. Since then, he has always lost to his son. At age 13, the golf prodigy played in the 1989 Big I, marking his first major national junior tournament.

In the years that followed, Tiger Woods continued to have impressive amateur golf achievements. Tiger Woods’ amateur golf career officially ended when he won his third consecutive U.S. Junior Amateur title, setting an unprecedented record.

Photo: Getty Images.

Golf legend with a huge list of achievements

Tiger Woods turned professional in 1996, before he turned 21. Shortly after his 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡day, he signed advertising contracts with Nike, Inc. and Titleist, which were ranked as the most lucrative endorsement deals in golf history at that time.

He was also named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year in 1996 and Rookie of the Year on the PGA Tour. In April 1997, Tiger Woods won his first major tournament – the Masters – and became the youngest winner of the tournament at the age of 21. Two months later, he set a record for the fastest climb to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings.

Tiger Woods finished the 1999 season with eight wins, including the PGA Championship. This is a feat that has not been accomplished since Johnny Miller in 1974. Tiger Woods won four consecutive PGA Tour events at the end of the year and started 2000 with two more victories, making it a total of six consecutive victories. At the age of 25, he became the youngest golfer to achieve the Grand Slam.

Despite his great success at a young age, Tiger Woods also had his downfalls. In 2003 and 2004, the American golfer disappointed when the world number one position was passed to Vijay Singh, ending Tiger Woods’ record 264-week streak…

After this period, Tiger Woods regained his form on the field. To date, the American golfer has a huge record. He has won 82 times on the PGA Tour, including 15 majors and many other victories. He has the lowest scoring average and the highest career earnings of any golfer in PGA Tour history.

Photo: GOLF.com.

The influence of a golfer who once stuttered

In an April post on the Deseret News, writer Doug Robinson explained the “Tiger effect.” Doug wrote: “When Tiger plays, TV ratings, attendance and general interest in the sport skyrocket. When he doesn’t play, everything drops.” This shows that Tiger Woods’ influence is undeniable.

About 26 years ago, many PGA Tour players probably didn’t focus much on practicing for an event. Meanwhile, Tiger Woods continued to have impressive achievements for his young age. According to The New York Times, he was also a fitness fanatic, his extraordinary moves soon leading to the redesign of the world’s top golf courses.

Golfers back then were a combination of many looks, some with bellies bulging over white belts. That image perpetuated the view that golf was not a sport.

Just from behind, one can judge the form and movement of a few dozen top golfers ranging in age from 20 to 40. Nearly all have lean, athletic bodies and flat stomachs. They swing their arms strongly but never lose balance, demonstrating the player’s ability to regulate and develop strength and flexibility. Most learned and honed that combination of spirit and power by watching Tiger Woods hit the ball on the course. Even the coaches standing next to the golfers studied and memorized Tiger Woods’ every move before he turned 30.

Photo: Golf Digest.

Even off the field, Tiger Woods has made a strong impact. The New York Times columnist has always been a commercial supporter. But that relationship blossomed exponentially when Tiger Woods appeared in a memorable Nike TV commercial, staring into the camera and saying, “Hello, world.”

Tiger Woods also showed a warm and caring side to himself. A gifted athlete and a 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 prodigy, Tiger Woods had to learn to correct his stutter. This was not widely known until Tiger Woods published a letter to a boy in the same situation.

“I know what it’s like to be different and sometimes not fit in. I stuttered when I was a kid and I would talk to my dog. He would sit there and listen and then fall asleep. I took two years of classes to help him with his stuttering and I finally got it right,” Tiger Woods said. Tiger Woods’ letter comforted the boy. His mother even framed the letter.