Tiger Woods career timeline

Career timeline of Tiger Woods, who is chasing a record-equaling sixth Masters victory

AUGUSTA (AFP) - Career timeline of Tiger Woods, who is chasing a record-equaling sixth Masters victory 14 months after suffering career-threatening leg injuries in a California car crash:

August 1996

Turns pro after an outstanding amateur career and is named the PGA Rookie of the Year.

April 1997

Wins his first major title at the Masters, becoming at 21 the youngest-ever winner at Augusta National. Two months later, he takes the world number one spot for the first time.

June 2000

Wins US Open at Pebble Beach by a record 15 strokes and then becomes the fifth player in history to complete the career Grand Slam by winning the British Open by eight strokes at St Andrews.

April 2001

Wins his second Masters title and completes the "Tiger Slam" as the first golfer to be reigning champion of all four majors simultaneously.

April 2002

Successfully defends his Masters crown and in June he goes on to win his second US Open at Bethpage Black. That makes him the youngest golfer in history to win seven majors.

September 2004

After failing to win another major in 2003 and 2004, Vijay Singh replaces him as world number one after a record run of 264 weeks on top.

April 2005

Woods emerges from "slump" to win a fourth Masters, defeating Chris DiMarco in a playoff. He then wins a second British Open by five strokes at St. Andrews. With his 10th major title he joins Jack Nicklaus in being the only players to win all four major tournaments at least twice.

May, 2006

His father and guiding force Earl Woods dies at 74, but the following month, Woods wins his third British Open at Hoylake for his 11th career major

June 2008

Two months after knee surgery, wins the US Open for his 14th major title, defeating Rocco Mediate in a playoff at Torrey Pines. He promptly announces that he needs more knee surgery and takes the rest of the season off.

February 2009

Nine months later he returns to action, but in November of that year a car accident outside his Florida home unearths a series of infidelities that wrecks his marriage. Takes an "indefinite break from professional golf" to get his life back together.

April 2010

Returns to action at the Masters, where he finishes fourth but injuries mount over the course of the year and his ranking starts to tumble.

March 2013

Woods regains his form in 2012 and the following year, his eighth win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational sees him regain the world number one spot.

March 2014

After a slow start to 2014, Woods injures himself during the Honda Classic and subsequently skips the Masters for the first time to undergo back surgery. Loses world number one spot to Adam Scott in May.

February 2015

Struggles to get his season going and after pulling out injured from a tournament at Torrey Pines, says he will take another break from competition.

September/October 2015

Woods has microdiscectomy to remove spinal disc fragment pinching a nerve, with follow-up procedure to relieve lingering discomfort.

February 2017

Back spasms prompt Woods to withdraw from second round of Dubai Desert Classic, cutting short his return from a 16-month injury layoff.

April 2017

After missing the Masters, Woods announces he had yet another surgery to alleviate pain in his back and leg.

May 2017

Woods arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Jupiter, Florida.

January 2018

Woods makes his return to the PGA Tour with a shared 23rd place finish at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torry Pines, California.

April 2018

Woods finishes tied for 32nd at the Masters, the first major appearance of his comeback.

June 2018

Woods suffers a setback after missing the cut at the US Open at Shinnecock Hills, posting a 78 followed by a 72.

July 2018

Woods bounces back from his US Open disappointment, sharing sixth at the British Open.

August 2018

Woods announces his return to major contention with a second place finish at the PGA Championship, just two back from winner Brooks Koepka.

September 2018

Woods is named in the US Ryder Cup team. He follows with a victory at the Tour Championship in Atlanta.

April, 2019

Woods wins the 83rd Masters, his fifth triumph at Augusta National coming 14 years after his fourth to end an 11-year major championship drought.

October 2019

Wins inaugural Zozo Championship in Japan on return from latest knee surgery to equal all-time record of 82 US PGA Tour wins set by legend Sam Snead 54 years ago

December 2019

Captained and played on the triumphant United States team that defeated the Internationals in the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne, winning all three of his matches.

February 2021

Suffers severe lower right leg injuries in rollover car crash near Los Angeles. Woods spent three months in a hospital bed and months regaining his ability to walk.

April 2022

Announced his plans to compete for another Masters crown on his surgically repaired leg in his first official event since the accident.

 Tiger Woods will be seeking a record-equalling sixth Masters title when the 86th edition tees off on Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club.

Here’s a look at the US superstar’s five Masters victories:

1997: First major

 Woods blazed to a record 18-under par total in winning his first Masters. At 21, he became the youngest player to win at Augusta National and the youngest major championship winner since World War II. His 12-shot margin of victory over Tom Kite was a Masters record and as the first African-American to win the Masters he expanded the game’s audience.

"That was by far the most important tournament I’ve ever won," Woods said. A key consideration back then -- earning a 10-year exemption on the US tour.

"You guys laugh at it now, but it was the coolest thing in the world," Woods once recalled.

2001: Tiger Slam

 Woods became the first golfer to hold all four major trophies simultaneously, carding three straight rounds in the 60s on the way to a two-stroke victory over David Duval.

2002: Back-to-back

 A third-round 66 keyed a victory that made Woods just the third golfer, after Jack Nicklaus in 1965-66 and Nick Faldo in 1989-90, to repeat as Masters champion.

2005: The Chip

Woods was locked in a last-round battle with Chris DiMarco when he produced a shot that has become part of Masters lore. Having missed the green at 16, Woods aimed his chip well left of the pin to let the ball funnel down the slope toward the hole. For an agonizing moment, it paused on the lip of the cup before tumbling in. He would go on to beat DiMarco with a 15-foot birdie putt at the first playoff hole. 

2019: Drought ends

Woods had one successful season behind him when he arrived at Augusta National in 2019, having contended in two majors in 2018 and won the US PGA Tour Championship to confirm his return from spinal fusion surgery.

But doubts lingered that he would be able to win again on the game’s biggest stages, doubts that Woods quelled as he erased a two-shot third-round deficit to beat Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele and Brooks Koepka by one stroke.

Woods, trailing by two through 11, birdied the 13th, 15th and 16th to march past a faltering Francesco Molinari for an emotional victory.