Austin Shelton

Ms. Records

English III

8 March 2017

Tiger Woods: A Dominating Force

On December 30th 1975, Eldrick Tont Woods was born in Cypress California to a retired

U.S. Special Forces officer (Earl Woods) and a thai woman (Kultida Woods). Though he had

very humble beginnings, Tiger ( a name given to Eldrick by Earl after a friend from the

Vietnam war) was destined to be a symbol of greatness in the athletic community. Through a

dominating mindset and a tremendous work ethic, Tiger Woods became the most dominating

golfer that the world has ever seen.

From the time Woods could walk, he was being molded by his father to be a great golfer.

At the age of two years old, the young golf prodigy was appearing on television on shows such

as The Mike Douglas Show displaying his awesome talent at the game of golf, and even beating

Bob Hope in a putting competition (Tiger Woods | Biography, Majors, & Facts.). At his home

course which was a naval golf club, Woods was able to post scores of 48 on nine holes, still only

two years old. (About Tiger.) . To provide prospective, the average adult ameture golfer will

post a score of about 50 on nine holes. Young Tiger Woods reached phenomenon status as a

toddler, and was still only in the beginning of his illustrious career with the game of golf.

Though he was an awesome natural talent, the greatness of Tiger Woods was not born but

made. On the path to success, Woods was influenced greatly by his father Earl Woods whom he
hardened Green Beret in Vietnam, whom reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and was non

valued as his mentor and his best friend (Tiger Woods.). The elder Woods was a combat

coincidentally master of cultivating successful men of those under his command; especially

psychologically. Psychological Warfare as Tiger referred to it, was the method that Earl

Woods used to develop his sons mental fortitude and create and unbreakable golfer (Tiger

Woods | Biography, Majors, & Facts.). Specifically When Tiger practiced, Earl made it his

mission to drive his son to distraction by jingling change, dropping golf bags, tearing open the

Velcro his glove, anything to unnerve the young golfer. (Psychological Warfare). The mental

toughness that was instilled in young Woods would help him to dominate the golf for the years

to come.

When the time came for Tiger Woods to take the stage in some of golfs biggest ameture

and pro stages, he not only was able to compete, he was able to thrive. As an ameture golfer

Woods was able to rack up an astounding win resume. Some of these wins included three US

Junior Ameture Championships and three US Ameture Championships (Tigers 40 greatest

numerical records). To someone who doesn't know, the fields of these tournaments include the

best of the best ameture golfers, most of whom go on to play successful professional golf careers.

After an astounding career as an ameture golfer and NCAA golfer, Tiger Woods finally turned

pro in 1996. As a professional golfer, he very quickly established himself as one of the greatest

to ever play. In only his second year on tour he won the Masters Tournament, and never looked

back (Tigers 40 greatest numerical records). In total, Tiger Woods has won 79 pga

tournaments in total, which in fact is second only to Sam Snead. Woods also ended up winning
14 total major championships, with 11 of these wins being completely uncontested by any other

professional golfers that were in the same field.

Although he has fallen four majors short of being the all time record, Tiger Woods is still

the most dominating athlete that the game of golf has ever seen. An entire era of golfers who

were not just golfers, but athletes with unbreakable mental strength were modeled after every

golfer of my generation's hero, idol, and example of success, Eldrick Tont Woods.
 Works Cited

About Tiger. TigerWoods.com, http://www.tigerwoods.com/about-tiger/. Accessed 7 Apr.

2017.

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopdia. Tiger Woods | Biography, Majors, & Facts.

Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc., 25 Apr. 2017,

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tiger-Woods. Accessed 28 Apr. 2017.

Harig: Tiger's impact felt across generations. ESPN.com,

http://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/14360626/tiger-woods-impact-felt-generations.

Accessed 28 Apr. 2017.

Stats incredible: Tiger's 40 greatest numerical records | Golf Channel. Golf Channel,

http://www.golfchannel.com/news/golf-central-blog/stats-incredible-tigers-40-greatest-nu

merical-records/. Accessed 28 Apr. 2017.

Tiger Woods. Biography.com, http://www.biography.com/people/tiger-woods-9536492.

Accessed 28 Apr. 2017.