It’s incredible to think that the history of golf goes way back to the 18th century – it was 1764 when the Old Course at St Andrews first opened to the public.

And the fact that it has an estimated 450 million followers worldwide today is testament to its amazing longevity.

What’s more, it still has the capacity to stir up considerable controversy – one only has to look at the split that the LIV breakaway caused before common sense prevailed leading to the compromise now in force.

Throughout its history it has also produced many amazing players from Arnold Palmer to Jack Nicklaus and from Greg Norman to Seve Ballesteros. But none, arguably, have been quite as remarkable as Tiger Woods.

Has any player in the history of the game made so many headlines, for good and bad reasons, or been so captivating to watch? He’s also been a player who’s seen real highs and humbling lows, all of which have gone to create the unique aura that surrounds him.

Away from the course he’s also enjoyed success in other fields including in the casino where he often used to go with that other sporting legend, Michael Jordan. Maybe if some of the best new online casinos had been around at the time he would have stayed at home instead. Perhaps, on reflection, it would have been better for his public image too.

The child prodigy

From an early age it seemed like golfing greatness was on the cards for Woods. By the age of three, yes three, he was getting around a nine-hole course in 48 shots.

By 1993, at the age of 17, he already had three US Junior Titles to his name. In 1994 he won the first of three US Senior Championships before turning professional in 1996.

Already he had developed a booming drive with no difficulty at exceeding 400 yards and this was matched with an excellent short game to create the perfect all-round player.

A career of amazing achievements

The most brilliant period of Woods’ career lasted between 1997 and 2009, and it all got off to a truly flying start.

In the 1997 Masters his 72-hole 270 set a new tournament record leading to a 12 shot victory over runner-up Tom Kite. Not only was he the youngest-ever winner at Augusta, this made him the first ever non-white player to achieve the feat.

In 1999 he became the first player in 20 years to win six PGA titles in a season and in July 2000 he became the youngest-ever player to win four Grand Slam tournaments in a year, carrying off the British Open to add to the US Open that he’d won by ten shots over Ernie Els.

Moving on to 2005, he won both the Masters and The Open beating Chris DiMarco and Colin Montgomerie respectively and enjoyed even more success in 2006 winning no less than nine events.

Despite having knee surgery in 2008, he was back with a vengeance when he returned, winning his third ever US Open title after a tense 18-hole playoff round which, unfortunately, did more damage to his recuperating knee. But his willingness to put his body on the line says all you need to know about the player’s urge to win.

Many regard this as the turning point for the player as following the injury, as well as some well-publicised controversies surrounding his behaviour, he was never quite the same again. The real warning sign came in the 2009 PGA Championship when, despite going into the final round two shots ahead of the rest of the field, he then went on to lose. This was the first ever time that he had gone from leading a major tournament to losing it.

The comeback kid

As well as having numerous operations on his knee, Woods also suffered from persistent back trouble. After all, the pressures put on his body, thanks to his very physical style of play, were bound to take their toll.

So in 2014 he underwent surgery on his back, missing the next couple of seasons to recover. Many wrote him off, believing he could never win another championship again.

But when he went on to claim victory in the 2019 Masters it left the golfing world stunned. It was not only 14 years since he’d last worn the famous green jacket, he was also the second-oldest player, after Jack Nicklaus to win at Augusta.

However, you can only defy time, and its effects on the body, for so long. So when Woods withdrew from the Masters in 2023 despite making the cut for a record-equalling 23rd time, it really did seem like the end of his playing career.

A slightly underwhelming end perhaps, but nothing will ever take away from his very justifiable position as one of, if not the, greatest player ever to wield a three-wood.