Trevor Ng
Tiger Woods is one of the most famous golfers in the world, but his father, Earl Woods, was also a talented athlete in his own right. Earl was an amateur golfer and a baseball player, and he introduced his son to golf before the age of two. Earl coached Tiger exclusively until he was five years old, and he wrote two books about the process. Earl Woods was also a U.S. Army infantry officer and retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was a constant presence in Tiger's life, both on and off the golf course, and he was instrumental in helping his son turn professional and secure lucrative sponsorship deals.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Earl Dennison Woods |
| Date of Birth | March 5, 1932 |
| Date of Death | May 3, 2006 |
| Military Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Military Service | U.S. Army infantry officer; served two tours in South Vietnam |
| Athletic Achievements | One of the earliest African-American college baseball players at Kansas State University; also played golf |
| Coaching | Coached Tiger Woods exclusively in golf until age five, then sought professional assistance |
| Publications | Training a Tiger: A Father's Guide to Raising a Winner in Both Golf and Life; Playing Through: Straight Talk on Hard Work, Big Dreams and Adventures with Tiger |
| Grandchildren | Cheyenne Woods, Sam Alexis, Charlie Axel |
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What You'll Learn
Earl Woods was an amateur golfer
Earl Woods was captivated by golf from his first experience with the sport. He played frequently for the rest of his life and became a good standard amateur golfer, often scoring in the 70s for 18 holes. He claimed to be playing close to scratch handicap level when his son Tiger was born in 1975.
Earl Woods was also an athlete and a baseball player. He was the first Black baseball player to play for Kansas State University and in the Big Seven Conference, now called the Big 12 Conference. He was also one of the earliest African-American college baseball players.
The Earl Woods National Youth Golf Academy at Colbert Hills Golf Course in Manhattan, Kansas, is named in his honour. He also wrote two books about the process of coaching his son, Tiger: "Training a Tiger: A Father's Guide to Raising a Winner in Both Golf and Life" and "Playing Through: Straight Talk on Hard Work, Big Dreams and Adventures with Tiger".
Earl Woods believed his son, Tiger, was more than just a great golfer. He thought Tiger could change the world and be a bridge between the East and the West. Earl was a constant presence in Tiger's life, both on and off the golf course, and correctly predicted that Tiger would win at least 14 major championships.
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He introduced his son to golf before the age of two
Earl Woods, father of golf legend Tiger Woods, was an athlete himself. He was one of the earliest African-American college baseball players at Kansas State University. He was also a U.S. Army infantry officer who served two tours of duty in South Vietnam and retired as a lieutenant colonel.
Earl Woods introduced his son to golf before the age of two. In a 2021 HBO documentary, Tiger recalled that when he was 10 months old, he walked over to a ball and hit it. Earl Woods was captivated by the sport of golf from his first experience with it. He learned to play at the age of 42, at the Dyker Beach Golf Course in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn. He became a good amateur golfer, often scoring in the 70s for 18 holes.
Earl Woods coached his son exclusively until he was five, after which Tiger received professional assistance from Rudy Duran and John Anselmo, two well-regarded PGA coaches. Earl Woods also wrote two books about his coaching methods: 'Training a Tiger: A Father's Guide to Raising a Winner in Both Golf and Life' and 'Playing Through: Straight Talk on Hard Work, Big Dreams and Adventures with Tiger'.
Tiger Woods grew up in Orange County, California, and became a child prodigy in golf, perhaps the most precocious young golfer in history. He was the youngest golfer to achieve the Career Grand Slam at the age of 24. He went on to break or tie nine tournament records in what Sports Illustrated called "the greatest performance in golf history".
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Earl was a single-digit handicap golfer
Earl Woods, father of golf legend Tiger Woods, was a single-digit handicap golfer. He was also a college baseball player and one of the earliest African-American baseball players at Kansas State University. Earl Woods learned to play golf at the age of 42, in 1972, at the Dyker Beach Golf Course in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn. He started his son, Tiger, in golf at a very young age, introducing him to the sport before the age of two. Earl Woods coached his son exclusively until the age of five and later wrote two books about the process.
Earl Woods was captivated by golf from his first experience with the sport. He played a great deal for the remainder of his life and became a good standard amateur golfer, often scoring in the 70s for 18 holes. He claimed to be playing close to scratch handicap level when his son Tiger was born in 1975. Earl Woods was a constant presence in Tiger's life, both on and off the golf course. He believed that his son was more than just a great golfer and thought he could change the world.
Tiger Woods was greatly influenced by his father, who encouraged and supported him throughout his career. Earl Woods was also instrumental in facilitating his son's path to becoming a professional golfer and securing lucrative sponsorship agreements. In 1996, he hired Connecticut attorney John Merchant, who was the first African American member of the United States Golf Association's Executive Committee. Thanks to his father's efforts, Tiger signed deals with Nike, Titleist, and the International Management Group, becoming a multi-millionaire as soon as he turned professional in 1996.
Earl Woods' passion for golf and his influence on his son's career are well-known. The Earl Woods National Youth Golf Academy at Colbert Hills Golf Course in Manhattan, Kansas, is named in his honour. Additionally, a 2010 Nike commercial featured the somber face of Tiger Woods and the voice of Earl Woods, showcasing the father's belief in his son's potential.
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He coached Tiger exclusively until the age of five
Tiger Woods' father, Earl Woods, was an athlete and golfer himself. Earl was a single-digit handicap amateur golfer and one of the earliest African-American college baseball players at Kansas State University. He was also a member of the Army Special Forces and served two tours in the Vietnam War.
Earl Woods started his son in golf at a very early age, introducing him to the game before the age of two. He coached Tiger exclusively until the age of five, after which he sought professional assistance from PGA coaches Rudy Duran and John Anselmo.
Earl Woods believed in his son's talent and worked closely with him during these early years. He shared the techniques he used in coaching Tiger in two books: "Training a Tiger: A Father's Guide to Raising a Winner in Both Golf and Life" (co-written with Pete McDaniel) and "Playing Through: Straight Talk on Hard Work, Big Dreams and Adventures with Tiger".
In addition to his coaching, Earl played a significant role in Tiger's career, hiring Connecticut attorney John Merchant in 1996 to help facilitate Tiger's transition to professional golf and secure lucrative sponsorship agreements. Earl's influence extended beyond golf, as he also guided Tiger towards an interest in education and children's welfare, which led to the establishment of the Tiger Woods Foundation.
The relationship between father and son was close and complex. Earl was a constant presence in Tiger's life, both on and off the golf course. Despite growing up with a soldier for a father, Tiger claimed he was "'deathly afraid' of his mother as a child". However, he maintained a close bond with his father, who provided encouragement and planted seeds of ambition that fueled Tiger's drive for success.
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Earl Woods was a US Army infantry officer
Earl Woods, father of golf legend Tiger Woods, was a US Army infantry officer. He served two tours of duty in South Vietnam and retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1974. Earl Woods was an athlete and a baseball player at Kansas State University, where he was one of the earliest African-American college baseball players. He learned to play golf at the age of 42, in 1972, at the Dyker Beach Golf Course in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn. He started his son Tiger on the sport at a very young age, and coached him exclusively during his first years in golf. Earl Woods was a constant presence in Tiger's life, both on and off the golf course. He believed his son was more than just a golfer and thought he could change the world.
Earl Woods was stationed in Thailand in 1966, where he met his second wife, Kultida Punsawad, Tiger's mother. Kultida was a civilian working as a receptionist in the US Army's Bangkok office. They married in 1969 in Brooklyn, New York, and their son Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods was born in 1975. Tiger's middle name, Tont, is a traditional Thai name, and his nickname, Tiger, comes from Earl's wartime friendship with South Vietnamese Colonel Vuong Dang "Tiger" Phong.
Earl Woods wrote two books about his techniques for coaching Tiger: "Training a Tiger: A Father's Guide to Raising a Winner in Both Golf and Life", co-written with Pete McDaniel, and "Playing Through: Straight Talk on Hard Work, Big Dreams and Adventures with Tiger". Earl Woods died on May 3, 2006, at the age of 74. The Earl Woods National Youth Golf Academy at Colbert Hills Golf Course in Manhattan, Kansas, is named in his honour.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Earl Woods was a good standard amateur golfer. He started his son Tiger in golf at a very early age and coached him exclusively over his first years in the sport.
Earl Woods was a U.S. Army infantry officer who served two tours of duty in South Vietnam and retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was also one of the earliest African-American college baseball players at Kansas State University.
Yes, Earl Woods wrote two books about the techniques he used to coach his son Tiger: *Training a Tiger: A Father's Guide to Raising a Winner in Both Golf and Life* (co-written with Pete McDaniel), and *Playing Through: Straight Talk on Hard Work, Big Dreams and Adventures with Tiger*.
Earl Woods had a strong influence on his son Tiger Woods. He introduced him to golf at a very early age and coached him exclusively for the first five years. He also supported Tiger throughout his career and believed in his potential to be a great golfer and to change the world.
