name	Golf
union	R&A;USGA
first	15th century, Scotland
contact	No
rules	USGA's Rules of Golf
category	Outdoor
ball	Golf clubs, golf ball
olympic	1900, 1904, 2016, 2020 }}

Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players (or golfers) use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes.

It is one of the few ball games that does not require a standardized playing area. Instead, the game is played on golf "courses", each of which features a unique design, although courses typically consist of either nine or 18 holes. Golf is defined, in the rules of golf, as "playing a ball with a club from the teeing ground into the hole by a stroke or successive strokes in accordance with the Rules."

Golf competition is generally played for the lowest number of strokes by an individual, known simply as stroke play, or the lowest score on the most individual holes during a complete round by an individual or team, known as match play.

Origin[link]

While the modern game of golf originated in 15th century Scotland, the game's ancient origins are unclear and much debated. Some historians trace the sport back to the Roman game of paganica, in which participants used a bent stick to hit a stuffed leather ball. One theory asserts that paganica spread throughout Europe as the Romans conquered most of the continent, during the first century BC, and eventually evolved into the modern game. Others cite chuiwan ("chui" means striking and "wan" means small ball) as the progenitor, a Chinese game played between the eighth and 14th centuries. A Ming Dynasty scroll dating back to 1368 entitled "The Autumn Banquet" shows a member of the Chinese Imperial court swinging what appears to be a golf club at a small ball with the aim of sinking it into a hole. The game is thought to have been introduced into Europe during the Middle Ages. Another early game that resembled modern golf was known as cambuca in England and chambot in France. This game was, in turn, exported to the Low Countries, Germany, and England (where it was called pall-mall, pronounced “pell mell”). Some observers, however, believe that golf descended from the Persian game, chaugán. In addition, kolven (a game involving a ball and curved bats) was played annually in Loenen, Netherlands, beginning in 1297, to commemorate the capture of the assassin of Floris V, a year earlier.

The modern game originated in Scotland, where the first written record of golf is James II's banning of the game in 1457, as an unwelcome distraction to learning archery. To many golfers, the Old Course at St Andrews, a links course dating to before 1574, is considered to be a site of pilgrimage. Golf is documented as being played on Musselburgh Links, East Lothian, Scotland as early as 2 March 1672, which is certified as the oldest golf course in the world by Guinness World Records. The oldest surviving rules of golf were compiled in March 1744 for the Company of Gentlemen Golfers, later renamed The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, which was played at Leith, Scotland. The world's oldest golf tournament in existence, and golf's first major, is The Open Championship, which was first played on 17 October 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club, in Ayrshire, Scotland.

Golf course[link]

A golf course consists of a series of holes, each with a teeing ground that is set off by two markers showing the bounds of the legal tee area, fairway, rough and other hazards, and the putting green surrounded by the fringe with the pin (normally a flagstick) and cup.

The levels of grass are varied to increase difficulty, or to allow for putting in the case of the green. While many holes are designed with a direct line-of-sight from the teeing area to the green, some holes may bend either to the left or to the right. This is commonly called a "dogleg", in reference to a dog's knee. The hole is called a "dogleg left" if the hole angles leftwards and "dogleg right" if it bends right. Sometimes, a hole's direction may bend twice; this is called a "double dogleg".

A typical golf course consists of 18 holes, but nine-hole courses are common and can be played twice through for a full round of 18 holes.

Early Scottish golf courses were primarily laid out on links land, soil-covered sand dunes directly inland from beaches. This gave rise to the term "golf links", particularly applied to seaside courses and those built on naturally sandy soil inland.

The first 18-hole golf course in the United States was located on a sheep farm in Downers Grove, Illinois, in 1892. The course is still situated there today.

Play of the game[link]

Every round of golf is based on playing a number of holes in a given order. A 'round' typically consists of 18 holes that are played in the order determined by the course layout. On a nine-hole course, a standard round consists of two consecutive nine-hole rounds.

Playing a hole on a golf course is initiated by putting a ball into play by striking it with a club on the teeing ground (also called the tee box, or simply the tee). When this initial stroke (or 'shot') is required to be long due to the length of the hole, it is usual (but not required) for a golfer to suspend (or 'tee-up') the ball on a tee prior to striking it. A tee in this last sense is a small peg which can be used to elevate the ball slightly above the ground up to a few centimetres high. This elevation is at the discretion of the golfer. Tees are commonly made of wood but may be constructed of any material; the ball may even be teed on a mound of grass or dirt (at one time a small pile of sand placed by the golfer was routinely used and sand was provided at teeing grounds for golfers' use).

When the initial shot on a hole is a long-distance shot intended to move the ball a great distance down the fairway, this shot is commonly called a 'drive'. Shorter holes generally are initiated with shorter clubs called irons. Once the ball comes to rest, the golfer strikes it again as many times as necessary using shots that are variously known as a 'lay-up', an 'approach', a 'pitch', or a 'chip', until the ball reaches the green, where he or she then 'putts' the ball into the hole (commonly called "sinking the putt"). The goal of getting the ball into the hole ("holing" the ball) in as few strokes as possible may be impeded by obstacles such as areas of long grass called 'rough' (usually found alongside fairways) which both slows any ball that contacts it and makes it harder to advance a ball that has stopped on it, bunkers (or sand traps), and water hazards. In most forms of gameplay, each player plays his or her ball until it is holed.

Players can walk to their next shot or drive in golf carts over the course. The game can be played either individually or in groups and sometimes accompanied by caddies, who carry and manage the players' equipment and who are allowed by the rules to give advice on the play of the course. A caddy's advice can only be given to the player or players for whom the caddy is working, and not to competing players.

Rules and regulations[link]

The rules of golf are internationally standardised and are jointly governed by The R&A;, spun off in 2004 from The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (founded 1754), and the United States Golf Association (USGA).

The underlying principle of the rules is fairness. As stated on the back cover of the official rule book: :''Play the ball as it lies, play the course as you find it, and if you cannot do either, do what is fair.''

There are strict regulations regarding the amateur status of golfers. Essentially, anybody who has ever received payment or compensation for giving instruction, or played golf for money, is not considered an amateur and may not participate in competitions limited solely to amateurs. However, amateur golfers may receive expenses which comply with strict guidelines and they may accept non-cash prizes within the limits established by the Rules of Amateur Status.

In addition to the officially printed rules, golfers also abide by a set of guidelines called golf etiquette. Etiquette guidelines cover matters such as safety, fairness, pace of play, and a player's obligation to contribute to the care of the course. Though there are no penalties for breach of etiquette rules, players generally follow the rules of golf etiquette in an effort to improve everyone's playing experience.

Penalties[link]

Penalties are incurred in certain situations. They are counted towards a player's score as if there were extra swing(s) at the ball. Strokes are added for rule infractions or for hitting one's ball into an unplayable situation.

A lost ball or a ball hit out of bounds result in a penalty of one stroke and distance (Rule 27–1). A one-stroke penalty is assessed if a player's equipment causes the ball to move or the removal of a loose impediment causes the ball to move (Rule 18–2). If a golfer makes a stroke at the wrong ball (Rule 19–2) or hits a fellow golfer's ball with a putt (Rule 19–5), the player incurs a two-stroke penalty. Most rule infractions lead to stroke penalties but also can lead to disqualification. Disqualification could be from cheating, signing for a lower score, or from rule infractions that lead to improper play.

Equipment[link]

Golf clubs are used to hit the golf ball. Each club is composed of a shaft with a lance (or 'grip') on the top end and a club head on the bottom. Long clubs, which have a lower amount of degreed loft, are those meant to propel the ball a comparatively longer distance, and short clubs a higher degree of loft and a comparatively shorter distance. Typically, the actual physical length of each club is longer or shorter, depending on the distance the club is intended to propel the ball.

The 'driver' is the largest-headed and longest club. Woods are slightly shorter but still comparatively large-headed clubs, used for long-distance fairway shots. Woods are now typically made of metal; the traditional name remains in general use but is gradually being replaced by the term "fairway metal". Next shorter in length are the irons, the most numerous and versatile class used for a wide variety of shots. Hybrids embody the characteristics of both woods and irons in varying degrees and are increasingly being used in preference to long irons in many places because they are easier for the average golfer to use. Finally, the putter is used to roll the ball across the green into the cup.

A maximum of 14 clubs is allowed in a player's bag at one time during a stipulated round. The choice of clubs is at the golfer's discretion, although every club must be constructed in accordance with parameters outlined in the rules. (Clubs which meet these parameters are usually called 'conforming'.) Violation of these rules can result in disqualification.

The exact shot hit at any given time on a golf course, and which club is used to accomplish the shot, are always completely at the discretion of the golfer; in other words, there is no restriction whatsoever on which club a golfer may or may not use at any time for any shot.

Golf balls are spherical, usually white (although other colors are allowed), and minutely pock-marked by dimples that decrease aerodynamic drag by increasing air turbulence around the ball in motion, preventing "boundary layer" separation, thereby allowing the ball to fly farther.

A tee is allowed only for the first stroke on each hole, unless the player must hit a provisional tee shot or replay his or her first shot from the tee.

Many golfers wear golf shoes with metal or plastic spikes designed to increase traction, thus allowing for longer and more accurate shots. A golf bag is used to transport golf clubs and the player's other or personal equipment. Golf bags have several pockets designed for carrying equipment and supplies such as tees, balls, and gloves. Golf bags can be carried, pulled on a trolley or harnessed to a motorized golf cart during play. Golf bags have both a hand strap and shoulder strap for carrying, and sometimes have retractable legs that allow the bag to stand upright when at rest.

Stroke mechanics[link]

Golfers start with the non-dominant side of the body facing the target. At address the body and club are positioned parallel to the target line. The feet are commonly shoulder-width apart for middle irons and putters, narrower for short irons and wider for long irons and woods. The ball is positioned in the centre of the player's stance for short irons and putters, more to the front for middle irons and even more for long irons and woods. The golfer chooses a golf club, grip, and stroke appropriate to the distance:

The drive is used on the teeing ground to tee-off long distances;

The approach is used in long- to mid-distance shots;

The chip is used for relatively short-distance shots around the green. The goal of the chip is to land the ball safely on the green allowing it to roll out towards the hole.

The putt is used in short-distance shots on or near the green. The goal of the putt is to get the ball in the hole.

Scoring and handicapping[link]

Par[link]

thumb|A par-3 hole in Phoenician Golf Club, [[Scottsdale, Arizona|Scottsdale, Arizona]] A hole is classified by its par, meaning the number of strokes a skilled golfer should require to complete play of the hole. Par always includes a stroke for the tee shot and two putts, so the minimum par of any hole is 3. For example, a skilled golfer expects to reach the green on a par-4 hole in two strokes: one from the tee (the 'drive') and another, second, stroke to the green (the 'approach'); and then roll the ball into the hole in two putts for par. This would be termed a 'green in regulation' (GIR). A hole is either a par-3, −4 or −5. Par-6 holes are extremely rare.

The key factor for classifying the par of a hole is the distance from the tee to the green. A typical par-3 hole is less than 250 yards (225 m) in length, with a par-4 hole ranging between 251 and 475 yards (225–434 m), and a par-5 hole being longer than 475 yards (435 m). The rare par-6s can stretch well over 650 yards (595 m).

The gradient of the hole can also affect its par. If the tee-to-green distance on a hole is predominantly downhill, it will play shorter than its physical length and may be given a lower par; the opposite is true for uphill holes. Par ratings are also affected by factors such as the placement of hazards or the shape of the green, which can affect the play of a hole by requiring an extra stroke to avoid playing into hazards.

Eighteen-hole courses typically total to an overall par score of 72 for a complete round; this would be four par-3, ten par-4, and four par-5 holes, though other combinations exist and are not less worthy than courses of par-72. Many major championships are contested on courses playing to a par of 70, 71, or 72. Additionally, in some countries, courses are classified according to their play difficulty, which may be used to calculate a golfer's playing handicap for a given course.

Scoring[link]

In every form of play, the goal is to play as few strokes per round as possible. A hole in one (or an 'ace') occurs when a golfer sinks his ball into the cup with his first stroke from the tee. Common scores for a hole also have specific terms.

{|class="wikitable" |- ! style="background:#dfdfdf; text-align:center;"|Numeric term ! style="background:#dfdfdf; text-align:center;"|Name ! style="background:#dfdfdf; text-align:center;"|Definition |- style="text-align:center;" | style="background:#efefef; "|−3 || Albatross or Double Eagle || three strokes under par |- style="text-align:center;" | style="background:#efefef; "|−2 || Eagle || two strokes under par |- style="text-align:center;" | style="background:#efefef; "|−1 || Birdie || one stroke under par |- style="text-align:center;" | style="background:#efefef; "|E || Par || equal to par |- style="text-align:center;" | style="background:#efefef; "|+1 || Bogey || one stroke over par |- style="text-align:center;" | style="background:#efefef; "|+2 || Double bogey || two strokes over par |- style="text-align:center;" | style="background:#efefef; "|+3 || Triple bogey || three strokes over par |}

Basic forms of golf[link]

Match play[link]

In match play, two players (or two teams) play each hole as a separate contest against each other. The party with the lower score wins that hole, or if the scores of both players or teams are equal the hole is 'halved' (or tied). The game is won by the party that wins more holes than the other. In the case that one team or player has taken a lead that cannot be overcome in the number of holes remaining to be played, the match is deemed to be won by the party in the lead, and the remainder of the holes are not played. For example, if one party already has a lead of six holes, and only five holes remain to be played on the course, the match is over and the winning party is deemed to have won "6 & 5". At any given point, if the lead is equal to the number of holes remaining, the party leading the match is said to be 'dormie', and the match is continued until the party increases the lead by one hole or ties any of the remaining holes, thereby winning the match, or until the match ends in a tie with the lead player's opponent winning all remaining holes. When the game is tied after the predetermined number of holes have been played, it may be continued until one side takes a one-hole lead.

Stroke play[link]

In stroke play, the score achieved for each and every hole of the round or tournament is added to produce the total score, and the player with the lowest score wins. Stroke play is the game most commonly played by professional golfers. If there is a tie after the regulation number of holes in a professional tournament, a playoff takes place between all tied players. Playoffs are either sudden death or employ a pre-determined number of holes, anywhere from three to a full 18. In sudden death, a player who scores lower on a hole than all of his opponents wins the match. If at least two players remain tied after such a playoff using a pre-determined number of holes, then play continues in sudden death format, where the first player to win a hole wins the tournament.

Other forms of play[link]

Skins[link]

In a skins game, golfers compete on each hole, as a separate contest. Played for prize money on the professional level or as a means of a wager for amateurs, a 'skin', or the prize money assigned to each hole, carries over to subsequent holes if the hole is tied (or halved). If players come to the end of the round and there are still skins left to decide, play continues with playoff holes (typically repeating the 18th hole) until the final skin has been decided.

9-Points[link]

In a 9-Point game three players compete for points on each hole. The player with the most points at the end of the round wins the game. Each hole is worth a total of 9 points. The player with the best score (lowest) on the hole wins 5 points, the player with the second best score earns 3 points and the player with the worst gets 1 point. In the event of a tie for the best score on a hole the two best players will each get 4 and the worst player gets 1 point. If everyone ties then each player gets 3 points on that hole. If there is a tie for the second best score on a hole then the player with the best score gets 5 points and the other two each get 2 points. If a player gets a birdie they will receive an additional 2 points on that hole. If a player gets an eagle, they will receive an additional 3 points on that hole.

Stableford[link]

Under the Stableford system the player gains points for the score achieved on each hole of the round or tournament (1 point for a bogey, 2 points for a par, 3 points for a birdie, 4 points for an eagle, and so on). The points achieved for each hole of the round or tournament are added together to produce the total points score. The player with the highest score wins.

Team play[link]

Foursome: defined in Rule 29, this is played between two teams of two players each, in which each team has only one ball and players alternate playing it. For example, if players 'A' and 'B' form a team, 'A' tees off on the first hole, 'B' will play the second shot, 'A' the third, and so on until the hole is finished. On the second hole, 'B' will tee off (regardless who played the last putt on the first hole), then 'A' plays the second shot, and so on. Foursomes can be played as match play or stroke play. Fourball: defined in Rules 30 and 31, this is also played between two teams of two players each, but every player plays their own ball and for each team, the lower score on each hole is counted. Fourballs can be played as match play or stroke play.

Unofficial team variations[link]

Scramble: also known as ambrose or best-shot; each player in a team tees off on each hole, and the players decide which shot was best. Every player then plays their second shot from within a clublength of where the best shot has come to rest, and the procedure is repeated until the hole is finished. In a champagne scramble, each player in a team tees off on each hole. The best drive is used and all players play their own ball from this spot. Better ball or best-ball: like fourball, each player plays the hole as normal, but the lowest score of all the players on the team counts as the team's score. Greensome: also called modified alternate shot; both players tee off, and then pick the best shot as in a scramble. The player who did not shoot the best first shot plays the second shot. The play then alternates as in a foursome. A variant of greensome is sometimes played where the opposing team chooses which of their opponent's tee shots the opponents should use. The player who did not shoot the chosen first shot plays the second shot. Play then continues as a greensome.

Shotgun start: mainly used for tournament play, this consists of groups starting on different holes, allowing for all players to start and end their round at the same time. All 18 holes are still played, but a player or foursome may, for instance, start on hole 5, play through to the 18th hole, then continue with hole 1 and end on hole 4.

Handicap systems[link]

A handicap is a numerical measure of an amateur golfer's ability to play golf over the course of 18 holes. Handicaps can be applied either for stroke play or match play competition. In either competition, a handicap generally represents the number of strokes above par that a player will achieve on an above-average day (i.e., when playing well).

In stroke play competition, the competitor's handicap is subtracted from their total gross score at the end of the round, to calculate a net score against which standings are calculated. In match play competition, handicap strokes are assigned on a hole-by-hole basis, according to the handicap rating of each hole (which is provided by the course). The hardest holes on the course receive the most handicap strokes, with the easiest holes receiving the least handicap strokes.

Calculating a handicap is often complicated, but essentially it is representative of the average over par of a number of a player's previous above-average rounds, adjusted for course difficulty. Legislation regarding the calculation of handicaps differs among countries. For example, handicap rules may include the difficulty of the course the golfer is playing on by taking into consideration factors such as the number of bunkers, the length of the course, the difficulty and slopes of the greens, the width of the fairways, and so on.

Handicap systems are not used in professional golf. Professional golfers often score several strokes below par for a round and thus have a calculated handicap of 0 or less, meaning that their handicap results in the addition of strokes to their round score. Someone with a handicap of 0 or less is often called a 'scratch golfer'.

Popularity[link]

In 2005, ''Golf Digest'' calculated that the countries with most golf courses per capita, starting with the best endowed were: Scotland, New Zealand, Australia, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Canada, Wales, United States, Sweden, and England (countries with fewer than 500,000 people were excluded). Apart from Sweden, all of these countries have English as the majority language, but the number of courses in new territories is increasing rapidly.

The most notable example of this phenomenon is the expansion of golf in China. The first golf course in China opened in 1984, but by the end of 2009 there were roughly 600 in the country. For the last several years, development of new golf courses in China has been officially banned (with the exception of the island province of Hainan), but the number of courses has nonetheless tripled since 2004; the "ban" has been easily evaded with the government's tacit approval simply by not mentioning golf in any development plans.

In the United States, the number of people who play golf twenty-five times or more per year decreased from 6.9 million in 2000 to 4.6 million in 2005, according to the National Golf Foundation. The NGF reported that the number who played golf at all decreased from 30 to 26 million over the same period.

Golf courses worldwide[link]

Number of golf course by country in 2008

{|class="wikitable" |- ! style="background:#dfdfdf; text-align:center;"|Country ! style="background:#dfdfdf; text-align:center;"|Number of Courses ! style="background:#dfdfdf; text-align:center;"|% |- style="text-align:center;" | style="background:#efefef; "|USA || 17,672 || 50% |- style="text-align:center;" | style="background:#efefef; "|UK || 2,752 || 8% |- style="text-align:center;" | style="background:#efefef; "|Japan || 2,442 || 7% |- style="text-align:center;" | style="background:#efefef; "|Canada || 2,300 || 7% |- style="text-align:center;" | style="background:#efefef; "|Australia || 1,500 || 4% |- style="text-align:center;" | style="background:#efefef; "|Germany || 684 || 2% |- style="text-align:center;" | style="background:#efefef; "|France || 559 || 2% |- style="text-align:center;" | style="background:#efefef; "|China || 500 || 1% |- style="text-align:center;" | style="background:#efefef; "|Sweden || 480 || 1% |- style="text-align:center;" | style="background:#efefef; "|South Africa || 450 || 1% |- style="text-align:center;" | style="background:#efefef; "|Rest of the world || 5,773 || 17% |- style="text-align:center;" | style="background:#efefef; "|Total || 35,112 | style="text-align:center;"| |}

Professional golf[link]

The majority of professional golfers work as club or teaching professionals ('pros'), and only compete in local competitions. A small elite of professional golfers are 'tournament pros' who compete full-time on international 'tours'. Many club and teaching professionals working in the golf industry start as caddies or with a general interest in the game, finding employment at golf courses and eventually moving on to certifications in their chosen profession. These programs include independent institutions and universities, and those that eventually lead to a Class A golf professional certification.

Instruction[link]

Golf instruction involves the teaching and learning of the game of golf. Proficiency in teaching golf instruction requires not only technical and physical ability, but also knowledge of the rules and etiquette of the game. In some countries, golf instruction is best performed by teachers certified by the Professional Golfers Association. Some top instructors who work with professional golfers have become quite well known in their own right. Instructors use a combination of physical conditioning, mental visualization, classroom sessions, club fitting, driving range instruction, on-course play under real conditions, and review of videotaped swings in slow motion to teach golf.

Golf tours[link]

There are at least twenty professional golf tours, each run by a PGA or an independent tour organization, which is responsible for arranging events, finding sponsors, and regulating the tour. Typically a tour has "members" who are entitled to compete in most of its events, and also invites non-members to compete in some of them. Gaining membership of an elite tour is highly competitive, and most professional golfers never achieve it.

Perhaps the most widely known tour is the PGA Tour, which tends to attract the strongest fields, outside the four Majors and the four World Golf Championships events. This is due mostly to the fact that most PGA Tour events have a first prize of at least US$800,000. The European Tour, which attracts a substantial number of top golfers from outside North America, ranks second to the PGA Tour in worldwide prestige. Some top professionals from outside North America play enough tournaments to maintain membership on both the PGA Tour and European Tour.

The other leading men's tours include the Japan Golf Tour, the Asian Tour (Asia outside Japan), the PGA Tour of Australasia, and the Sunshine Tour (for southern Africa, primarily South Africa). The Japan, Australasian, Sunshine, PGA, and European Tours are the charter members of the trade body of the world's main tours, the International Federation of PGA Tours, founded in 1996. The Asian Tour became a full member in 1999. The Canadian Tour became an associate member of the Federation in 2000, and the Tour de las Américas (Latin America) became an associate member of the Federation in 2007. The Federation underwent a major expansion in 2009 which saw eleven new tours become full members – the Canadian Tour, Tour de las Américas, China Golf Association, the Korea Professional Golfers' Association, Professional Golf Tour of India, and the operators of all six major women's tours worldwide. The OneAsia Tour, founded in 2009, is not a member of the Federation, but was founded as a joint venture of the Australasia, China, Japan, and Korean tours. All of the men's tours that are Federation members, except the China and India tours, offer points in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) to players who place sufficiently high in their events. The OneAsia Tour also offers ranking points.

Golf is unique in having lucrative competition for older players. There are several senior tours for men aged fifty and over, arguably the best known of which is the U.S.-based Champions Tour.

There are six principal tours for women, each based in a different country or continent. The most prestigious of these is the United States based LPGA Tour. All of the principal tours offer points in the Women's World Golf Rankings for high finishers in their events.

All of the leading professional tours for under-50 players have an official developmental tour, in which the leading players at the end of the season will earn a tour card on the main tour for the following season. Examples include the Nationwide Tour, which feeds to the PGA Tour, and the Challenge Tour, which is the developmental tour of the European Tour. The Nationwide and Challenge Tours also offer OWGR points.

Men's major championships[link]

The major championships are the four most prestigious men's tournaments of the year. In chronological order they are: The Masters, the U.S. Open, The Open Championship (referred to in North America as the British Open) and the PGA Championship.

The fields for these events include the top several dozen golfers from all over the world. The Masters has been played at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, since its inception in 1934. It is the only major championship that is played at the same course each year. The U.S. Open and PGA Championship are played at courses around the United States, while the Open Championship is played at courses around the United Kingdom.

Prior to the advent of the PGA Championship and The Masters, the four Majors were the U.S. Open, the U.S. Amateur, the Open Championship, and the British Amateur.

Women's major championships[link]

Women's golf does not have a globally agreed set of majors. The list of majors recognised by the dominant women's tour, the LPGA Tour in the U.S., has changed several times over the years, with the last change in 2001. Like the PGA Tour, the (U.S.) LPGA has four majors: the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the LPGA Championship, the U.S. Women's Open and the Women's British Open. Only the last of these is also recognised by the Ladies European Tour. The other event that it recognises as a major is the Evian Masters, which is currently sanctioned by the LPGA only as a regular tour event but will become a major on that tour in 2013. However, the significance of this is limited, as the LPGA is far more dominant in women's golf than the PGA Tour is in mainstream men's golf. For example, the BBC has been known to use the U.S. definition of "women's majors" without qualifying it. Also, the Ladies' Golf Union, the governing body for women's golf in the UK and Republic of Ireland, has stated on its official website that the Women's British Open is "the only Women's Major to be played outside the U.S." For many years, the Ladies European Tour tacitly acknowledged the dominance of the LPGA Tour by not scheduling any of its own events to conflict with the three LPGA majors played in the U.S., but that changed beginning in 2008, when the LET scheduled an event opposite the LPGA Championship. The second-richest women's tour, the LPGA of Japan Tour, does not recognise any of the U.S. LPGA or European majors as it has its own set of majors (historically three, since 2008 four). However, these events attract little notice outside Japan.

Senior major championships[link]

Senior (aged fifty and over) men's golf does not have a globally agreed set of majors. The list of senior majors on the U.S.-based Champions Tour has changed over the years, but always by expansion. The Champions Tour now recognises five majors: the Senior PGA Championship, the United States Senior Open, the Senior British Open Championship, The Tradition and the Senior Players Championship.

Of the five events, the Senior PGA is by far the oldest, having been founded in 1937. The other events all date from the 1980s, when senior golf became a commercial success as the first golf stars of the television era, such as Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, reached the relevant age. The Senior British Open was not recognised as a major by the Champions Tour until 2003. The European Seniors Tour recognises only the Senior PGA and the two Senior Opens as majors. However, the Champions Tour is arguably more dominant in global senior golf than the U.S. LPGA is in global women's golf.

Other events[link]

Golf at the Asian Games

Golf at the Summer Olympics

See also[link]

Glossary of golf

Golfers with most Asian Tour wins

Golfers with most Champions Tour major championship wins

Golfers with most Champions Tour wins

Golfers with most European Tour wins

Golfers with most Japan Golf Tour wins

Golfers with most LPGA major championship wins

Golfers with most LPGA Tour wins

Lists of golfers

List of men's major championships winning golfers

List of years in golf

List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins

Professional Golfers' Association of America

Official World Golf Rankings

Polish Golf Union

Presidents Cup

Ryder Cup

Solheim Cup

Seve Trophy

Lexus Cup

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Curtis Cup

Solar Golf Cart

Golf Channel

''Golf Digest''

''Golf Magazine''

''Golf World''

''Links (magazine)''

''Travel + Leisure Golf''

Golf Video Games

Variations of golf

References[link]

External links[link]

The R&A;, St Andrews

USGA: United States Golf Association

International Golf Federation (IGF)

Category:Precision sports Category:Ball games Category:Ball and bat games Category:Sports originating in Scotland Category:Leisure activities

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name	Tiger Woods
fullname	Eldrick Tont Woods
nickname	Tiger
birth date	December 30, 1975
birth place	Cypress, California
death date
height
weight
nationality
residence	Jupiter Island, Florida
spouse	Elin Nordegren (2004–2010)
children	Sam Alexis (b. 2007)Charlie Axel (b. 2009)
college	Stanford University (two years)
yearpro	1996
tour	PGA Tour (joined 1996)
prowins	99
pgawins	72 (3rd all time)
eurowins	38 (3rd all time)
japwins	2
asiawins	1
auswins	1
champwins
otherwins	16
majorwins	14
masters	Won: 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005
usopen	Won: 2000, 2002, 2008
open	Won: 2000, 2005, 2006
pga	Won: 1999, 2000, 2006, 2007
wghofid
wghofyear
award1	PGA TourRookie of the Year
year1	1996
award2	PGA Player of the Year
year2	1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
award3	PGA TourPlayer of the Year
year3	1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
award4	PGA Tourleading money winner
year4	1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
award5	Vardon Trophy
year5	1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009
award6	Byron Nelson Award
year6	1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
award7	FedEx Cup Champion
year7	2007, 2009
awardssection	List of career achievements by Tiger Woods#Awards }}

Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No. 1, he is the highest-paid professional athlete in the world, having earned an estimated US$90.5 million from winnings and endorsements in 2010.

Woods turned professional in 1996, and by April 1997 he had already won his first major, the 1997 Masters. He first reached the number one position in the world rankings in June 1997. Through the 2000s, Woods was the dominant force in golf, spending 264 weeks from August 1999 to September 2004 and 281 weeks from June 2005 to October 2010 as world number one. From December 2009 to early April 2010, Woods took leave from professional golf to focus on his marriage after he admitted infidelity. His multiple infidelities were revealed by several different women, through many worldwide media sources. This was followed by a loss of form, and his ranking gradually fell to a low of #58 in November 2011. He snapped a career-long winless streak of 107 weeks when he captured the Chevron World Challenge in December 2011. As of April 8, 2012, he is ranked #8.

Woods has broken numerous golf records. He has been world number one for the most consecutive weeks and for the greatest total number of weeks of any other golfer. He has been awarded PGA Player of the Year a record ten times, the Byron Nelson Award for lowest adjusted scoring average a record eight times, and has the record of leading the money list in nine different seasons. He has won 14 professional major golf championships, the second highest of any player (Jack Nicklaus leads with 18), and 72 PGA Tour events, third all time behind Sam Snead and Nicklaus. He has more career major wins and career PGA Tour wins than any other active golfer does. He is the youngest player to achieve the career Grand Slam, and the youngest and fastest to win 50 tournaments on tour. Additionally, Woods is only the second golfer, after Jack Nicklaus, to have achieved a career Grand Slam three times. Woods has won 16 World Golf Championships, and won at least one of those events in each of the first 11 years after they began in 1999.

Background and family[link]

Woods was born Eldrick Tont Woods in Cypress, California, to Earl (1932–2006) and Kultida (Tida) Woods (born 1944). He is the only child of their marriage, but does have two half-brothers, Earl Jr. (born 1955) and Kevin (born 1957), and a half-sister, Royce (born 1958) from the 18-year marriage of Earl Woods and his first wife, Barbara Woods Gray. Earl, a retired lieutenant colonel and Vietnam War veteran, was of mixed African American, Chinese, and Native American ancestry. Kultida (née Punsawad), originally from Thailand (where Earl had met her on a tour of duty in 1968), is of mixed Thai, Chinese, and Dutch ancestry. This makes Woods himself half Asian (one-quarter Chinese and one-quarter Thai), one-quarter African American, one-eighth Native American, and one-eighth Dutch. He refers to his ethnic make-up as ''"Cablinasian"'' (a syllabic abbreviation he coined from Caucasian, Black, American Indian, and Asian).

Woods' first name, Eldrick, was coined by his mother because it began with "E" (for Earl) and ended with "K" (for Kultida). His middle name Tont is a traditional Thai name. He was nicknamed Tiger in honor of his father's friend Col. Vuong Dang Phong, who had also been known as Tiger.

Woods has a niece, Cheyenne Woods, who is an amateur golfer on Wake Forest University's golf team.

Early life and amateur golf career[link]

Woods grew up in Orange County, California. He was a child prodigy, introduced to golf before the age of two, by his athletic father Earl, a single-figure handicap amateur golfer who had been one of the earliest African-American college baseball players at Kansas State University. In 1978, Tiger putted against comedian Bob Hope in a television appearance on ''The Mike Douglas Show''. At age three, he shot a 48 over nine holes over the Cypress Navy course, and at age five, he appeared in ''Golf Digest'' and on ABC's ''That's Incredible''. Before turning seven, Tiger won the Under Age 10 section of the Drive, Pitch, and Putt competition, held at the Navy Golf Course in Cypress, California. In 1984 at the age of eight, he won the 9–10 boys' event, the youngest age group available, at the Junior World Golf Championships. He first broke 80 at age eight. He went on to win the Junior World Championships six times, including four consecutive wins from 1988 to 1991.

Woods' father Earl wrote that Tiger first beat him when he was 11 years old, with Earl trying his best. Earl lost to Tiger every time from then on. Woods first broke 70 on a regulation golf course at age 12.

Woods' first major national junior tournament was the 1989 Big I, when he was 13 years old. Woods was paired with pro John Daly, then relatively unknown, in the final round; the event's format placed a professional with each group of juniors who had qualified. Daly birdied three of the last four holes to beat Woods by only one stroke. As a young teenager, Woods first met Jack Nicklaus in Los Angeles at the Bel-Air Country Club, when Nicklaus was performing a clinic for the club's members. Woods was part of the show, and impressed Nicklaus and the crowd with his skills and potential. Earl Woods had researched in detail the career accomplishments of Nicklaus, and had set his young son the goals of breaking those records.

While attending Western High School in Anaheim at the age of 15, Woods became the youngest ever U.S. Junior Amateur champion (a record which stood until it was broken by Jin Liu in 2010). He was named 1991's Southern California Amateur Player of the Year (for the second consecutive year) and Golf Digest Junior Amateur Player of the Year. In 1992, he defended his title at the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, becoming the first multiple winner; competed in his first PGA Tour event, the Nissan Los Angeles Open (he missed the 36-hole cut); and was named Golf Digest Amateur Player of the Year, Golf World Player of the Year, and Golfweek National Amateur of the Year.

The following year, Woods won his third consecutive U.S. Junior Amateur Championship; he remains the event's only three-time winner. In 1994, at the TPC at Sawgrass in Florida, he became the youngest-ever winner of the U.S. Amateur Championship, a record that stood until 2008 when it was broken by Danny Lee. He was a member of the American team at the 1994 Eisenhower Trophy World Amateur Golf Team Championships (winning), and the 1995 Walker Cup (losing).

Woods graduated from Western High School in 1994 at age 18, and was voted "Most Likely to Succeed" among the graduating class. He had starred for the high school's golf team under coach Don Crosby.

College golf career[link]

Woods was recruited very heavily by college golf powers, and chose Stanford University, the 1994 NCAA Division I champion. He enrolled at Stanford in the fall of 1994 under a golf scholarship, winning his first collegiate event, the 40th Annual William H. Tucker Invitational, that September. He declared a major in economics, and was nicknamed "Urkel" by college teammate Notah Begay III. In 1995, he successfully defended his U.S. Amateur title at the Newport Country Club in Rhode Island He participated in his first PGA Tour major, the 1995 Masters Tournament, and tied for 41st as the only amateur to make the cut. At age 20 in 1996, he became the first golfer to win three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles and won the NCAA individual golf championship. In winning the Silver Medal as leading amateur at The Open Championship, he tied the record for an amateur aggregate score of 281. He left college after two years and turned professional.

Professional career[link]

Woods became a professional golfer in August 1996, and immediately signed deals with Nike, Inc. and Titleist that ranked as the most lucrative endorsement contracts in golf history at that time. Woods was named ''Sports Illustrated'''s 1996 Sportsman of the Year and PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. In April 1997, he won his first major, the Masters, becoming the tournament's youngest-ever winner. Two months later, he set the record for the fastest-ever ascent to #1 in the Official World Golf Rankings. After a lackluster 1998, Woods finished the 1999 season with eight wins, including the PGA Championship, a feat not achieved since 1974.

In 2000, Woods achieved six consecutive wins, the longest winning streak since 1948. One of these was the 2000 U.S. Open, where he broke or tied nine tournament records in what Sports Illustrated called "the greatest performance in golf history." At age 24, he became the youngest golfer to achieve the Career Grand Slam. At the end of 2000, Woods had won nine of the twenty PGA Tour events he entered and had broken the record for lowest scoring average in tour history. He was named the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, the first and only athlete to be honored twice, and was ranked by Golf Digest magazine as the twelfth-best golfer of all time.

Woods' victory in the 2001 Masters Tournament made him the first player to hold all four major professional golf titles at the same time. Following a stellar 2001 and 2002 in which Woods continued to dominate the tour, Woods' career hit a "slump". He did not win a major in 2003 or 2004. In September 2004, Vijay Singh overtook Woods in the Official World Golf Rankings, breaking Woods' record streak of 264 weeks at #1. Woods rebounded in 2005, winning six official PGA Tour money events and reclaiming the top spot in July after swapping it back and forth with Singh over the first half of the year.

In 2006, Woods began dominantly, winning his first two PGA tournaments but failing to capture his fifth Masters championship in April. Following the death of his father in May, Woods took a nine-week hiatus from the tour and appeared rusty upon his return at the U.S. Open, missing the cut at Winged Foot. However, he quickly returned to form and ended the year by winning six consecutive tour events. At the season's close, with 54 wins and 12 majors wins, Woods had broken the tour records for both total wins and total majors wins over eleven seasons.

He continued to excel in 2007 and the first part of 2008. In April 2008, he underwent knee surgery and missed the next two months on the tour. Woods returned for the 2008 U.S. Open, where he struggled the first day but ultimately claimed a dramatic victory over Rocco Mediate, after which Mediate said, "This guy does things that are just not normal by any stretch of the imagination," and Kenny Perry added, "He beat everybody on one leg." Two days later, Woods announced that he would miss the remainder of the season due to further knee surgery, and that his knee was more severely damaged than previously revealed, prompting even greater praise for his U.S. Open performance. Woods called it "my greatest ever championship." In Woods' absence, TV ratings for the remainder of the season suffered a huge decline from 2007.

Upon Woods' much-anticipated return in 2009, he performed well, including a spectacular performance at the 2009 Presidents Cup, but failed to win a major, the first year since 2004 that he failed to do so. After his marital infidelities came to light at the end of 2009 and received massive media coverage, Woods announced in December that he would be taking an indefinite break from competitive golf. In February 2010, he delivered a televised apology for his behavior. During this period, several companies ended their endorsement deals with Woods.

He returned to competition in April at the 2010 Masters Tournament, where he finished in a tie for fourth place. He followed the Masters with poor showings at the Quail Hollow Championship and the Players Championship, where he withdrew in the fourth round citing injury. Shortly afterward, Woods' coach since 2003, Hank Haney, resigned the position; he was replaced in August by Sean Foley. The rest of the season went badly for Woods, who failed to win a single event for the first time since turning professional, while nevertheless finishing the season ranked #2 in the world.

Woods' performance continued to suffer in 2011, taking its toll on his ranking. After falling to #7 in March, he rebounded to #5 with a strong showing at the 2011 Masters Tournament, where he tied for fourth place. Due to leg injuries incurred at the Masters, he missed several summer events; in July he fired his longtime caddy Steve Williams, replacing him temporarily with friend Bryon Bell. After returning to tournament play in August, Woods continued to falter, and his ranking gradually fell to a low of #58. He rose to #50 in mid-November after a third-place win at the Emirates Australian Open, and broke his winless streak with a victory at December's Chevron World Challenge.

His 2012 season started at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on the European Tour in late January. For the first two days of play Tiger was grouped with Rory McIlroy and world No.1 Luke Donald. He shot under par rounds of 70 and 69 on Thursday and Friday respectively, which left him in joint 4th place at 5-under par. His low round of the week came on Saturday, shooting a 6-under par 66, giving him the joint lead with England's Robert Rock. Woods struggled on Sunday and couldn't mount a big enough charge, shooting a level par 72 and settling for joint 3rd place. Woods' second tournament of the year came at the AT&T; Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in early February which he had not played since 2002. His amateur partner for the week was Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. Woods shot solid rounds of 68-68-67 on the first three days, and began Sunday in third place, four shots behind leader Charlie Wi. However, he struggled with his putting and shot a final round 75 while his playing partner Phil Mickelson shot a 64 and won the tournament.

His next tournament was the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona. Woods battled to win his first round match against Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño, 1-up, and then played Nick Watney in the second round. On the 18th hole, Woods had to make birdie to extend the match, however his 5 foot putt missed and he was knocked out of the tournament. Woods commented that his putting was hindered technically and required some work after battling with it throughout the round. The following week Woods teed off at the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Woods commented that he had referred back to putting basics instead of new technique he had been applying. Woods' putting over the first three days of tournament play was noticeably better, but the ball was struggling to fall into the hole. Tiger began the fourth round on 2-under par, 9 shots behind leader Rory McIlroy. After parring the first hole and being delayed by adverse weather, Woods returned and played the remaining 17 holes in 8-under par including two eagles and no bogeys. A birdie-eagle finish set up Woods to possibly claim the title, however McIlroy kept his cool and won the tournament. Tiger finished joint second, and the round also marked his lowest final round score in his PGA Tour career.

Woods played the following week at the WGC-Cadillac Championship in Miami, Florida. Tiger spent the first three days near the top of the leaderboard and shot 72-67-68 to start the fourth round in tied 8th place at 9-under par, 8 shots behind leader Bubba Watson. Woods struggled on the front 9 and shot 2-over par going out. He then began to noticeably limp on the next three holes and went on to withdraw from the tournament with an apparent left leg injury, which was later confirmed as a strain on his left Achilles tendon that had been injured previously at the 2011 Masters Tournament. After a short time off, Woods played in the Tavistock Cup at the Lake Nona Golf and Country Club, representing Team Albany, finishing 4th. The same week, Woods began the Arnold Palmer Invitational. After three rounds of 69, 65 and a 71, he began Sunday in the lead at 11-under par, one shot ahead of Graeme McDowell. Woods remained in the lead throughout the round and shot a 2-under par 70 to claim his seventh win at Bay Hill and also marked his first win on the PGA Tour since the BMW Championship in September 2009. After a week off, he returned to Augusta for the Masters Tournament. Over the four days, Woods was never close to contending the title, and shot rounds of 72-75-72-74 to finish tied 40th. After a 3 week break from competition, Woods traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina, for the Wells Fargo Championship. Although starting positively with a 1-under par 71, Woods' second round of 73 (1-over) derailed his tournament hopes and resulted in him missing his eighth cut as a professional by 1 shot and second in as many years for the tournament. The following week, Woods played The Players Championship. After an opening round of 74 (2-over), he was in threat of missing a second consecutive cut, a first for his professional career, however after a 4-under 68, he was firmly staying in the tournament as well as being in the hunt for the weekend. However, a weekend charge never mounted despite good ball striking and he settled for T40th at 1-under par.

Endorsements[link]

Woods has been called the world's most marketable athlete. Shortly after his 21st birthday in 1996, he began signing endorsement deals with numerous companies, including General Motors, Titleist, General Mills, American Express, Accenture, and Nike, Inc. In 2000, he signed a 5-year, $105 million contract extension with Nike. It was the largest endorsing deal ever signed by an athlete at that time. Woods' endorsement has been credited with playing a significant role in taking the Nike Golf brand from a "start-up" golf company earlier in the past decade, to becoming the leading golf apparel company in the world, and a major player in the equipment and golf ball market. Nike Golf is one of the fastest growing brands in the sport, with an estimated $600 million in sales. Woods has been described as the "ultimate endorser" for Nike Golf, frequently seen wearing Nike gear during tournaments, and even in advertisements for other products. Woods receives a cut from the sales of Nike Golf apparel, footwear, golf equipment, golf balls, and has a building named after him at Nike’s headquarters campus in Beaverton, Oregon.

In 2002, Woods was involved in every aspect of the launch of Buick's Rendezvous SUV. A company spokesman stated that Buick is happy with the value of Woods' endorsement, pointing out that more than 130,000 Rendezvous vehicles were sold in 2002 and 2003. "That exceeded our forecasts," he was quoted as saying, "It has to be in recognition of Tiger." In February 2004, Buick renewed Woods' endorsement contract for another five years, in a deal reportedly worth $40 million.

Woods collaborated closely with TAG Heuer to develop the world's first professional golf watch, released in April 2005. The lightweight, titanium-construction watch, designed to be worn while playing the game, incorporates numerous innovative design features to accommodate golf play. It is capable of absorbing up to 5,000 Gs of shock, far in excess of the forces generated by a normal golf swing. In 2006, the TAG Heuer ''Professional Golf Watch'' won the prestigious ''iF product design award'' in the Leisure/Lifestyle category.

Woods also endorses the Tiger Woods PGA Tour series of video games; he has done so since 1999. In 2006, he signed a six-year contract with Electronic Arts, the series' publisher.

In February 2007, along with Roger Federer and Thierry Henry, Woods became an ambassador for the "Gillette Champions" marketing campaign. Gillette did not disclose financial terms, though an expert estimated the deal could total between $10 million and $20 million.

In October 2007, Gatorade announced that Woods would have his own brand of sports drink starting in March 2008. "Gatorade Tiger" was his first U.S. deal with a beverage company and his first licensing agreement. Although no figures were officially disclosed, ''Golfweek'' magazine reported that it was for five years and could pay him as much as $100 million. The company decided in early fall 2009 to discontinue the drink due to weak sales.

According to ''Golf Digest'', Woods made $769,440,709 from 1996 to 2007, and the magazine predicted that by 2010, Woods would pass one billion dollars in earnings. In 2009, ''Forbes'' confirmed that Woods was indeed the world's first athlete to earn over a billion dollars in his career (before taxes), after accounting for the $10 million bonus Woods received for the FedEx Cup title. The same year, Forbes estimated his net worth to be $600 million, making him the second richest "African American" behind only Oprah Winfrey.

Honors[link]

On August 20, 2007, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver announced that Woods would be inducted into the California Hall of Fame. He was inducted December 5, 2007 at The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts in Sacramento.

He has been named "Athlete of the Decade" by the Associated Press in December 2009. He has been named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year a record-tying four times, and is the only person to be named ''Sports Illustrated'''s Sportsman of the Year more than once.

Since his record-breaking win at the 1997 Masters Tournament, golf's increased popularity is commonly attributed to Woods' presence. He is credited by some sources for dramatically increasing prize money in golf, generating interest in new audiences, and for drawing the largest TV audiences in golf history.

Tiger-proofing[link]

Early in Woods' career, a small number of golf experts expressed concern about his impact on the competitiveness of the game and the public appeal of professional golf. Sportswriter Bill Lyon of Knight-Ridder asked in a column, "Isn't Tiger Woods actually bad for golf?" (though Lyon ultimately concluded that he was not). At first, some pundits feared that Woods would drive the spirit of competition out of the game of golf by making existing courses obsolete and relegating opponents to simply competing for second place each week.

A related effect was measured by economist Jennifer Brown of the University of California, Berkeley who found that other golfers played worse when competing against Woods than when he was not in the tournament. The scores of highly skilled (exempt) golfers are nearly one stroke higher when playing against Woods. This effect was larger when he was on winning streaks and disappeared during his well-publicized slump in 2003–04. Brown explains the results by noting that competitors of similar skill can hope to win by increasing their level of effort, but that, when facing a "superstar" competitor, extra exertion does not significantly raise one's level of winning while increasing risk of injury or exhaustion, leading to reduced effort.

Many courses in the PGA Tour rotation (including Major Championship sites like Augusta National) began to add yardage to their tees in an effort to slow down long hitters like Woods, a strategy that became known as "Tiger-Proofing". Woods himself welcomed the change as he believes adding yardage to the course does not affect his ability to win.

Playing style[link]

When Woods first joined the professional tour in 1996, his long drives had a large impact on the world of golf. However, when he did not upgrade his equipment in the following years (insisting upon the use of True Temper Dynamic Gold steel-shafted clubs and smaller steel clubheads that promoted accuracy over distance), many opponents caught up to him. Phil Mickelson even made a joke in 2003 about Woods using "inferior equipment", which did not sit well with Nike, Titleist or Woods. During 2004, Woods finally upgraded his driver technology to a larger clubhead and graphite shaft, which, coupled with his clubhead speed, made him one of the Tour's lengthier players off the tee once again.

Despite his power advantage, Woods has always focused on developing an excellent all-around game. Although in recent years he has typically been near the bottom of the Tour rankings in driving accuracy, his iron play is generally accurate, his recovery and bunker play is very strong, and his putting (especially under pressure) is possibly his greatest asset. He is largely responsible for a shift to higher standards of athleticism amongst professional golfers, and is known for putting in more hours of practice than most.

From mid-1993, while he was still an amateur, until 2004, Woods worked almost exclusively with leading swing coach Butch Harmon. From mid-1997, Harmon and Woods fashioned a major redevelopment of Woods' full swing, achieving greater consistency, better distance control, and better kinesiology. The changes began to pay off in 1999. From March 2004 to 2010, Woods was coached by Hank Haney, who worked on flattening his swing plane. Woods continued to win tournaments with Haney, but his driving accuracy dropped significantly. Haney resigned in May 2010 and was replaced by Sean Foley.

Mike "Fluff" Cowan served as Woods' caddy from the start of his professional career until March 1999. He was replaced by Steve Williams, who became a close friend of Woods and is often credited with helping him with key shots and putts. In June 2011, Woods fired Williams and replaced him with Woods' friend Bryon Bell, on an interim basis. Joe LaCava, a former caddy of both Fred Couples and Dustin Johnson, was hired by Woods shortly after.

Equipment[link]

As of 2011:

Driver: Nike VR Tour (8.5 degree; Graphite Design Tour AD DI 6x shaft)

Fairway Woods: Nike VR Pro 15° 3-wood and Nike SQ II 19° 5-Wood with Mitsubishi Diamana Blueboard 103 shaft

Irons: Nike VR Pro Blades (2-PW) (Tiger will put his 5 Wood or 2 Iron in the bag depending upon the course setup and conditions). All irons are 1 degree upright, have D4 swingweight, standard size Tour Velvet grips and True Temper Dynamic Gold X-100 shafts.

Wedges: Nike VR Pro (56 and 60 degree; True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 shafts)

Putter: Nike Method 001

Ball: Nike ONE Tour D (with "Tiger" imprint)

Golf Glove: Nike Dri-FIT Tour glove

Golf Shoes: Nike TW '13

Driver club cover: ''Frank'', a plush tiger head club cover created by his mother. Frank has appeared in several commercials.

Career achievements[link]

Woods has won 72 official PGA Tour events including 14 majors. He is 14–1 when going into the final round of a major with at least a share of the lead. He has been heralded as "the greatest closer in history" by multiple golf experts. He owns the lowest career scoring average and the most career earnings of any player in PGA Tour history.

He has spent the most consecutive and cumulative weeks atop the world rankings. He is one of five players (along with Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, and Jack Nicklaus) to have won all four professional major championships in his career, known as the Career Grand Slam, and was the youngest to do so. Woods is the only player to have won all four professional major championships in a row, accomplishing the feat in the 2000–2001 seasons.

PGA Tour wins (72)

European Tour wins (38)

Japan Golf Tour wins (2)

Asian Tour wins (1)

PGA Tour of Australasia wins (1)

Other professional wins (15)

Amateur wins (21)

Major championships[link]

Wins (14)[link]

{|class="sortable wikitable" !Year!!Championship!!54 Holes!!Winning Score!!Margin!!Runner(s)-up |- style="background:#d0f0c0;" | 1997 ||Masters Tournament ||9 shot lead ||−18 (70–66–65–69=270) ||12 strokes || Tom Kite |- style="background:thistle;" | 1999 ||PGA Championship ||Tied for lead ||−11 (70–67–68–72=277) ||1 stroke || Sergio García |- style="background:#fbceb1;" | 2000 ||U.S. Open ||10 shot lead ||−12 (65–69–71–67=272) ||15 strokes || Ernie Els, Miguel Ángel Jiménez |- style="background:#abcdef;" | 2000 ||The Open Championship ||6 shot lead ||−19 (67–66–67–69=269) ||8 strokes || Thomas Bjørn, Ernie Els |- style="background:thistle;" | 2000 ||PGA Championship (2)||1 shot lead ||−18 (66–67–70–67=270) ||Playoff ¹ || Bob May |- style="background:#d0f0c0;" | 2001 ||Masters Tournament (2)||1 shot lead ||−16 (70–66–68–68=272) ||2 strokes || David Duval |- style="background:#d0f0c0;" | 2002 ||Masters Tournament (3)||Tied for lead ||−12 (70–69–66–71=276) ||3 strokes || Retief Goosen |- style="background:#fbceb1;" | 2002 ||U.S. Open (2)||4 shot lead ||−3 (67–68–70–72=277) ||3 strokes || Phil Mickelson |- style="background:#d0f0c0;" | 2005 ||Masters Tournament (4)||3 shot lead ||−12 (74–66–65–71=276) ||Playoff ² || Chris DiMarco |- style="background:#abcdef;" | 2005 ||The Open Championship (2)||2 shot lead ||−14 (66–67–71–70=274) ||5 strokes || Colin Montgomerie |- style="background:#abcdef;" | 2006 ||The Open Championship (3)||1 shot lead ||−18 (67–65–71–67=270) ||2 strokes || Chris DiMarco |- style="background:thistle;" | 2006 ||PGA Championship (3)||Tied for lead ||−18 (69–68–65–68=270) ||5 strokes || Shaun Micheel |- style="background:thistle;" | 2007 ||PGA Championship (4)||3 shot lead ||−8 (71–63–69–69=272) ||2 strokes || Woody Austin |- style="background:#fbceb1;" | 2008 ||U.S. Open (3)||1 shot lead ||−1 (72–68–70–73=283) ||Playoff ³ || Rocco Mediate |} ¹ Defeated May in three-hole playoff by 1 stroke: Woods (3–4–5=12), May (4–4–5=13) ² Defeated DiMarco with birdie on first extra hole ³ Defeated Mediate with a par on 1st sudden death hole after 18-hole playoff was tied at even par

Results timeline[link]

{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse; text-align:center" |- style="background:#eee;" !align="left"|Tournament !1995 !1996 !1997 !1998 !1999 !2000 !2001 !2002 !2003 !2004 !2005 !2006 !2007 !2008 !2009 !2010 !2011 !2012 |- | style="text-align:left;"|The Masters |T41 LA |CUT | style="background:lime;"|1 | style="background:yellow;"|T8 |T18 | style="background:yellow;"|5 | style="background:lime;"|1 | style="background:lime;"|1 |T15 |T22 | style="background:lime;"|1 | style="background:yellow;"|T3 | style="background:yellow;"|T2 | style="background:yellow;"|2 | style="background:yellow;"|T6 | style="background:yellow;"|T4 | style="background:yellow;"|T4 |T40 |- | style="text-align:left;"|U.S. Open |WD |T82 |T19 |T18 | style="background:yellow;"|T3 | style="background:lime;"|1 |T12 | style="background:lime;"|1 |T20 |T17 | style="background:yellow;"|2 |CUT | style="background:yellow;"|T2 | style="background:lime;"|1 | style="background:yellow;"|T6 | style="background:yellow;"|T4 |DNP | |- | style="text-align:left;"|The Open Championship |T68 |T22 LA |T24 | style="background:yellow;"|3 | style="background:yellow;"|T7 | style="background:lime;"|1 |T25 |T28 | style="background:yellow;"|T4 | style="background:yellow;"|T9 | style="background:lime;"|1 | style="background:lime;"|1 |T12 |DNP |CUT |T23 |DNP | |- | style="text-align:left;"|PGA Championship |DNP |DNP |T29 | style="background:yellow;"|T10 | style="background:lime;"|1 | style="background:lime;"|1 |T29 | style="background:yellow;"|2 |T39 |T24 | style="background:yellow;"|T4 | style="background:lime;"|1 | style="background:lime;"|1 |DNP | style="background:yellow;"|2 |T28 |CUT | |}

LA = Low Amateur DNP = Did not play CUT = missed the half-way cut "T" indicates a tie for a place Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.

World Golf Championships[link]

Wins (16)[link]

¹ Won on the first extra hole of a sudden-death playoff. ² Won on the seventh extra hole of a sudden-death playoff. ³ Won on the second extra hole of a sudden-death playoff. ⁴ Won on the fourth extra hole of a sudden-death playoff.

Results timeline[link]

!Tournament!!1999!!2000!!2001!!2002!!2003!!2004!!2005!!2006!!2007!!2008!!2009!!2010!!2011!!2012

align="left"

style="background:yellow;"

style="background:yellow;"

DNP

R64

R32

style="background:yellow;"

style="background:yellow;"

R32

DNP

R64

R32

align="left"

style="background:yellow;"

NT1

style="background:yellow;"

style="background:yellow;"

style="background:yellow;"

DNP

style="background:yellow;"

WD

align="left"

style="background:yellow;"

style="background:yellow;"

style="background:yellow;"

DNP

T78

T37

align="left"

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

style="background:yellow;"

style="background:yellow;"

DNP

¹Cancelled due to 9/11 DNP = Did not play QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play "T" = tied NT = No Tournament Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10. Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.

PGA Tour career summary[link]

! Year !! Wins (Majors) !! Earnings ($) !! Money list rank
1996	2	790,594	24
1997	4 (1)	2,066,833
1998	1	1,841,117
1999	8 (1)	6,616,585
2000	9 (3)	9,188,321
2001	5 (1)	6,687,777
2002	5 (2)	6,912,625
2003	5	6,673,413
2004	1	5,365,472
2005	6 (2)	10,628,024
2006	8 (2)	9,941,563
2007	7 (1)	10,867,052
2008	4 (1)	5,775,000
2009	6	10,508,163
2010	0	1,294,765	68
2011	0	660,238	128
2012*	1	1,848,050	17
!Career*	!72 (14)	!96,665,592	1

: * As of May 13, 2012.

Other ventures[link]

Tiger Woods Foundation[link]

The Tiger Woods Foundation was established in 1996 by Woods and his father Earl, with the primary goal of promoting golf among inner-city children. The foundation has conducted junior golf clinics across the country, and sponsors the Tiger Woods Foundation National Junior Golf Team in the Junior World Golf Championships. As of December 2010, TWF employed approximately 55 people.

The foundation operates the Tiger Woods Learning Center, a $50 million, 35,000-square-foot facility in Anaheim, California, providing college-access programs for underserved youth. The TWLC opened in 2006 and features seven classrooms, extensive multi-media facilities and an outdoor golf teaching area. The center has since expanded to four additional campuses: two in Washington, DC; one in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and one in Stuart, Florida.

The foundation benefits from the annual Chevron World Challenge and AT&T; National golf tournaments hosted by Woods. In October 2011, the foundation hosted the first Tiger Woods Invitational at Pebble Beach. Other annual fundraisers have included the concert events Block Party, last held in 2009 in Anaheim, and Tiger Jam, last held in 2011 in Las Vegas after a one-year hiatus.

Tiger Woods Design[link]

In November 2006, Woods announced his intention to begin designing golf courses around the world through a new company, Tiger Woods Design. A month later, he announced that the company's first course would be in Dubai as part of a 25.3 million-square-foot development, The Tiger Woods Dubai. The Al Ruwaya Golf Course was initially expected to finish construction in 2009. As of February 2010, only seven holes had been completed; in April 2011, the New York Times reported that the project had been shelved permanently.

Tiger Woods Design has taken on two other courses, neither of which has materialized. In August 2007, Woods announced The Cliffs at High Carolina, a private course in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina. After a groundbreaking in November 2008, the project suffered cash flow problems and suspended construction. A third course, in Punta Brava, Mexico, was announced in October 2008, but incurred delays due to issues with permits and an environmental impact study. Construction on the Punta Brava course has not yet begun.

The problems encountered by these projects have been credited to factors including overly optimistic estimates of their value; declines throughout the global economy, particularly the U.S. crash in home prices; and decreased appeal of Woods following his 2009 infidelity scandal.

Writings[link]

Woods wrote a golf instruction column for ''Golf Digest'' magazine from 1997 to February 2011. In 2001 he wrote a best-selling golf instruction book, ''How I Play Golf'', which had the largest print run of any golf book for its first edition, 1.5 million copies.

Personal life[link]

Marriage and children[link]

In November 2003, Woods became engaged to Elin Nordegren, a Swedish former model and daughter of former minister of migration Barbro Holmberg and radio journalist Thomas Nordegren. They were introduced during The Open Championship in 2001 by Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik, who had employed her as an au pair. They married on October 5, 2004, at the Sandy Lane resort in Barbados, and lived at Isleworth, a community in Windermere, a suburb of Orlando, Florida. In 2006, they purchased a $39 million estate in Jupiter Island, Florida, and began constructing a 10,000-square-foot home; Woods moved there in 2010 following the couple's divorce.

Woods and Nordegren's first child, a daughter named Sam Alexis Woods, was born on June 18, 2007. Woods chose the name because his own father had always called him Sam. Their son, Charlie Axel Woods, was born on February 8, 2009.

Infidelity scandal and fallout[link]

On November 25, 2009, supermarket tabloid ''The National Enquirer'' published a story claiming that Woods had an extramarital affair with New York City nightclub manager Rachel Uchitel, a claim she denied. Two days later, around 2:30 AM on November 27, Woods left home in his Cadillac Escalade SUV and, while still on his street, collided with a fire hydrant, a tree, and several hedges. He was treated for minor facial lacerations and received a ticket for careless driving. Following intense media speculation about the accident, Woods released a statement on his website taking sole responsibility for the accident, calling it a "private matter" and crediting his wife for helping him from the car. On November 30, Woods announced that he would not be appearing at his own charity golf tournament, the Chevron World Challenge, nor any other tournaments in 2009, due to his injuries.

On December 2, following the release by ''US Weekly'' of a voicemail message allegedly left by Tiger for a mistress, Woods released another statement in which he admitted "transgressions" and apologized to "all of those who have supported [him] over the years", while reiterating his and his family's right to privacy. Over the next several days, more than a dozen women claimed in various media outlets to have had affairs with Woods. On December 11, he released a third statement admitting to infidelity and apologizing again, as well as announcing that he would be taking "an indefinite break from professional golf."

In the days and months following Woods' admission of infidelity, several companies re-evaluated their relationships with him. Accenture, AT&T;, Gatorade and General Motors completely ended their sponsorship deals, while Gillette suspended advertising featuring Woods. TAG Heuer dropped Woods from advertising in December 2009 and officially ended their deal when his contract expired in August 2011. The magazine ''Golf Digest'' suspended Woods' monthly column beginning with the February 2010 issue. In contrast, Nike continued to support Woods, as did Electronic Arts, which was working with Woods on the game ''Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online''. A December 2009 study estimated the shareholder loss caused by Woods' affairs to be between $5 billion and $12 billion.

On February 19, 2010, Woods gave a televised statement in which he said he had been in a 45-day therapy program since the end of December. He again apologized for his actions. "I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to," he said. "I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and fame, I didn't have to go far to find them. I was wrong. I was foolish." He said he did not know yet when he would be returning to golf. He announced a few weeks later on March 16 that he would be returning at the 2010 Masters Tournament on April 8.

Woods and Nordegren officially divorced on August 23, 2010.

Other[link]

From childhood Woods was raised as a Buddhist, and actively practised this faith from childhood until well into his adult professional golf career. In a 2000 article, Woods was quoted as saying he "believes in Buddhism... Not every aspect, but most of it." He has attributed his deviations and infidelity to his losing track of Buddhism. He said that "Buddhism teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint. Obviously I lost track of what I was taught."

Tiger Woods is registered as an independent. In January 2009, Woods delivered a speech commemorating the military at the We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial. In April 2009, Woods visited the White House while in the Washington, D.C. area promoting the golf tournament he hosts, the AT&T; National.

Woods underwent laser eye surgery in 1999. Before this surgery, Woods eyesight was minus 11, meaning he was almost legally blind. He considered the surgery a big help in his career and a good alternative to the glasses and contact lenses. He immediately started winning tour events after the surgery. He received money from TLC Laser Eye Centers to endorse them. In 2007, he had a second laser eye surgery when his vision began to deteriorate again.

See also[link]

Career Grand Slam Champions

Golfers with most European Tour wins

List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins

List of men's major championships winning golfers

List of World Number One male golfers

Longest PGA Tour win streaks

Most PGA Tour wins in a year

Most wins in one PGA Tour event

References[link]

Further reading[link]

External links[link]

Tiger Woods Foundation

Tiger Woods Learning Center

Tiger Woods' Videos on mReplay

Tiger Woods Video on ESPN Video Archive

Tiger Woods Video on FoxSports Video Archive

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Category:Tiger Woods Category:1975 births Category:Living people Category:African American golfers Category:American Buddhists Category:American male golfers Category:American people of Chinese descent Category:American people of Dutch descent Category:American people of Native American descent Category:American people of Thai descent Category:American philanthropists Category:American sportspeople of Asian descent Category:Golf writers and broadcasters Category:Golfers from California Category:Laureus World Sports Awards winners Category:Men's Career Grand Slam champion golfers Category:Native American sportspeople Category:People from Anaheim, California Category:People from Cypress, California Category:People from Martin County, Florida Category:People from Orange County, Florida Category:PGA Tour golfers Category:Sportspeople from Orange County, California Category:Stanford Cardinal men's golfers Category:Winners of men's major golf championships

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name	Lexi Thompson
fullname	Alexis Thompson
birth date	February 10, 1995
birth place	Coral Springs, Florida, U.S.
death date
height
nationality
residence	Coral Springs, Florida
college
yearpro	2010
retired
tour	LPGA Tour (joined 2012)
prowins	3
lpgawins	1
letwins	1
jlpgawins
klpgawins
lagtwins
alpgwins
futwins
otherwins	1
majorwins
nabisco	T21: 2009
lpga	CUT: 2011
wusopen	T10: 2010
wbritopen	DNP
wghofid
wghofyear
awardssection	}}

Alexis "Lexi" Thompson (born February 10, 1995) is an American professional golfer. At age 12, she was the youngest golfer ever to qualify to play in the U.S. Women's Open. She turned professional in June 2010 at age 15. On September 18, 2011, Thompson set a new record as the youngest-ever winner of an LPGA tournament, at age 16 years, seven months, and eight days, when she won the Navistar LPGA Classic. Three months later she became the second youngest winner of a Ladies European Tour event, capturing the Dubai Ladies Masters by four strokes on December 17, 2011.

Personal life and family[link]

Thompson's two brothers also are golfers: Nicholas Thompson, plays professionally on the PGA Tour and Curtis Thompson attends Louisiana State University. Alexis has been home-schooled, and states that she plans to complete her graduation from high school, while at the same time playing professional golf. Also in 2007, she won the Aldila Junior Classic to become the second-youngest winner in AJGA. She also won the Westfield Junior PGA Championship to become the youngest winner in Junior PGA Championship history.

In 2008 she won the United States Girls' Junior Golf Championship. She qualified again in 2008 for U.S. Women's Open where she shot 75-87, where she again failed to make the cut, this time by two strokes.

As a 14-year-old in 2009, she qualified for a third time for the U.S. Women's Open and made the cut for the first time, finishing tied for 34th, +11 (71-73-78-73=295). Later that year she Monday-qualified for the Navistar LPGA Classic, where she shot 65 in the first round and finished at T27, 12 strokes behind winner, Lorena Ochoa.

In 2010 Thompson kept her amateur status for the first half of the year. As an amateur, she played in the Women's Australian Open, where she finished T16 (+3), 12 strokes behind the winner, Yani Tseng. She made the cut at the 2010 Kraft Nabisco Championship, finishing T24, +2 (74-72-73-71=290), 15 shots behind winner, Yani Tseng. She represented the winning United States team in the Curtis Cup competition and went undefeated, winning four matches and tying in a fifth. She turned pro the next week, stating she believed her game was ready to make the jump to the LPGA Tour.

Amateur highlights[link]

2007 second round, U.S. Girls' Junior

2007 quarterfinalist, U.S. Women's Amateur

2008 Won - U.S. Girls' Junior (final 5 & 4 over Karen Chung)

2009 third round, U.S. Girls' Junior

2009 semifinalist, U.S. Women's Amateur

Professional career[link]

2010[link]

Thompson announced that she had turned pro on June 16, 2010. She signed sponsorship deals with Cobra-PUMA Golf and with Red Bull.

Lacking official status as an LPGA Tour member, Thompson largely had to rely on sponsors' exemptions to gain entry into tournaments. Her first sponsor's exemption was entry into the ShopRite LPGA Classic where she missed the cut by four strokes.

She played qualifiers held in Florida in May to gain entry to the U.S. Women's Open played July 8–11. She finished T10 at the tournament, +6 (73-74-70-73=290), nine shots behind winner Paula Creamer and collected her first professional check for $72,131.

Two weeks later at the Evian Masters, Thompson finished T2, -13 (69-72-67-67=275), one shot behind the winner, and made $242,711. After three professional events, her earnings were $314,842, which would have ranked 18th on the official LPGA money list if she had been a member of the LPGA Tour. Her result from the Evian Masters caused her to rise 75 places to number 74 in the Women's World Golf Rankings. She played three more events on the LPGA Tour in 2010, missing the cut at the CN Canadian Women's Open, and finishing T16 and T57 in two additional events.

Petition to LPGA In December 2010, Thompson petitioned the LPGA to allow her to play in up to 12 LPGA tournaments in 2011 using sponsor exemptions instead of the six allowed to non-members by LPGA rules. In January 2011, Commissioner Mike Whan denied Thompson's petition, but announced that the LPGA rules would be changed to allow non-members to participate in Monday qualifying. In effect this may give Thompson the opportunity to play in more than 12 tournaments in 2011.

2011[link]

Thompson began playing in one-day tournaments on the Fuzion Minor League Golf Tour in October 2010. The Fuzion Minor League Golf Tour is a developmental tour aimed at men trying to move up to the next level of professional golf. On the Fuzion Tour, women play with tees moved up so that they play 94% of the distance that the men play. She returned to play against women in February 2011 at the Women's Australian Open and the ANZ Ladies Masters, where she missed the cut and finished T42 respectively. Returning to the United States, she won a one-round Fuzion Tour event, on February 21, at her home course in Coral Springs, Florida. Tied after 18 holes, she beat Brett Bergeron on the second playoff hole, for her first professional win. In March, Thompson attempted the Monday qualifier for the LPGA Kia Classic, but failed to qualify.

Thompson's first LPGA tournament in 2011 was the Avnet LPGA Classic, with a sponsor's exemption. After three rounds, she was tied for the lead with Song-Hee Kim. On Sunday, her score soared to 78, including back-to-back double bogeys on the 14th and 15th holes. Thompson would finish tied for 19th at -1 (71-71-67-78=287), nine strokes behind the winner, Maria Hjorth. She missed the cut at the ShopRite LPGA Clasic, the LPGA Championship and at the U.S. Women's Open and tried but failed to Monday qualify at the State Farm Classic. In her fifth LPGA tournament she played in 2011, the Evian Masters, she finished tied for 36th. She continued to play regularly on the Fuzion Tour, through the spring and summer. In August, she finished T31 at the Safeway Classic and then missed the cut at the Canadian Women's Open. In September, she won her first LPGA tournament, the Navistar LPGA Classic by a five-stroke margin over LPGA Tour rookie Tiffany Joh. At age sixteen, she became the youngest winner ever on the LPGA Tour, breaking the previous record set by Marlene Hagge at age 18 in 1952.

On December 17, 2011, Thompson won the Dubai Ladies Masters, an event on the Ladies European Tour (LET), with a four stroke margin. This win made her the youngest professional winner on the LET at age 16 years, 10 months, 7 days. The youngest-ever winner on the LET is Amy Yang, who was four months younger when she won the 2006 ANZ Ladies Masters as an amateur at 16 years, 6 months, 8 days.

Qualifying for 2012 LPGA membership Thompson successfully petitioned the LPGA to receive a waiver to the rule that LPGA Tour members must be at least 18 years old, allowing her to enter the 2011 LPGA Qualifying School for Tour membership in 2012. The first of three stages was held July 26–29 at the LPGA International course in Daytona Beach, Florida. Thompson won Stage I by 10 strokes, shooting -23 (66-66-66-67=265). The top 50 finishers and ties from the first stage advanced to Stage II. After winning the Navistar LPGA Classic, Thompson withdrew from qualifying school and petitioned the LPGA for membership based on her win. Her petition was approved on September 30, 2011, and Thompson became a member of the tour for 2012.

Professional wins (3)[link]

LPGA Tour wins (1)[link]

!No.	!Date	!Tournament	!Winning score	!To par	!Marginof victory	!Runner(s)-up
	align=right	Navistar LPGA Classic				Tiffany Joh

LET wins (1)[link]

!No.	!Date	!Tournament	!Winning score	!To par	!Marginof victory	!Runner(s)-up
	align=right	Dubai Ladies Masters				Lee-Anne Pace

Other wins (1)[link]

2011 TPC February Shootout (Fuzion Minor League Golf Tour)

Results in LPGA majors[link]

{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;" |- bgcolor="#eeeeee" ! Tournament !! 2007 !! 2008 !! 2009 !! 2010 !! 2011 !! 2012 |- |Kraft Nabisco Championship |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|T21 T-LA |align="center"|T24 |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|T22 |- |LPGA Championship |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|CUT |align="center"| |- |U.S. Women's Open |align="center"|CUT |align="center"|CUT |align="center"|T34 |align="center" style="background:yellow;"|T10 |align="center"|CUT |align="center"| |- |Women's British Open |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"|DNP |align="center"| |} LA = Low Amateur DNP = did not play CUT = missed the half-way cut "T" = tied Yellow background for top-10.

Professional record and earnings outside of Tour membership [link]

Results in all tournaments in which Thompson has played since turning pro in June 2010 through the end of 2011. During this time she was a professional golfer but not a member of any golf tour. {| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;" |- bgcolor="#eeeeee" ! Year !! Dates !! Tournament !! Tour !! Finish !! Margin || Earnings($) |-bgcolor="#FFFFCC" |align="center"|2010 |align="left"|Jun 18-20 |align="center"|ShopRite LPGA Classic |align="center"|LPGA |align="center"|MC |align="center"|4 from cutline |align="right"|0 |-bgcolor="#FFFFCC" |align="center"|2010 |align="left"|Jul 8-11 |align="center"|U.S. Women's Open |align="center"|LPGA |align="center"|T10 |align="center"|9 behind winner |align="right"|72,131 |-bgcolor="#FFFFCC" |align="center"|2010 |align="left"|Jul 22-25 |align="center"|Evian Masters |align="center"|LPGA and LET |align="center"|T2 |align="center"|1 behind winner |align="right"|242,711 |-bgcolor="#FFFFCC" |align="center"|2010 |align="left"|Aug 26-29 |align="center"|CN Canadian Women's Open |align="center"|LPGA |align="center"|MC |align="center"|1 from cutline |align="right"|0 |-bgcolor="#FFFFCC" |align="center"|2010 |align="left"|Sep 10-12 |align="center"|P&G; NW Arkansas Championship |align="center"|LPGA |align="center"|T57 |align="center"|16 behind winner |align="right"|4,989 |-bgcolor="#FFFFCC" |align="center"|2010 |align="left"|Oct 7-10 |align="center"|Navistar LPGA Classic |align="center"|LPGA |align="center"|T16 |align="center"|8 behind winner |align="right"|16,641 |-bgcolor="#FFFFCC" |align="center"|2010 |align="left"|Oct 27 |align="center"|Hammock Fall Classic |align="center"|Fuzion Minor League Golf Tour¹ |align="center"|T5 |align="center"|2 behind winner |align="right"|238 |-bgcolor="#FFFFCC" |align="center"|2010 |align="left"|Oct 28 |align="center"|Hillcrest Classic |align="center"|Fuzion Minor League Golf Tour |align="center"|T2 |align="center"|1 behind winner |align="right"|508 |-bgcolor="#FFFFCC" |align="center"|2010 |align="left"|Nov 3 |align="center"|President Open |align="center"|Fuzion Minor League Golf Tour |align="center"|2 |align="center"|3 behind winner |align="right"|550 |-bgcolor="#FFFFCC" |align="center"|2010 |align="left"|Nov 18 |align="center"|Madison Green Fall Shootout |align="center"|Fuzion Minor League Golf Tour |align="center"|T5 |align="center"|3 behind winner |align="right"|325 |-bgcolor="#FFFFCC" |align="center"|2010 |align="left"|Nov 22 |align="center"|Thanksgiving Monday Classic |align="center"|Fuzion Minor League Golf Tour |align="center"|T3 |align="center"|2 behind winner |align="right"|508 |-bgcolor="#FFCC99" |align="center"|2011 |align="left"|Jan 7 |align="center"|Coastal Performance Classic |align="center"|Fuzion Minor League Golf Tour |align="center"|T16 |align="center"|4 behind winner |align="right"|82 |-bgcolor="#FFCC99" |align="center"|2011 |align="left"|Jan 10 |align="center"|Broward Winter Classic |align="center"|Fuzion Minor League Golf Tour |align="center"|T3 |align="center"|3 behind winner |align="right"|533 |-bgcolor="#FFCC99" |align="center"|2011 |align="left"|Jan 11 |align="center"|Estates Winter Open |align="center"|Fuzion Minor League Golf Tour |align="center"|T9 |align="center"|3 behind winner |align="right"|270 |-bgcolor="#FFCC99" |align="center"|2011 |align="left"|Jan 18 |align="center"|Jupiter Winter Classic |align="center"|Fuzion Minor League Golf Tour |align="center"|T27 |align="center"|10 behind winner |align="right"|76 |-bgcolor="#FFCC99" |align="center"|2011 |align="left"|Jan 21 |align="center"|Madison Green Winter Shootout |align="center"|Fuzion Minor League Golf Tour |align="center"|T9 |align="center"|6 behind winner |align="right"|225 |-bgcolor="#FFCC99" |align="center"|2011 |align="left"|Jan 24 |align="center"|TPC Eagle Trace Classic |align="center"|Fuzion Minor League Golf Tour |align="center"|11 |align="center"|4 behind winner |align="right"|210 |-bgcolor="#FFCC99" |align="center"|2011 |align="left"|Feb 3-6 |align="center"|Women's Australian Open |align="center"|LET and ALPG Tour |align="center"|MC |align="center"|2 from cutline |align="right"|0 |-bgcolor="#FFCC99" |align="center"|2011 |align="left"|Feb 10-13 |align="center"|ANZ Ladies Masters |align="center"|LET and ALPG Tour |align="center"|T42 |align="center"|14 behind winner |align="right"|2,289 |-bgcolor="#FFCC99" |align="center"|2011 |align="left"|Feb 21 |align="center"|TPC February Shootout |align="center"|Fuzion Minor League Golf Tour |align="center"|1 |align="center"|— |align="right"|1,000 |-bgcolor="#FFCC99" |align="center"|2011 |align="left"|Mar 4 |align="center"|March RPB Classic |align="center"|Fuzion Minor League Golf Tour |align="center"|T9 |align="center"|4 behind winner |align="right"|217 |-bgcolor="#FFCC99" |align="center"|2011 |align="left"|Mar 25 |align="center"|Palm Beach Classic |align="center"|Fuzion Minor League Golf Tour |align="center"|T2 |align="center"|Playoff |align="right"|513 |-bgcolor="#FFCC99" |align="center"|2011 |align="left"|Apr28-May 1 |align="center"|Avnet LPGA Classic |align="center"|LPGA |align="center"|T19 |align="center"|9 behind winner |align="right"|14,715 |-bgcolor="#FFCC99" |align="center"|2011 |align="left"|June 3–5 |align="center"|ShopRite LPGA Classic |align="center"|LPGA |align="center"|MC |align="center"|6 from cutline |align="right"|0 |-bgcolor="#FFCC99" |align="center"|2011 |align="left"|June 23–26 |align="center"|LPGA Championship |align="center"|LPGA |align="center"|MC |align="center"|6 from cutline |align="right"|0 |-bgcolor="#FFCC99" |align="center"|2011 |align="left"|July 7–11 |align="center"|U.S. Women's Open |align="center"|LPGA |align="center"|MC |align="center"|4 from cutline |align="right"|0 |-bgcolor="#FFCC99" |align="center"|2011 |align="left"|July 12 |align="center"|PGA Estates Summer Shootout |align="center"|Fuzion Minor League Golf Tour |align="center"|T20 |align="center"|8 behind winner |align="right"|0 |-bgcolor="#FFCC99" |align="center"|2011 |align="left"|July 21–24 |align="center"|Evian Masters |align="center"|LPGA |align="center"|T36 |align="center"|9 behind winner |align="right"|18,023 |-bgcolor="#FFCC99" |align="center"|2011 |align="left"|Aug 5-7 |align="center"|Ladies Irish Open |align="center"|LET |align="center"|T24 |align="center"|16 behind winner |align="right"|6,382 |-bgcolor="#FFCC99" |align="center"|2011 |align="left"|Aug 19-21 |align="center"|Safeway Classic |align="center"|LPGA |align="center"|T31 |align="center"|10 behind winner |align="right"|9,559 |-bgcolor="#FFCC99" |align="center"|2011 |align="left"|Aug 25-28 |align="center"|Canadian Women's Open |align="center"|LPGA |align="center"|MC |align="center"|2 from cutline |align="right"|0 |-bgcolor="#FFCC99" |align="center"|2011 |align="left"|Sep 15-18 |align="center"|Navistar LPGA Classic |align="center"|LPGA |align="center"|1 |align="center"|n/a |align="right"|195,000 |-bgcolor="#FFCC99" |align="center"|2011 |align="left"|Nov 17-20 |align="center"|CME Group Titleholders |align="center"|LPGA |align="center"|T36 |align="center"|17 behind winner |align="right"|7,001 |-bgcolor="#FFCC99" |align="center"|2011 |align="left"|Dec 14-17 |align="center"|Dubai Ladies Masters |align="center"|LET |align="center"|1 |align="center"|n/a |align="right"|97,863² |}

Dates are span of competitive rounds, regardless of whether Thompson participated in all rounds.

Margin = strokes behind winner or cutline, not applicable in cases of withdrawal, disqualification or matchplay format.

Winning amounts are rounded up to the nearest dollar.

¹On the Fuzion Tour, women play with tees moved up so that they play 94% of the distance that the men play. ² The winner's prize was 75,000 Euros. US dollar equivalent basked on exchange rate current as of December 17, 2011.

LPGA Tour career summary[link]

{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;" |- bgcolor="#eeeeee" ! Year !! Tournaments played !! Cuts made !! Wins !! 2nds !! 3rds !! Top 10s !! Best finish !! Earnings($) !! Moneylist rank !! Scoring average !! Scoringrank |- |align="center"|2007 |align="center"|1 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|MC |align="right"|n/a  |align="center"| |align="center"|79.00 |align="center"| |- |align="center"|2008 |align="center"|1 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|MC |align="right"|n/a  |align="center"| |align="center"|76.00 |align="center"| |- |align="center"|2009 |align="center"|3 |align="center"|3 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|T27 |align="right"|n/a  |align="center"| |align="center"|72.75 |align="center"| |- |align="center"|2010 |align="center"|6 |align="center"|4 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|1 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|2 |align="center"|T2 |align="right"|319,831¹ |align="center"|n/a |align="center"|72.21 |align="center"|n/a |- |align="center"|2011 |align="center"|9 |align="center"|5 |align="center"|1 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|1 |align="center"|1 |align="right"|244,298¹ |align="center"|n/a |align="center"|73.81 |align="center"|n/a |- |align="center"|2012 |align="center"|7 |align="center"|6 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|1 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|1 |align="center"|2 |align="right"|159,059² |align="center"|23 |align="center"|71.92 |align="center"|25 |} Official as of April 30, 2012

¹ Earnings prior to 2012 are unofficial because Thompson was not an LPGA member.
² Official 2012 earnings do not include $23,107 from T14 finish at the Honda LPGA Thailand.LPGA rules specify that earnings by players who gain entrance to an international tournament using a sponsor's exemption are unofficial.

Team appearances[link]

Amateur

Junior Solheim Cup (representing the United States): 2009 (winners)

Curtis Cup (representing the United States): 2010 (winners)

Curtis Cup Record {| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;" |- bgcolor="#eeeeee" ! Year !! Total Matches !! TotalW-L-H !! SinglesW-L-H !! FoursomesW-L-H !! FourballsW-L-H !! PointsWon !! Points% |- |align="center"|Career |align="center"|5 |align="center"|''4-0-1'' |align="center"|''1-0-0'' |align="center"|''1-0-1'' |align="center"|''2-0-0'' |align="center"|4.5 |align="center"|90.0 |- |align="center"|2010 |align="center"|5 |align="center"|''4-0-1'' |align="center"|''1-0-0'' def. S. Watson 6&5 |align="center"|''1-0-1'' halved w/ J. Korda,won w/ J. Korda 3&1 |align="center"|''2-0-0'' won w/ J. Johnson 3&2, won w/ J. Korda 2&1 |align="center"|4.5 |align="center"|90.0 |}

References[link]

External links[link]

Category:American female golfers Category:LPGA Tour golfers Category:Golfers from Florida Category:People from Broward County, Florida Category:1995 births Category:Living people

name	Erik Compton
fullname	Erik Harald Høie Compton
birth date	November 11, 1979
birth place	Miami, Florida
death date
height
weight
nationality
residence	Coral Gables, Florida
college	University of Georgia
yearpro	2001
retired
tour	PGA Tour
extour	Nationwide TourCanadian Tour
prowins	7
pgawins
eurowins
japwins
asiawins
sunwins
auswins
nwidewins	1
chalwins
champwins
seneurowins
otherwins	6
majorwins
masters	DNP
usopen	CUT: 2010
open	DNP
pga	DNP
wghofid
wghofyear
award1	Canadian TourOrder of Merit winner
year1	2004
awardssection	}}

Erik Harald Høie Compton (born November 11, 1979) is a Norwegian-American professional golfer.

Compton was born in Miami, Florida to an American father and a Norwegian mother and holds dual citizenship. He attended the University of Georgia and played on the 2001 Palmer Cup and Walker Cup teams.

Medical condition[link]

Compton has been known throughout the golf world for his heart condition. When he was nine, Compton was diagnosed with viral cardiomyopathy, a condition where the heart muscle is inflamed and unable to pump as hard as it should. He has been through three different hearts thus far through his life. His first heart transplant came in 1992, when Compton was 12. Compton had his second transplant and third heart in 2008, which was again a successful surgery. For this, Compton was given the Ben Hogan Award at Augusta, Georgia during The Masters in April 2009. He also gained recognition for his attempts to have the use of a golf cart during qualifying rounds for PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour events.

Professional career[link]

After graduating from the University of Georgia, Compton turned professional in 2001. He played on the Nationwide Tour in 2002 and again from 2005 to 2007. His best finish was a T2 at the 2004 Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open.

Compton played on the Canadian Tour in 2003 and 2004. In 2004, he dominated the Canadian Tour, winning twice and also winning the Order of Merit title. He also won the 2005 Hassan II Golf Trophy in Morocco.

Compton has also played the mini-tours, winning a few events on the NGA Hooters Tour. He played in thirty PGA Tour events as a non-member from 2000 to 2011 through sponsor exemptions and qualifying, making the cut 18 times. His best PGA Tour finish was T25 in the 2011 Northern Trust Open. Compton has played in one major, the 2010 U.S. Open, where he did not make the cut. In 2010, Compton advanced to the Tour's final round of qualifying school. He finished tied for 100th, which granted him conditional Nationwide Tour status. In 2011, Compton won the Mexico Open, his first win on a major golf tour. Compton finished 13th on the money list, good enough for a PGA Tour Card for 2012.

Compton lives in Miami with wife Barbara and daughter Petra.

Amateur wins (1)[link]

2001 Monroe Invitational

Professional wins (7)[link]

Nationwide Tour (1)[link]

!No.!!Date!!Tournament!!Winning Score!!Margin of Victory!!Runner-up
1		Mexico Open	-17 (68-70-68-65=271)	2 strokes

Canadian Tour (3)[link]

2003 Michelin Guadalajara Classic

2004 E-Loan Central Valley Classic, MTS Classic

Other (3)[link]

2004 Hassan II Golf Trophy

2 wins on NGA Hooters Tour

U.S. national team appearances[link]

Amateur

Palmer Cup: 2001 (winners)

Walker Cup: 2001

See also[link]

2011 Nationwide Tour graduates

References[link]

External links[link]

Category:American male golfers Category:Georgia Bulldogs men's golfers Category:PGA Tour golfers Category:Golfers from Florida Category:Sportspeople from Miami, Florida Category:People from Coral Gables, Florida Category:American people of Norwegian descent Category:1979 births Category:Living people

Jessica Holmes (born August 29, 1973 in Ottawa, Ontario) is a Canadian comedian and actress. She is best known for her work with the ''Royal Canadian Air Farce'', which she joined in 2003. She is married to actor Scott Yaphe.

Holmes attended Canterbury High School in Ottawa followed by Ryerson University in Toronto.

For one season, Holmes hosted her own show, ''The Holmes Show''. She also appeared on ''XPM'' and ''History Bites''.

Holmes is the daughter of a feminist mother and a Mormon father and was for two years a missionary in Venezuela for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She is no longer a member of the church. In her comedy, she parodies right wing Christian fundamentalists through her character, Candy Anderson Henderson. She also parodies this by appearing as Sister Bessy, a nun with a thick Scottish accent who comments on politics.

On both ''The Holmes Show'' and ''Air Farce'', she has performed caricatures of various celebrities, including Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, Liza Minnelli, Myriam Bedard, Belinda Stronach, Geri Halliwell, Britney Spears, Tim Allen, Jim Carrey and others.

Jessica and Scott have 2 chldren. Penelope Corrin was her fill-in on ''Air Farce'' during Jessica's first maternity leave during the first two months of 2007. She returned to the show in March 2007. Holmes took her second leave during the first few episodes of Air Farce's last season in October 2008, as she gave birth to her second child.

References[link]

External links[link]

Jessica Holmes' Website

Category:1973 births Category:Canadian television comedians Category:Canadian television actors Category:Canadian Unitarian Universalists Category:Former Latter Day Saints Category:Living people Category:Mormon missionaries in Venezuela Category:People from Ottawa Category:Royal Canadian Air Farce Category:Ryerson University alumni Category:Canadian Mormon missionaries Category:20th-century Mormon missionaries Category:Female Mormon missionaries Category:Canadian women comedians

fr:Jessica Holmes