Tiger Woods’ actual name is Eldrick Tont Woods
His mother chose his first name, ‘Eldrick’, it began with an ‘E’ (for his father) and ended with a ‘K’ (for his mother). Also, they chose his middle name as a tribute to his mother’s Thai ancestry.
Tiger got his name through his father. Woods’ dad was serving for the U.S. Army when he befriended a Vietnamese colonel named Vuong Dang Phong. The colonel went by the nickname of ‘Tiger’ and that’s how Woods’ dad gave the 15-time major winner his name.
During an interview with People, Woods revealed his dad used to call him by a different name. “My father had always called me Sam since the day I was born. He rarely ever called me Tiger. I would ask him, ‘Why don’t you ever call me Tiger?’ He says, well, you look more like a Sam.”
Woods suffered a horrific car crash in February 2021 and is still recovering from it. By the looks of it, Woods will be sidelined for several more months. However, he is expected to make a return to the PGA Tour in 2022.