Tiger Woods: The College Years

SI Staff | Jun 4, 2012

Tiger Woods: The College Years

Mark Humphrey/AP

On Sunday, Tiger Woods won the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village and tied Jack Nicklaus for second place on the career victories list (73). As the U.S. Open approaches, SI looks back to his years at Stanford (1994-96), where he won multiple titles and cemented his status as the world's next great golfer.

Tiger Woods

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Woods was recruited very heavily by many of the top college golf schools but chose Stanford, the 1994 NCAA Division I champion.

Tiger Woods

David Liam Kyle /SI

Woods and his teammates watch the action during a tournament at Ohio State.

Tiger Woods

AP

When Tiger arrived at Stanford in the fall of 1994, he was already well known in the golf world. During Woods's first year of college, he won the U.S. Amateur title and qualified to play in the Masters.

Tiger Woods

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Tiger chips onto the sixth green during the NCAA Men's Golf Championship in May of 1996.

Tiger Woods

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Tiger during the Memorial Golf event in Stanford on Oct. 10, 1995.

Tiger Woods

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Woods playing his first round at his new school, Stanford, in 1994.

Tiger Woods

Peter Read Miller/SI

In his freshman year, Woods was voted Pac-10 Player of the Year, First Team All-America and Stanford's Male Freshman of the Year.

Tiger Woods

David Liam Kyle/SI

Not every putt went in for Tiger, but he still managed to win the 1996 NCAA championship. He is the only NCAA champion to also win three amateur titles.

Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus

AP

Woods shakes hands with Jack Nicklaus after receiving the 'Jack Nicklaus College Player of the Year' award in June 1996.

Tiger Woods

AP

Tiger acknowledges the crowd after winning the 1996 NCAA championship.

Jerry Chang and Tiger Woods

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Woods and his Stanford teammate, Jerry Chang, shake hands with an Oklahoma State golfer after a match. Chang remains one of Woods' closest friends.

Tiger Woods

David Liam Kyle/SI

When Eldrick Woods turned 21 in December 1996, he legally changed his first name to Tiger. On the campus of Stanford, however, he was still known as "Urkel" by his college teammates.

Tiger Woods

Peter Read Miller/SI

At Stanford, Tiger's press conferences didn't demand the media attention they do today.

Tiger Woods

AP

Woods shows his disgust after missing a short putt.

Tiger Woods

John M. Burgess/SI

Tiger takes a break from the links to enjoy a milk shake.

Tiger Woods

Peter Read Miller/SI

It wasn't all about golf for Tiger at Stanford. He studied economics and planned to major in it until leaving after his sophomore year to turn pro.

Tiger Woods

AP

Woods turned pro in August 1996 and immediately signed endorsement deals with Nike and Titleist. He would go on to win the Las Vegas International and the Disney/Oldsmobile Classic -- earning close to $800,000 in just eight events.

Tiger Woods

AP

By the end of 1997, Tiger's first full year on the PGA tour, he was the leading money winner ($2.07 million) and reached No. 1 in the world rankings in his 42nd week as a pro.

Tiger Woods

David Madison/Getty Images

During Woods's first year of college, he won the U.S. Amateur title and qualified to play in the Masters.

Tiger Woods

John Burgess/SI