5 mind-bending Tiger Woods records as 15-time Major winner turns 50

Tiger Woods turns 50 today, December 30, celebrating half a century of life and a career that has made a huge impact on golf. Since turning professional in 1996, Woods has become a global icon, inspiring generations of players and fans with his skill, dominance and determination.

Fans have missed seeing Woods compete. His last official appearance was at the 2024 Open Championship and he is currently recovering from surgery. Despite this, his record-breaking career continues to impress. Beyond his 15 major championships and 82 PGA Tour wins, Woods holds several achievements that remain unmatched in golf history.

1. 683 weeks at number one in the world

Tiger Woods spent a total of 683 weeks at the top of the Official World Golf Ranking. This includes 281 straight weeks from June 2005 to October 2010. Even his shortest stretch at number one, 264 weeks, is more than Scottie Scheffler’s total of 172 weeks. Woods’ 683 weeks is more than Greg Norman and Scheffler combined, who are second and third in career weeks at number one.

2. Unique U.S. titles and major achievements

Tiger Woods is the only golfer to win the U.S. Open, the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Junior Amateur, taking each title three times. He is also the only player to win the U.S. Open, the Open Championship and the PGA Championship in the same year.

3. Nine-time Vardon Trophy winner

Tiger Woods was born on December 30, 1975 - Source: Imagn

The Vardon Trophy is awarded to the PGA Tour player with the lowest season stroke average. Woods has won it nine times. He also holds the record for finishing a season with a stroke average below 68, achieving this in 2000 and 2007. No other player has matched this low average in PGA Tour history. Rory McIlroy came closest last season with an average of 68.67.

4. Ten seasons with five or more PGA Tour wins since 1983

Since 1983, there have been 17 seasons in which a player won five or more PGA Tour events. Woods accounts for ten of these, including nine wins in 2000 and eight wins in both 1999 and 2006. The only other player to have multiple seasons of five or more wins in that time is Scottie Scheffler.

5. Eleven PGA Tour Player of the Year awards

No golfer in history has won more than six Player of the Year awards except for Woods, who has won it 11 times. Among current top players, Scheffler and Rory McIlroy each have three awards. This shows just how consistent and dominant Tiger Woods has been throughout his career.

Edited by Sonali Verma