Tiger Woods’ Rollercoaster CareerIf you’ve been paying attention to golfing news, you know that Tiger Woods has found himself in trouble lately. Riddled by injuries and potential substance abuse, Woods’ career has derailed. There is a strong possibility that Woods, who was once seen as a shoe-in to break Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 career majors, may never golf competitively again. Let’s look back at Woods’ career over the years.

The ‘90’s

Woods turned professional in August 1996 after winning his third consecutive U.S. Amateur. It didn’t take him long to find success on the PGA Tour, either. In October, after only his fifth start, he recorded his first PGA Tour Victory at the Las Vegas Invitational.

Wood won his first major championship, the Masters, in April 1997. At age 21, he became the youngest to do so, shooting a record score of 270.

2000 – 2005

In June 2000, Woods won the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. His victory was the largest margin of victory – 15 strokes – in major championship history. After winning the Masters again in April 2001, Woods became the only player to hold all four professional major championships at the same time. Woods married Elin Nordegren in October 2004.

2005 – 2010

In July 2007, Woods ruptured his ACL. This didn’t slow down Wood’s success, however. He won five of his next six tournaments, one of which was the PGA Championship.

2008 was a tumultuous year for Tiger, as he began dealing with serious injuries. He had always dealt with minor injuries and had scopes performed, but this is when the injury bug truly started to bite Woods. In April 2008, he had cartilage repaired. In May, doctors discovered two stress fractures in his leg, advising him to miss six weeks of golf as he was on crutches. Woods recovered in time to win the U.S. Open, giving him his 14th major victory. A week afterward, he had reconstructive surgery on his left knee. He went on to miss eight months.

In August 2009, Woods lost a 54-hole lead at the PGA Championship, the first time that ever happened to him at a major. In November, he crashed his SUV, exposing his personal life to the public. He divorced his wife in August 2010.

Present

Although Woods won the Bridgestone Invitation in August 2013, he hasn’t been the same since. He has had multiple back surgeries, forcing him to withdrawal from nearly every tournament he has entered. In May 2017, Woods was arrested on suspicion of DUI.

Keep your Game in Top Shape

If you’re coming back from an injury or a hiatus on the course, be sure to utilize the driving range at Westlake Golf Course. At Westlake, there are 40 stalls that are night-lighted for your convenience. Consider purchasing a Westlake Range Card to get the most bang for your buck at the range. A $!00 card gets you a $120 credit to put toward range ball purchases. There is also a practice putting and chipping green on the course so that you can ease your way back into the game, ensuring that your golf career will not go as far off course as Woods’ did.