Earl Woods believed his son, Tiger, was more than just a great golfer — he thought he could change the world.
"He's the bridge between the East and the West," Earl told Sports Illustrated. "I don't know yet exactly what form this will take. But he is the Chosen One. He'll have the power to impact nations. Not people. Nations. The world is just getting a taste of his power."
While this might seem like a lot of pressure for Tiger, it shouldn't be surprising that Earl always had high hopes for his son. By 2 years old, Tiger was swinging a golf club like a pro, catching the public's eye during an appearance on a late-night show with Bob Hope.
At the age of 15, he became the youngest winner of the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, according to Britannica. In addition, he earned three consecutive U.S. Amateur Championships as well as the collegiate title while enrolled at Stanford University in 1996.
Tiger, however, insisted that his father never forced him to play golf or put pressure on him to be the best. In fact, he was more scared of his mom, Kultida, than his dad.
"As we said in our family, my mom was the hand, and my dad was the voice," Woods wrote in "The 1997 Masters: My Story," per USA Today. "I could negotiate with him, but not with my mom. There was no middle ground with Mom."
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEpaCsrF6YvK57kmpqa2xkZLGmwMCio6xlqaTCbrDInaWtZZujvLh5wJumrqxdqbaosdFmrqinlKh6p63ToZyrZw%3D%3D