By the time Tiger Woods began his college career in 1994, he was widely regarded as a golf prodigy, helped by some extraordinary achievements in his early life, including three consecutive US Junior Amateur titles between 1991 and 1993.
That reputation was enhanced even more in 1994 when Woods became the youngest-ever winner of the prestigious US Amateur at just 18.
Those achievements naturally made him one of the most sought-after amateur golfers for college programs across the US, so it’s hardly surprising that he was not short of options before choosing Stanford.
It proved to be a sensible choice for several reasons, including its California location, where Woods was raised, its first-class academic reputation, and, perhaps most importantly, its equally stellar golf tradition and success, which included seven men’s NCAA Division I Championship titles when he enrolled.
Woods’ time at Stanford, where he studied economics, was comparatively brief at only two years, but he made a lasting impact.
During his freshman year, Woods was named the Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year twice before he became only the second student from the university to win the individual NCAA Division I Championship title in 1996.
The same year, he also won the Haskins Award, which is presented annually to the most outstanding collegiate golfer in the US. Despite his brief Stanford career, Woods also amassed 11 collegiate wins.
Woods also continued to make his mark in amateur golf away from the university during his time at Stanford, including winning his third consecutive US Amateur title in 1996.
Given his extraordinary success as a college golfer, it was perhaps inevitable that the allure of the professional game would ultimately prove too strong to turn down, and in August 1996, he left his amateur career behind, turned professional and signed a lucrative endorsement deal with Nike - a relationship that lasted for 27 years.
Since leaving Stanford, Woods has had one of the best careers of any player, despite a string of injuries, including 15 Major wins among 110 professional victories, a record-equalling 82 of which have come on the PGA Tour.
While it is Woods’ professional career that will his legacy, his glorious two years at Stanford undoubtedly laid many of the foundations.
