Tiger Woods War veteran who was mostly African American with traces of European descent. Earl's mother Maude Carter was light skinned. Some people suggested that she had Native American and Chinese ancestry. Tiger refers to his ethnic make-up as ""Cablinasian"" (a syllabic abbreviation he coined from Caucasian, Black, American Indian, and Asian). Woods' first name—Eldrick—was coined by his mother because it began with "E" (for Earl) and ended with "K" (for Kultida). His middle name Tont is a traditional Thai name. He was nicknamed Tiger in honor of his father's friend Col. Vuong Dang Phong, who had also been known as Tiger.
Tiger Woods of the Year a record-tying four times, and is one of only two people to be named "Sports Illustrated"s Sportsman of the Year more than once. Since his record-breaking win at the 1997 Masters, Woods became the biggest name in golf, and his presence in tournaments drew a huge fan following . Some sources have credited him for dramatically increasing prize money in golf, generating interest in new PGA tournament audiences, and for drawing the largest TV ratings in golf history. During the first decade of his professional career, Woods was the world's most marketable athlete. Shortly after his 21st