Earl Woods handicap level when Tiger was born in late 1975. Coached by his father, Tiger Woods was introduced to golf in Orange County, California before age two, and became a child prodigy in golf, perhaps the most precocious young golfer in history. Tiger learned golf first on the U.S. military courses in southern California. Earl Woods shared the techniques he used in coaching his son Tiger in two books: "Training a Tiger: A Father's Guide to Raising a Winner in Both Golf and Life", and "Playing Through: Straight Talk on Hard Work, Big Dreams and Adventures with Tiger". Woods coached 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