Why Tiger Woods Doesn’t Use His Real Name

Is there a name more synonymous with golf than Tiger Woods? With 15 Majors and an incredible 13 years atop the sport’s world rankings, Tiger Woods’ name has grown beyond the perimeters of his sport. However, it’s funny to think that Tiger hasn’t always been known as, well, Tiger.

Born in the warm climate of California in 1975, Tiger’s parents, Kutilda and Earl, took inspiration from their own names when they provided Tiger with his original name. From birth, before he became the Tiger Woods we know today, he was known as Eldrick Tont Woods. The unusual moniker began with the first letter of Tiger’s father’s name and concluded with the first letter of his mother’s name.

Tont, which translates to ‘firstborn’ or ‘beginning’ in Thai, is a nod to Kutilda’s heritage. She was originally from Thailand, where she and Earl met in 1968 when he was on a tour of duty. And it is in Earl’s military heritage where Tiger’s iconic adopted name originates.

Why Tiger Woods is Called Tiger

It’s not his real name, but there’s a reason behind it

During his time in the army, Earl developed a close bond with Colonel Vuong Dang Phong, known as ‘Tiger’ to those who knew him well. As a tribute to his old army buddy, Earl began calling his son ‘Tiger’ in the hopes that it would lead to a reunion between them. Sadly, Phong passed away before they could be reunited. However, Earl believed that his friend would have been so proud and taken aback by Tiger’s achievements in the world of golf.

“Phong would be totally flabbergasted by Tiger, completely blown away. He would view him as his own son,” Earl said in an interview with Golf Digest. “He wouldn’t know a damned thing about golf, but it wouldn’t be necessary. He would be so proud and so happy.”

Tiger Woods Used to be Called Sam

Tiger has revealed before why he dad used to call him Sam

As if two names weren’t enough, Tiger revealed that there was another name that his father called him by. Stranger still, Earl rarely used the name ‘Tiger’ to address his son.

“My father had always called me Sam since the day I was born,” he said, speaking to the Augusta Chronicle. “I would ask him, ‘Why don’t you ever call me Tiger?’ He said, ‘Well, you look more like a Sam’, I said, ‘All right, that’s cool.’”

With his own firstborn, Tiger has continued the traditions set by his father. His first child, a daughter, was born on the 18th of June 2007, and Tiger and his now ex-wife, Elin, didn’t need to look far to find a fitting name. The couple named her Sam Alexis Woods, in memory of Tiger’s father.

“We wanted to have a name that would be meaningful to either side of the family, my side or Elin’s side,” revealed Tiger at a press conference for the AT&T National shortly after his daughter’s birth. “Because she was born [the day after] Father’s Day. It just happened to fit.”

Tiger’s second child, a son named Charlie, is following in his footsteps. Charlie entered the Cognizant Classic, his first pre-qualifying tournament for a PGA Tour event, in February of last year.