Eldrick Tiger Woods was born on December 30, 1975, in Cypress, California. His father, the late Earl Woods, was a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army and his mother, Kultida, is a native of Thailand. Tiger Woods grew up in Cypress and attended Western High School in Anaheim where he played golf and maintained high grades. Education was highly valued in Tiger's family, and he went on to attend Stanford University before becoming a professional golfer in 1996.

Tiger names his father as his greatest role model and credits him with much of his success in life and in golf. He learned from his parents that family and education come first, anything is possible if you work hard, and making a difference in other people's lives is worth much more than winning golf tournaments. Mentoring and guidance from high school teachers and a college professor greatly impacted Tiger and helped shape his priorities in life. At home and at school Tiger learned the values of integrity, honesty, discipline, responsibility and fun, and these values have helped him achieve his dreams.