On July 23rd, 2000, Tiger Woods defeated Thomas Bjørn and Ernie Els to claim his first Open title — a victory that cemented his extraordinary ascent among golf's all-time legends. At just 24, Woods became the youngest player in history to capture all 4 major titles.
Woods had long been regarded as a phenom, his reputation forged through a remarkable junior, collegiate and amateur career before he made the leap to professional golf at the age of 20. By 1997, he had already claimed three PGA Tour events, headlined by a record-breaking 12-stroke victory at the coveted Masters.
Remarkably, in less than a year after going professional, Woods climbed to the No. 1 ranking in the world — a position he would hold for a record 264 consecutive weeks.
The road to that historic July 23rd, 2000, triumph was paved with dominance. Woods rattled off six consecutive event victories, a winning streak unmatched since Ben Hogan accomplished the feat in 1948. His U.S. Open performance that same year stands as one of golf history's greatest statistical achievements, with Woods breaking or tying nine tournament records. That effort alone netted him an $800,000 check and installed him as the odds favorite heading into the British Open Men's Golf Championship.
By the time he lifted the trophy, Woods had won 9 of the 20 tournaments he entered and shattered the record for the lowest scoring average in tour history.
In barely five years as a professional, Tiger Woods had built an enduring legacy, stringing together a stretch of dominance that would come to be known as "The Tiger Slam." Before 2000 had even drawn to a close, Golf Digest already ranked him as the 12th best golfer of all time.