Tiger is one of golf’s all-time greats (Image: Getty)
Tiger Woods claimed he has just one regret in his life. From a prestigious 28-year pro golf career, the 48-year-old Californian has racked up almost every accolade since turning pro back in 1996 at the tender age of 20, winning 15 majors and 82 PGA Tour events.
And despite becoming the world’s youngest-ever Masters winner in 1997 after outperforming the likes of Tom Kite, Tommy Tolles and Tom Watson with a total score of -18, Woods said that he rues turning pro when he did. When probed on the toughest moment of his life by CBS Sports, the legend of the game said: “The only regret I have in life is not spending another year at Stanford, and I wish I would’ve had one more year.”
The interviewer then probed: “Of all the things that’s happened to you?” To which Woods responded: “All the things and that’s all.” Arguably one of Woods’ biggest regrets in his lifetime would be his infidelity with ex-wife Elin Nordegren, with the pro having secret affairs with as many as 16 women during his marriage.
Through his affairs, Woods’ sponsorship deals with the likes of Nike, Gatorade and Gillette disappeared, with the star admitting: “I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated. What I did was not acceptable,” after his actions came to light.
With all things considered, Woods was probed further in his interview with CBS with: “Everything?” Woods continued: “All the things I’ve been through are tough, yes. They’ve been tough, but they’ve been great for me, but I wish I would’ve gone one more year at Stanford.”
Woods enrolled at the prestigious university in 1994 through a golf scholarship, winning the 40th Annual William H. Tucker Invitational in the September.
He chose economics for his major while studying over the next two years, while tearing it up on the golf courses with Stanford Men’s Golf team. Despite spending just two years at the university, Woods racked up an impressive 11 tournament wins – tying the record for most tournaments taken.
Woods dropped out of school to turn pro (Image: Getty)
Speaking about his time at Stanford, Woods said: “I had such a great time playing golf at Stanford. Just all the practicing, playing and qualifying. It was always fun being around each other. What sets Stanford apart is the combination of quality athletics with an unmatched educational experience.
“Our Provost was Condeleeza Rice. My economics teacher was one of President Clinton’s advisors. You don’t see that at most schools. It was so intellectually stimulating to be challenged all the time. There was no way I could compete against some of those people. They were so smart. One kid had a photographic memory, and another built a computer from scratch.”
He added: “I really enjoyed being stimulated by the students and professors. Some were geniuses and others were Olympic athletes. It’s amazing how well-rounded they are. That’s what’s so cool about it. You must soak up that experience. It was one of the best times in my life.”
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Despite regretting his decision to leave Stanford prematurely, the move ultimately paid off in the long run as Woods carved an incredible pro career after his initial Masters win of 1997. Fast forward to 2024 and the golfing great has four PGA Championships to his name, five Masters wins, three US Opens and three Open Championships.
He also has 82 PGA Tour wins in total, and has spent a whopping 683 weeks at World No.1 – more than any other pro golfer in history. While his last major win came in the form of his fifth Masters in 2019 – pipping the likes of Xander Schauffele, Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson by a single stroke – Woods has shown no signs of slowing down, appearing at all four majors this year, albeit only making the cut at the Masters at Augusta in April.
