Golf legend Tiger Woods is no longer ranked in the world’s top fifty as of today, October 3, 2011.
This does not come as a surprise to golf fans, as Woods’ past dominance and popularity faded out quickly after his marriage scandal was confirmed in 2009. Woods has not won a tournament since the end of that year, seeing as the public no longer cares about his golf skills, but rather about his many mistresses and furious ex-wife.
Despite the public’s current lack of interest in his game, it is hard to deny the greatness that was Tiger Woods. Before today, Woods had been ranked in the world’s top fifty since October of 1996. He held the number one spot for 281 weeks, until he lost it to England’s Lee Westwood on October 31, 2010.
Before the start of his professional career, Woods had earned the title Southern California Amateur Player of the Year two years in a row (ages fourteen and fifteen), had already appeared in Golf Digest twice, and was the U.S. Junior National Champion for three straight years. He competed in his first PGA Tour event in 1992, at the young age of 16.
How did such promising young years and a legendary beginning of a career lead Woods to being ranked a mere 51st place? A loss of focus and plain temptation steered Tiger Woods right off the track of being the one of the most admired athletes in history, and he remains there today, a lost legend.