Golf's greatest current player, Tiger Woods is an outstanding ambassador and the man responsible for a worldwide surge of popularity in the sport itself.

Eldrick Woods, given the nickname Tiger as a child, was a sporting prodigy. At the age of two he made a now famous appearance putting alongside Bob Hope on a prime time American television network.

Tiger Woods won three consecutive US amateur titles, the first when aged just 18, and turned professional in 1996 with a reported US $40 million contract from Nike and filmstar like fame.

Not that the hype proved unjustified, as Tiger Woods went on to win tournament after tournament a total of 46 on the PGA Tour in his first 10 seasons and all of the Majors at least twice.

When he won the US Masters in 2001, he became the first player of the modern era to hold all four Major tournament titles at once.

Since returning from major surgery, which curtailed his season in 2008, Tiger Woods has already shown that his skill and competitive instincts remain as well-honed as they have ever been.

Such was his dominance of the game that he had built a sufficient lead to remain on top of the world rankings throughout his six-month period on the sidelines through the second half of 2008.

He was estimated in 2008 to be the world's highest-paid sportsman anywhere in the world, collecting an estimated total of US $110 million in winnings and sponsorship endorsements.