Tiger Woods is one of the most respected sportsmen on the planet (Image: Getty)
There are few more recognisable names in the world than . The 15-time major winner has transcended sport and was even recently invited to a working meeting with President Trump at the White House.
Boasting such levels of notoriety hasn’t always been the case for the American, with Woods having once been a relative nobody at the beginning of his golf career. But it was because of the colour of his skin that the future legend of the sport revealed he was subject to plenty of discrimination during his days as a junior.
Explaining the hoops he had to jump through to get where he is today, Woods claimed there were occasions where he was refused entry into clubhouses because he was black. Not one to shy away from sticking up for himself, Woods – according to the man himself – responded with an ice-cold comeback.
Reciting an occasion where he was denied clubhouse entry, he said at his induction into the Golf Hall of Fame in 2022: “As I was denied entry into the clubhouses, that’s fine. I’ll put my shoes on here in the parking lot.
“I asked two questions only. That was it. Where was the first tee and what was the course record?” There’s every chance that course record now belongs to Woods.
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Tiger Woods explained his response at his induction into the Golf Hall of Fame (Image: Getty)
Later on in his speech, he stated: “You had to be twice as good to get half a chance [so] I made practice so hard, hurt so much, because I want to make sure I was ready come game time. I was not allowed into the clubhouses. The color of my skin dictated that… As I got older that drove me even more.
“Nothing is ever going to be given to you. Everything is going to be earned. If you don’t go out and put in the work, the effort, one you’re not going to get the results and two, and more important, you don’t deserve it. You didn’t earn it.”
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Woods is well and truly into the twilight of his career now, with the 49-year-old having only made a handful of appearances on the golf course in recent years. Four of his five tournament appearances in 2024 were all at major championships, with Woods managing to make the cut just once.
Whenever he does decide to hang up his clubs for good, he’ll likely go down as one of – if not the – greatest to ever play the sport. But one thing is for certain: he’ll never be denied entry to a clubhouse ever again!