Tiger Woods is a name that’s synonymous with excellence in the world of golf.
With an impressive, decades-long resume filled with accolades, broken records, chips, rings, and awards, Tiger arguably possesses skills on the course that is unmatched by many of his peers.
One measure of a golfer’s success is the number of hole in ones they have achieved, and in this regard, Tiger Woods hole in one count is very impressive.
But how many hole in ones does Tiger Woods have? How many course records does Tiger Woods have? What makes him the G.O.A.T?
We’re here to break down all things Tiger and all things aces as we take a deep dive into the exceptional career of one of the greatest ever to step foot on the course.
In this article, we will look at:
- How Hard Is It To Get A Hole In One?
- How Many Hole In Ones Does Tiger Woods Have?
- 5 Surprising, Must-Know Facts About Tiger
- Select Tiger Accomplishments
- Summary – How Many Hole in Ones Does Tiger Woods Have?
Let’s jump into it!
How Hard Is It To Get A Hole In One?
According to the National Hole in One Registry, the odds of an amateur golfer making a hole in-one are approximately 12,000 to 1.
This means that, on average, a golfer would need to take 12,000 shots to make just a single hole in one. For the pros, those odds are significantly better, with an average of 2,500 to 1.
Keep in mind, however, that these are just statistical averages, and many golfers—amateur or pro-level—will go their entire lives without ever making a hole in one.
Which brings us to our next point: what is Tiger Woods hole in one count?
How Many Hole in Ones Does Tiger Woods Have?
So, how many course records does tiger woods have actually have?
At the time of writing, Tiger Woods hole in ones count is currently at 20—that’s right, 20—hole in one’s throughout his playing career.
While that number is undoubtedly an impressive figure highlighting Tiger’s skill, finesse, and 10,000 hours, it’s nowhere near the current record-holder’s 45 aces, attributed to Art Wall.
With that said it can be a little tricky to verify the validity of a hole in one claim based on a lack of witnesses, especially when it comes from the amateur level and the potential lack of impartiality.
Nevertheless, Tiger Woods’ 20 hole in one’s is nothing to gawk at, while only 1-2% of all golfers land a hole in one each year, and it takes, on average, 24 total playing years before these golfers in the top 2% ever hit an ace.
When Did Tiger Make His First Ace?
While there is some speculation, the larger consensus states that Tiger was just eight years old when he made his first hole in one shot at the Heartwell Course in Long Beach, California, in 1982.
Later, when recounting his ace cherry in 2018, Tiger had this to say:
“So the ball carries the bunker; it rolls into the hole. Everybody in my group celebrates but me. I can’t see that high. So, one of the guys picks me up and shows me there’s no ball on the green. I’m excited — I run to the green, pick the ball out of the hole, and I’m celebrating. And the kids came down and said, ‘You idiot, your golf bag’s up on the tee.’ So I had to go back up and get my golf bag.”
Tiger Woods hole in ones: How many Has he got?
The 1996 Greater Milwaukee Open
Just a week prior to hitting his first PGA ace, Tiger announced his turning pro: what a way to make a splash.
This was Tiger’s first tournament as a professional, and while he didn’t win the tournament, he certainly made an impression with his 202-yard ace on the 14th hole while using his 6-iron.
Announcers on the original TV broadcast from Milwaukee reported that this was Tiger’s 9th career hole in one at the time.
The 1997 Phoenix Open
On the par-3, 16th hole, Tiger was playing in his third round and achieved his best score of the tournament with a 67. At 21, he landed his second hole in one at 152 yards out.
He would ultimately tie for 18th place but was coming off the high of winning the season-opening Mercedes Championships of the same year, 1997.
The 1998 International
Tiger’s 3rd consecutive hole in one came from the Sprint International in Colorado, where he sank his ace from 185 yards out at the 7th hole while using his 8-iron.
What’s funny is that this hole in one wasn’t captured on TV, and there is no video record of the impressive shot (maybe it explains why the PGA Tour’s media guide doesn’t include it?)
5 Surprising, Must-Know Facts About Tiger
Now that we’ve answered how many holes in one does Tiger Woods have, let’s take a look at some surprising, must-know facts from golf’s greatest athlete:
- Tiger Woods Overcame A Childhood Stutter
Tiger described in a ‘60 Minutes’ interview that it takes hard work and a competitive spirit to not just be a golf pro but also to overcome stuttering.
“The words got lost, you know, somewhere between the brain and the mouth. And it was very difficult, but I fought through it. I went to a school to try and get over that, and I just would work my tail off,” Woods revealed.
Tiger would speak to his dog in order to practice a resiliency that would lead to him setting and achieving many more goals to come.
- Tiger Isn’t His Real Name
I know, right? As much of a household name ‘Tiger’ has become, the real name given to the G.O.A.T by parents Earl and Kultida Woods was Eldrick Tont, with Tont as a traditional Thai name loosely translating to “beginning.”
Earl Woods, a veteran of the Vietnam War, became fast friends with South Vietnamese Colonel Vuong Dang Phong. Phong’s nickname, penned by Earl, was Tiger, and Earl started calling his own son Tiger as a means of honoring his friend.
- Tiger Began Playing As Early As 18 Months Old
At just 18 months, Earl would take Tiger to the Navy Course in Cypress, California, to practice.
At just two years old, Tiger garnered his first media coverage, with Jim Hill, an LA sports anchor touting him as the future of the sport; at just three years old, Tiger broke 50 on nine holes, shooting a 48 at the Destroyer Course.
At age 5, Tiger appeared on the reality show ‘That’s Incredible,’ a showcase of young talent where Tiger made a series of successful putts with the “poise and confidence of golfers ten times his age.”
Amazingly, Tiger claimed on the episode that when he was 20 years old, he’d beat Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson; in 1997, he did just that, winning his first Master’s.
- He Was No.1 In The World For 683 Weeks
Tiger held the elusive record atop the Official World Golf Rankings at number 1 for an odd-defying 683 weeks. No other golfer has even come close to that level of dominance; Greg Norman spent a total of 331 weeks in the same position.
For Tiger, it was more than 13 years at number 1 between June 1997 and May 2014.
- He’s A Buddhist
Tiger was raised a devout Buddhist by his mother, Kultida, where he actively practiced the faith. In a 1996 interview, Tiger admittedly stated he enjoyed the principles of inner growth and spirituality inherent in the Buddhist faith.
For more than a decade, Tiger Woods has been open about how his faith has shepherded him through trying times.
As recently as 2020, Tiger skipped the U.S Open to check himself into rehab after struggling with an addiction to the painkillers he was prescribed following a series of fusion surgeries on his back.
Tiger has indeed leaned on his Buddhist faith during his battles with addiction, as he first introduced Buddhism as a key player in his quest to “put his life back together” back in 2010.
Select Tiger Accomplishments
| Year | Accolade |
| 1991 | Wins his first U.S Junior Amateur; the youngest champion in history at 15 years old |
| 1992 | Wins his second U.S Junior Amateur |
| 1993 | Wins his third U.S Junior Amateur |
| 1994-1996 | Wins 3 consecutive U.S amateur championships |
| October 6, 1996 | Tiger wins his first tournament as a professional at the Las Vegas Invitational |
| April 13, 1997 | Wins his first Master’s |
| June 1997 | Becomes the No. 1 ranked golfer in the world after his 42nd week on the PGA Tour, the youngest to ever hold the record |
| August 15, 1999 | Wins his first PGA Championship |
| June 18, 2000 | Wins his first U.S Open by 15 strokes, the largest margin in Open history |
| July 23, 2000 | Wins his first British Open |
| June 16, 2002 | Wins his second U.S Open |
| December 8, 2003 | Named PGA Player of the Year for the fifth straight year. |
| November 23, 2005 | Wins PGA Grand Slam of Golf for a record-breaking sixth time |
| July 23, 2006 | Wins his third British Open |
| August 20, 2006 | Wins his third PGA championship |
| August 12, 2007 | Wins his fourth PGA Championship |
| June 16, 2008 | Wins the US Open in sudden death, defeating Rocco Mediate. |
| November 15, 2009 | Wins the Australian Masters |
| March 25, 2012 | Wins the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando. |
| March 25, 2013 | Wins the Arnold Palmer Invitational for the eighth time |
| September 23, 2018 | Wins the Tour Championship at Atlanta’s East Lake Golf Club for his first PGA Tour victory since August 2013 and his 80th overall. |
| April 14, 2019 | Wins his fifth Masters and 15th major title. |
| May 6, 2019 | Presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor |
| October 27, 2019 | Wins his record-equalling 82nd PGA Tour title at the Zozo Championship in Chiba, Japan. |
| March 9, 2022 | Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame at the PGA Tour headquarters in Florida. |
Summary – How many hole in ones does Tiger Woods have?
So, how many hole in ones does Tiger Woods have?
A reported 20 for one of the most prolific, celebrated, and accomplished golfers we’ve ever seen in the game; Woods has proven time and again that he possesses a rare combination of skill, precision, and athleticism that few golfers can match.
While hole in ones are certainly not the only measure of a golfer’s success, they serve as a testament to Tiger’s mastery of the sport and his ability to make this seemingly impossible shot when it matters most.
Whether or not he adds to his impressive tally of aces in the years to come, there is no doubt that Tiger Woods will always be remembered as a true legend of the game.
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