his parents named him "eldrick tont" ..the youngest person to win a grandslam...he was the highest paid professional athlete in 2008..Tont, is a traditional Thai name. He got his nickname from a Vietnamese soldier friend of his father to whom his father also gave the nickname...who is dis californian born athlete!!

Tiger Woods was born Eldrick Tont Woods, with "Tont" being a traditional Thai name from his mother's heritage. He won his first major championship at age 21, making him the youngest to win a Grand Slam event at the time. He was indeed the highest-paid athlete in 2008. His nickname "Tiger" was given by a Vietnamese soldier friend of his father, Earl Woods. The other athletes - Federer, Bryant, Armstrong - don't match these biographical details.