[ColdNoMore]

Regardless of what one thinks of him personally, it is beyond dispute that he single-handedly raised awareness of golf among younger generations...and was responsible for substantial increase in purses through bigger TV contracts.


Tiger Woods' impact felt across generations

Tiger Woods could not help but inspire the stars of today, his dominance during their formative years so pronounced as their golf lives were taking shape.

Spieth, now 22, was just 3 years old when Woods won the 1997 Masters, the first of his 14 major championships. If Spieth was too young to take notice, he certainly could not miss Woods' accomplishments as the golfer piled up victories through his formative years.

Jason Day, 28 and Rory McIlroy, 26, have expressed similar sentiments. Combined, they happen to be the top-3 ranked players in the world.

What Golf Looked Before Tiger Woods Turned Pro And Changed The Game Fo - Golf Digest

Golf is a radically different endeavor, both at the professional and recreational level, because of Woods and his 79 PGA Tour wins, 14 major championships, $110 million in on-course PGA Tour earnings and millions more off.

20 years later, how Tiger's win changed the face of golf

Golf would change hugely. More fans, especially nontraditional, minority and younger fans, began turning out for PGA Tour events. With those throngs came bigger sponsorships and more money. Woods' champions' paycheck in 1997 was $486,000; eight years later, when he won his latest green jacket, the winner's share was $1.26 million. Purses skyrocketed across the PGA Tour, fueled by burgeoning TV contracts as networks scrambled to get a piece of the Tiger Woods magic.