HIGH OF THE TIGER

Birthday boy Woods still ace at 50

- NEIL MCLEMAN

TIGER WOODS, the American superstar who changed golf with a memorable win at the 1997 Masters, celebrates his 50th birthday today.

But after 15 Majors, 82 PGA Tour titles and countless surgeries, the biggest name in golf has not yet finished making headlines on and off the course.

Woods, who made his PGA Tour debut as a 16-year-old amateur in 1992, was arguably the biggest name in world sport even before he completed the Tiger Slam of all four Majors in 2001.

He was a revolutionary in the middle-aged, middle-class, white sport because he was young, athletic and black. And super cool. Popularity soared and prize money skyrocketed.

In 2000, Ernie Els said: "I think he's a legend in the making. He's 24. He's probably going to be bigger than Elvis when he gets into his 40s."