WOODS - THE BIGGEST NAME IN GOLF

Tiger Woods has been the dominant figure in golf for the past 12 years and with 14 majors to his name is only four short of the all-time record held by Jack Nicklaus.

The 33-year-old American was not able to add to his major collection this season, but he still regarded it as hugely successful given that he underwent reconstructive knee surgery in June last year and was out for eight months.

Woods won his third tournament back and has had six more victories since then, most recently at the Australian Masters only two weeks ago.

The one real blip in his comeback was The Open at Turnberry, where he missed the halfway cut in a major for only the second time in his professional career.

But, to nobody's surprise, he won his following two events and was in position to make the US PGA Championship his 15th major until South Korean YE Yang came from behind on the final day to pull off a huge upset.

Woods' first major victory was the 1997 Masters, the first he had played after leaving the amateur ranks.

After going to the turn in 40 on the opening day paired with defending champion Nick Faldo, he went on to win by a record 12 shots and with a record 18 under par total.

Although he was the centre of attention wherever he went after that - "Tigermania" was born - it was not until the last major of 1999 that he triumphed again, holding off Sergio Garcia to capture the US PGA title.

What followed the following season was nothing short of sensational. At Pebble Beach he won the US Open by a record 15 strokes and a month later he took The Open at St Andrews by eight.

By retaining the US PGA after a play-off with fellow Californian Bob May he went to Augusta in April 2001 with the chance to achieve golf's first ever clean sweep of the majors - and did it to complete a "Tiger Slam".

Two more majors came the following year and two more in 2005, including another triumph at St Andrews by five over Colin Montgomerie.

His 14th major was perhaps the most remarkable of them all, though.

It came in the US Open at Torrey Pines last year when he beat Rocco Mediate despite being in obvious agony with his knee.

Only after the play-off did Woods reveal to the world just how bad he was. As well as needing immediate surgery on his knee he played with two stress fractures in his leg.

His lay-off meant he missed the last two majors of last season and the Ryder Cup.

That is the one competition in which Woods does not have a great record, but although America won comfortably without him in Louisville he is top of the list new captain Corey Pavin wants for Celtic Manor next October.

Off the course, naturally, Woods has coined it in. It is estimated that he earns over USD100million annually from endorsements and appearances fees.

His recent trip to Australia cost the organisers USD3million, it was reported, and yet such was the interest created that it was generally considered money well spent in Melbourne.

Woods takes a lot of the credit for golf's increased popularity.

Prize money has gone through the roof in the past decade and television viewing figures rocket whenever and wherever he is playing.

His Foundation charity has already raised many millions and his background - his late father was an African American and his mother is Thai - has helped to take golf to a new audience.

Introduced to his Swedish wife Elin eight years ago by European Ryder Cup player Jesper Parnevik, they were engaged in 2003 and married in 2004.

Daughter Sam Alexis was born in June 2007 and son Charlie Axel arrived this February.