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Tiger Woods has been the most recognizable face in professional golfing for more than two decades. Starting out with one of the greatest rookie years in history, Woods more than fulfilled his potential with a trophy-laden career. Personal controversy and injury troubles plagued his career at its peak, but the fifteen-time major winner bounced back in style.
The five-time Green Jacket winner is a once-in-a-lifetime athlete who can neither be imitated nor replaced. With Woods gunning for his fourth win at The Open Championship, not many would bet against him leaving St. Andrews with the sixteenth major crown of his career. With the golf legend looking to make further history, we can't help but wonder which current WWE Superstars have drawn the most parallels with him over their careers.
Thus, let's take a look at who WWE's closest answer to Tiger Woods is.
#3: The Rock's fame transcends WWE just as Tiger Woods does golf
The Rock is the most famous star in WWE history. The ten-time world champion's career has been a journey of excellence, constantly exceeding expectations and blazing new trails for in-ring performers. The Brahma Bull's excellent transition from success in the ring to Hollywood megastardom has helped the business gain more mainstream popularity and marketability.
Similarly, Tiger Woods' incredible success on the course popularized the sport of golf more than ever before. His endorsements and sponsorships eclipsed those of any of his predecessors, and he continues to be the biggest star in the sport today. These two supreme athletes and showmen are on a higher level than their peers when it comes to popularity.
#2: Ten-time WWE Champion Brock Lesnar and Tiger Woods had similar early careers
Brock Lesnar's rookie year saw him win King Of The Ring, become the youngest WWE Champion in history, and win the Royal Rumble. Tiger Woods claimed three PGA Tour events, the 1997 Masters and the world number 1 ranking within his first full year as a pro. This early career excellence was just a sign of things to come for the duo, though.
Lesnar and Woods went on to fulfill their immense potential, dominating their respective sports in record-breaking fashion. The Beast became a record 503-day Universal champion in 2018 while Woods held the number one golf ranking for 281 consecutive weeks from 2005-10. These two all-time greats are synonymous with dominance in their fields, and will both be greatly missed when they retire.
#1: Randy Orton shares many parallels with Tiger Woods
Randy Orton has won the second-most WWE world titles with fourteen and is the youngest world champion in company history. Tiger Woods, similarly, has won the second-most major titles, and is also the youngest man to win a major golf championship. These statistics tell a story of record-breaking early success, but the fact that both men still compete at the highest level is testament to their longevity.
Orton stated before his injury layoff in May that he was having the most fun in his entire career, and was reportedly set to challenge for the Undisputed WWE Universal title before his setback. Here's hoping the eleven-time PGA Player of the Year can have better luck than The Viper at The Open after surviving a life-threatening car crash in 2021.
