Tiger Woods won the 1997 Masters and shocked the world.  (Sam Greenwood/PGA Tour)

Tiger Woods Timeline – Going Pro

1994-1996 – Wins three straight US Amateur golf championships.
August 27, 1996 – Turns professional.
1996 – Signs a five-year, $40 million deal with Nike.
1996 – Woods earns $790,594 as a rookie on the PGA Tour and adds a reported $43 million worth of endorsement deals.
January 21, 1997 – Announces the formation of the Tiger Woods Foundation.
April 13, 1997 – Wins Masters by greatest margin in history.
May 19, 1997 – Inks deal with American Express worth between $13 and $30 million.
June 1997 –  At 21 years, 24 weeks, he becomes the youngest player ever to hold the No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Rankings.