Son of K-State Alum Wins Fifth Masters Tournament

K-State claimed yet another championship on Sunday when the son of K-State alum Earl Woods, class of 1953, won his fifth Masters title.

Everyone is by now familiar with Earl Woods’ background. Woods was born and raised in Manhattan and broke the color barrier in Big Seven baseball by playing as a catcher at K-State. After college, he was commissioned an officer in the US Army and served two tours in Vietnam. Eventually, he reached the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was buried in Manhattan’s Sunset Cemetery in 2006.

Earl’s son, Eldrick “Tiger” Woods, the No. 6 player in the world according to the World Golf Rankings, showed true Wildcat grit by outlasting Xander Shaffele, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka for the win. After sinking the winning putt, “Tiger” turned his gaze skyward, no doubt a tribute to Earl, the K-State legend. “Tiger” has now won the tournament in Augusta, Ga., – considered one of golf’s four “major” tournaments – five times.

K-State fans fond of celebrating the achievements of a legendary Wildcat alum no doubt recall that “Tiger” has 10 other “major” championships. These include three US Opens, three Open (British) Championships, and PGA Championships. These victories have brought the son of the Big Seven’s color-barrier-breaker some acclaim in his own right. But K-Staters know that “Tiger” remains a Wildcat through-and-through.

All eyes now turn to K-State as we await a commemorative t-shirt and DVD of this momentous Wildcat triumph.