Earl Woods: Father and Coach of Tiger Woods Dies at 74

Earl Woods was an American Army officer and the father and first coach of golfer Tiger Woods. Born on March 5, 1932, in Manhattan, Kansas, he was the first Black baseball player in the Big Eight Conference.

He served in the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1974, including two tours in Vietnam, and retired as a lieutenant colonel. He put a club in his son's hands as a toddler and guided him through his early amateur career. His book Training a Tiger described his coaching approach.

Woods was married twice and had four children. He died at his home in Cypress, California, on May 3, 2006, at age 74, after a long battle with prostate cancer.

Achievements: Lieutenant colonel, U.S. Army Special Forces, author of Training a Tiger.

Birth: March 5, 1932 - Manhattan, Kansas.

Profession: Army officer and golf coach.

Interesting Facts: He broke the color barrier in baseball in the Big Eight in 1951.