In August 1996, Tiger Woods turned professional and set about changing the game of golf forever.
Over the intervening 20 years, he’s set records on the course and off it with his prodigious talent and immense marketability.
And it’s over the greens and fairways of Augusta National that the now 40-year-old Woods has cemented his legacy.
Of his 14 major triumphs, four have come at the iconic course.
Although he won’t be gracing this year’s tournament — the second time in three years Woods has missed the Masters — his presence is always felt when the year’s first major comes around.
As he prepares to enter his third decade as a pro athlete, CNN reporters recall the times they met one of the history’s most fascinating sportsmen.
“I have long been a sports fan and followed Woods’ amateur career. When CNN asked me if I would like to meet Tiger and interview him, I jumped at the opportunity. I believed he would likely become the best golfer to ever play the game.
“People were very excited to meet him. There was a buzz on the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey where this all took place. People knew he was a young man who was likely to make history.
“Woods was polite, thoughtful, and considerate. I remember thinking to myself that I hoped he would always stay that way because I was so certain he would be immensely successful and so many people who become rich and famous don’t keep the values they had when it all began.
Read more by By Tom McGowan, Gary Tuchman, Don Riddell and Shane O’Donoghue, on CNN.com
