When Tiger Woods almost quit golf to become a USA Navy SEAL

Tiger Woods is one of the most successful golfers in the world. The 15-time major champions have won 82 professional events. However, at one point in his career, the American golfer was ready to quit golf and join the Navy SEALs.

During the prime success of his golfing career in 2006, Woods was highly depressed after his father's death.

Tiger was very close to his father, and certainly, his death shattered his heart into pieces; he was hopeless and clueless about his future. To keep him distracted, Woods joined the Navy SEALs.

He had previously taken their VIP tour of the Coronado BUD/s compound three months before the death of his father, and one month later he again joined the training session of Navy SEALS.

Woods trained himself for a while and was fascinated to join the military. He even told his long-term caddie, Steve Williams, that he was thinking about joining the force.

Tiger messaged one of his friends that he wanted to quit golf and join the Navy. Speaking about his training, John Brown (his trainer), said:

"I definitely think he was searching for something. Most people have to live with their regrets. But he got to experience a taste of what might have been."

During his time in training, Woods made many friends, but most of them questioned his participation in the dirtier jobs and claimed he was only there for fun.

Bleacher Report's Tom Edrington said:

"He probably wouldn't have passed the physical. Bum knee at an early age and lousy vision. That would wash him out immediately."

However, Woods changed his decision and stayed with the game his father taught him to love.

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"Tiger was seriously considering becoming a Navy SEAL" - Hank Havey

When Tiger Woods joined the military training, he talked about it with golf coach Hank Havey. The coach sent him emails and texts encouraging him to continue golfing and cut out from military training.

According to an excerpt from Havey's book, Tiger Woods was ready to leave everything for the Navy SEAL.

“Tiger was seriously considering becoming a Navy SEAL", Havey wrote in his book."I didn’t know how he’d go about it, but when he talked about it, it was clear he had a plan….I thought, Wow, here is Tiger Woods, the greatest athlete on the planet, maybe the greatest athlete ever, right in the middle of his prime, basically ready to leave it all behind for military life.”

Havey also wrote:

"Tiger did two tandem parachute jumps, engaged in hand-to-hand combat exercises, went on four-mile runs wearing combat boots, and did drills in a wind tunnel. Tiger loved it, but his physical therapist, Keith Kleven, went a little crazy worrying about the further damage Tiger might be doing to his left knee."

Tiger Woods' agent Mark Steinberg believes Tiger Woods has utmost respect for the military because of his father and said Haney had manipulated his respect in a negative way in his book. He said:

"His armchair psychology about Tiger, on matters he admits they didn't even discuss, is ridiculous. Because of his father, it's no secret that Tiger has always had high respect for the military, so for Haney to twist that admiration into something negative is disrespectful."