Tiger Woods Rookie Card Market Guide

Widely considered one of the greatest golfers of all time, Tiger Woods is also one of the most famous athletes of the modern sports era. From his years as a child golf prodigy to his decades as a championship professional golfer, Woods has brought new generations of fans to the game. And as a person of color, he’s been a groundbreaking influence for golfers and athletes from around the world.

From Child Phenom to Rookie Pro

Before he was even two years old, Tiger Woods was already taking golf lessons from his father Earl Woods. When he was three, he shot a 48 over a nine-hole course, and he first broke 70 at age 12. In his teens, he won the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship a record-breaking three times, and went on to win the U.S. Amateur Championship an unprecedented three times in a row (1994-1996).

In 1996, at age 20, Woods turned pro. That same year, he was chosen as Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year and was also named the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. In 1997, Woods won the Masters Tournament, his first major championship. At 21, he was the youngest Masters champion and the first African American to win one of the four major men’s pro golf tournaments.

Woods had another breakout year in 1999, winning eight major PGA tournaments, including the PGA Championship. In 2000, he won six consecutive PGA Tour events, including his first U.S. Open by a record-breaking 15-stroke margin. That same year, he became the youngest pro golfer at 24 to win a career Grand Slam and recorded the lowest scoring average (68.17) in PGA Tour history.

A year later, in 2001, Woods achieved what has become known as the "Tiger Slam," winning four consecutive major pro golf titles, including the 2001 Masters. Once again, he was named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year.

A Stunning Masters Win

In 2013, Woods won his 75^th PGA Tour with a victory at the Farmers Insurance Open. After serious health issues and multiple major back surgeries over the next several years, he stunned the sports world in 2019 by winning his fifth Masters Championship, becoming the second-oldest golfer (at 43) to take the title.

So far, Woods has won a record-shattering 18 World Golf Championships, 15 major pro golf championships and the PGA Player of the Year Award a record-breaking 11 times. Other than Jack Nicklaus, he’s the only golfer to earn a career Grand Slam three times. In 2019, Woods received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and in 2021 he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Are Tiger Woods’ Rookie Cards Valuable?

Although Tiger Woods’ actual rookie year was 1996, nearly all of his rookie cards, except for a 1996 Sports Illustrated and a 1997 Ventures Grand Slam issue, came out in 2001, when Upper Deck signed an exclusive autograph deal with Woods. Several of his rookie cards, in top-grade condition, can trend for tens of thousands of dollars.

Investment Potential for Tiger Woods Rookie Cards

As one of the all-time greatest golfers, Tiger Woods continues to have a huge international fan base. Thanks to his legendary status, investment potential bodes well for his cards and memorabilia. And as future generations continue to learn about his record-breaking achievements, interest in his sports cards should continue to remain strong.

Top Tiger Woods Rookie Cards

These are the top Tiger Woods rookie cards to look for:

• 2001 SP Authentic RC #45
• 1996 Sports Illustrated for Kids #536
• 2001 Upper Deck #1
• 2001 SP Authentic Sign of the Times Auto #TW
• 2001 Upper Deck Player’s Ink Auto #TW
• 2001 Upper Deck Tiger Slam 4 Employee Card
• 2001 Upper Deck Golf Gallery #GG-4
• 1998 Champions of Golf Grand Slam Ventures #NNO

Here’s how these Tiger Woods rookie cards are trending on auction tracking sites such as PriceGuide.Cards. These sites are updated every day, so prices can change at any time.

2001 SP Authentic Autographs #45 Tiger Woods – Gold Parallel #’d/100 ($101,989)

Limited to 900 copies, this attractive SP Authentic Autographs card shows an image of Tiger Woods right after swinging his club, framed in soft ivory with green graphics and signed below. There’s also a Gold parallel, which is even more limited since it has a print run of only 100 copies.

At PriceGuide.Cards, Ungraded trends at an average price of $1,965 and a top price of $80,000. Graded trends at an average price of $9,789 and a top price of $93,580 (grades unspecified).

Gold Parallel: Ungraded trends at an average price of $1,863 and a top price of $5,000. Graded trends at an average price of $9,789.21 and a top price of $101,989 (grades unspecified).

1996 Sports Illustrated for Kids #536 Tiger Woods ($40,000)

As the only true Tiger Woods rookie card issued in his actual rookie year {1996), Sports Illustrated distributed this important example for young golf fans as part of a nine-card sheet of sports celebrities.

It features an image of Woods in action, following through with a golf swing while wearing his famous Sunday red. The SI Kids logo is at the lower right, and in the middle, Woods is identified as “Golfer, Cypress, California.” Because it was part of a tear-out sheet of nine combined cards, it is hard to find these in excellent, undamaged condition.

At PriceGuide.Cards, Ungraded trends at an average price of $343 and a top price of $9,550. Graded trends at an average price of $1,269 and a top price of $40,000 (grades unspecified).

2001 Upper Deck Golf #1 Tiger Woods ($25,100)

Considered Tiger Wood’s official rookie card, this example was included in one of the first sports cards sets to include golf stars. It features a great image of Woods on the fairway, holding a putter in one hand and pointing to the hole where he is seemingly celebrating sinking his putt. Graphics at the bottom show a facsimile scorecard, with the Upper Deck logo at the top left. This card was also produced in other variations, including #90 Base Leaderboard, #124 Defining Moments and #176 Tour Time.

At PriceGuide.Cards, #1 in Ungraded condition trends at an average price of $32 and a top price of $19,999. Graded trends at an average price of $125 and a top price of $25,100 (grades unspecified).

2001 SP Authentic Sign of the Times Auto #TW Tiger Woods ($25,050)

This popular insert card features a black-and-white horizontal image of Woods in action, set against white, black and silver graphics with a signature below.

At PriceGuide.Cards, Ungraded trends at an average price of $879 and a top price of $5,500. Graded trends at an average price of $2,737 and a top price of $25,050 (grades unspecified).

Gold Parallel: Ungraded trends at an average price of $1,875 and a top price of $2,500. Graded trends at an average price of $2,876 and a top price of $7,500 (grades unspecified).

2001 Upper Deck Player’s Ink Auto #TW Tiger Woods – Gold Parallel #’d/25 ($23,472)

Issued as part of Woods’ debut Upper Deck set, this card features an appealing portrait headshot of Tiger Woods smiling at the camera, framed by a facsimile scorecard and a bold signature at the bottom. There is also a Gold parallel that is limited to just 25 copies.

At PriceGuide.Cards, Ungraded for the standard version trends at an average price of $904 and a top price of $7,900. Graded trends at an average price of $2,944 and a top price of $22,750 (grades unspecified). Gold Parallel: Ungraded trends at an average price of $2,844 and a top price of $3,638. Graded trends at an average price of $5,943 and a top price of $23,472 (grades unspecified).

2001 Upper Deck Tiger Slam 4 Employee Card Tiger Woods – #’d/25 ($20,100)

Distributed only to Upper Deck employees, this collector’s item was limited to 325 copies. It features two images of Woods — one that shows him following through with a swing and the other showing him celebrating a victory. Both images are set against a background of silver/white graphics. There’s also an embedded jersey patch from one of the shirts he wore while playing in the Bay Hill Invitational.

At PriceGuide.Cards, Ungraded trends at an average price of $172 and a top price of $20,100. Graded trends at an average price of $280 and a top price of $5,401 (grades unspecified).

2001 Upper Deck Golf Gallery #GG-4 Tiger Woods ($12,650)

This classy card features an artistic rendering of a smiling portrait shot of Tiger Woods. It is set against a shimmering gold background with the “Golf Gallery” logo at the bottom.

At PriceGuide.Cards, Ungraded trends at an average price of $8 and a top price of $399. Graded trends at an average price of $45 and a top price of $12,650 (grades unspecified).

1998 Grand Slam Ventures Champions of Golf #NNO Tiger Woods – The Masters Collection ($2,400)

Like the Sports Illustrated card, this isn’t from an established card manufacturer, but it still commands huge collector interest as an authentic rookie card. It features a poster-like image of Woods smiling on the green, framed dramatically in gold and black.

In 2022, a Grade 9 example of this card was sold through Heritage Auctions for $2,400.

Where Can I Find Tiger Woods Rookie Cards?

You can find Tiger Woods rookie cards at online auctions, sports memorabilia shows and collectibles retailers. Here’s a list of popular auction houses for sports collectibles:

• Heritage Auctions
• Robert Edwards Auctions
• SCP Auctions
• PWCC
• eBay
• EBTH
• Christie’s
• Sotheby’s
• Memory Lane
• Invaluable
• Lelands

You can also find Woods’ rookie cards at sports collectible shows held year-round across the country. To find shows coming to your area, you can check your local newspapers, plus collector forums and social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

How Are Tiger Woods Rookie Cards Graded?

Professional graders use a universally recognized grading system that rates cards from Ungraded to Pristine 10. Here’s what these grades mean:

Pristine 10: Perfect and the best a card can be. A Pristine 10 means flawless across the four grading criteria: corners, surface, edges and centering. Even at 10x magnification, no manufacturing flaws or condition issues are visible.

Gem Mint: These cards rate Perfect 10 scores on three of the four criteria, with a barely perceptible flaw that prevents them from being absolutely perfect.

Grade 9.5: Nearly Gem Mint, except for a tiny flaw.

Grade 9: Nearly Mint, but with very minor wear or a tiny flaw.

Grades 8 and below: These cards have grades that reflect the number and severity of their flaws and condition issues. Cards in this category can still have a high market value, especially if there’s a lot of collector demand for them.

Raw: Just released from its original package.

Ungraded: Not graded.

Fair market values for sports cards are determined by three factors — condition, rarity and demand. Of the three, customer demand is an unknown quantity that can change anytime. If a player’s popularity falters due to poor performance or retirement, the value of their cards may take a nosedive. Likewise, a brand-new rookie with great potential (and media coverage) may see their cards skyrocket to astronomical prices before they’ve even finished their first season.

Hall of Fame players are especially popular with collectors, and their cards and memorabilia usually retain their value. Auction bidding wars and well-publicized record-breaking prices can also keep values high.

Should I Get My Cards Graded?

Grading can authenticate your cards' originality and enhance your collection's overall quality. During the grading process, a certified appraiser assesses the condition and originality of each card, assigning it a correlating grade. This grade is entered into an international database that's kept permanently on record. Sports card dealers and collectors often pay a higher price for graded cards, and graded examples can be easier to sell or trade.

Regardless of whether you decide to sell or keep your cards, grading provides them with official authentication, so their originality will never be questioned. And you can take pride in having a graded collection that is recognized by the industry for its originality and quality level. For further information on CGC Cards' 10-point Grading Scale and to find out more about our industry-leading services, visit CGCcards.com.

*Any mention of "investment potential" is for entertainment only and should not be construed as investment advice. The Certified Collectibles Group does not provide investment advice and is not liable for any buy, sell or trade decisions made by any parties.