HarperCollins to Publish Tiger Woods Memoir Globally

HarperCollins Publishers today announced it has acquired world rights to Back, the first-ever memoir authored by Tiger Woods, one of the most storied and accomplished athletes in history. The deal was negotiated by Executive Editor Shannon Welch at HarperOne and Judith Curr, President and Publisher, HarperOne Group. The book will be published across all HarperCollins locations worldwide.

Back is a candid and intimate narrative of an outsize American life: from growing up a celebrated golfing prodigy to shattering centuries-old racial barriers as a young pro; from rising to unprecedented fame and global icon status to battling devastating injuries and personal issues; from enduring years of physical anguish to mounting an astonishing comeback at 43 years old, culminating with the 2019 Masters, where his thrillingly impossible victory captured the imagination and hearts of people around the world.

This memoir is the first and only account directly from Woods, with the full cooperation of his friends, family, and inner circle.

Woods said, “I’ve been in the spotlight for a long time, and because of that, there have been books and articles and TV shows about me, most filled with errors, speculative and wrong. This book is my definitive story. It’s in my words and expresses my thoughts. It describes how I feel and what’s happened in my life. I’ve been working at it steadily, and I’m looking forward to continuing the process and creating a book that people will want to read.”

“We are thrilled and proud to work with Tiger on what I believe will be the publishing event of the decade,” said Curr. “Tiger will reclaim his own story and legacy and it’s a story for the world over.”

Welch, who will edit the book, said, “Meeting with Tiger, speaking with him at length about the process of writing a memoir, I was delighted to discover how much he has to say, and how ready, how eager, he is to say it. He’s at a place in his career and his life where he’s thinking deeply about his story, the highs and the lows, and how it all relates and connects. I think the result will be extraordinary.”

About Tiger Woods:

Woods serves as Founder and CEO of TGR, Tiger Woods Ventures, a multibrand enterprise comprising his various companies and philanthropic endeavors, including TGR Foundation, a charitable foundation serving underrepresented youth through education; TGR Design, the golf course design company; TGR Live, an events company; and The Woods Jupiter, an upscale sports restaurant.

He has 81 PGA TOUR wins, the second-highest total of any player. His 15 major victories include five Masters Tournaments, four PGA Championships, three U.S. Open Championships, and three British Open Championships. With his second Masters victory in 2001, Tiger became the first golfer ever to hold all four professional major championships at the same time.

About HarperCollins:

HarperCollins Publishers is the second-largest consumer book publisher in the world, with operations in 17 countries. With 200 years of history and more than 120 branded imprints around the world, HarperCollins publishes approximately 10,000 new books every year in 16 languages and has a print and digital catalog of more than 200,000 titles. Writing across dozens of genres, HarperCollins authors include winners of the Nobel Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the Newbery and Caldecott Medals, and the Man Booker Prize. HarperCollins, headquartered in New York, is a subsidiary of News Corp (Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV) and can be visited online at corporate.HarperCollins.com.

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Paul Olsewski HarperCollins Publishers 212-207-7912 [e-mail]