This month marks the 20-year anniversary of Tiger Woods turning professional, the undisputed greatest player of his generation and one of the best-known sportmen in the world.

It all began on September 1 1996, when a 20-year-old Woods hit his first professional tee-shot on the PGA Tour at the Greater Milwaukee Open, after his famous “Hello, world,” statement in his first press conference. He spoke with a radiating confidence that would catch the public’s eye like few golfers have ever achieved.

Unfortunately, last month represented another anniversary for Tiger. It is now over one year since the American has played a competitive round. Serious struggles with back injuries have caused him to miss the entire 2016 PGA Tour season.

The shadow that Woods casts over golf is fading but he is still a larger-than-life figure in the game. Everyone loves to theorise about where exactly it went wrong for the 14-time major champion in his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus’ major record of 18, although most involve in some way that fateful night in November 2009 when the extent of his gross infidelity came to light. Tiger’s first event next year, should he return, will have boosted ratings.

That is the Tiger effect. It was in its infancy in 1996, although the signs were already there. Woods was the hottest property that golf had scene in decades. His amateur career was immaculate. In six consecutive years from age 15 to 20, he won either the US Junior Amateur or the US Amateur.

Playing in a practice round with Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer at Augusta that year, Nicklaus said: “Both Arnold and I agree that you could take my Masters and his Masters and add them together and this kid should win more than that.”

This formidable talent also happened to be of an African American origin. While there were other golfers like Lee Elder and Calvin Peete that paved the way for Tiger to compete without the same discrimination, it felt like Tiger had the best opportunity to stick a boot in the old elitist, white establishment.

Golf was, after all, represented by Augusta National in popular culture, where no African-American members were admitted until 1990, as well as a former policy requiring all caddies to be black.

It was perhaps no surprise then that Nike, searching for another Michael Jordan and a figure that would transcend the sport, chose to lump on Tiger Woods, and on turning professional he signed a deal with Nike that ranked as the most lucrative endorsement contract in golf history at that time.

No pressure then, for this cocky upstart. When he said that his goal was to win in his first week, it raised a few eyebrows among the journeymen pros, especially when he would only finish T-60 at Brown Deer Park. Even in a slow start, Woods managed to capture attention by making a hole-in-one on his professional debut.

Next week, it was better for Woods, 11^th place at the Canadian Open. He steadily improved next week to 5^th place, to 3rd and then finally his first win at the Las Vegas Invitational. Resentment at Woods’ confidence was soon erased – this guy belonged. And it wasn’t long until he catapulted himself to superstardom in 1997, winning the Masters by 12 shots. Golf would never be the same again.