Tiger named Fittest Guy in America

The introduction reads, "They're ballers, badasses and one of them is even Bond."

When he began his professional career in 1996, odds were against this lead-in referring to the lanky prodigee that announced his arrival on the scene by saying "Hello World" and ascending to the world's No. 1 ranking in just 42 weeks.

Now Tiger Woods has it all. He has accomplished many firsts in his legend-in-the-making lifetime including becoming the quickest to ever achieve golf's grand slam, drawing a diverse crowd to a once isolary and elitist game because of his multicultural status and transforming golf into a legitimate, cash cow of a sport. 

For his next trick Woods has transformed his slender 20-something frame into a ripped early 30s appearance and created a real fitness buzz in a sport that has embraced the likes of Craig Stadler and John Daly.

This week his work was recognized as Woods was named Men's Fitness Magazine's 2008 Fittest Guy in America. One of the many reasons was simply, "Because he is the bar."

The competition wasn't exactly chopped liver, although some of these guys might chew on that for fun.

Woods beat out heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitschko, democratic presidential candidate and possible leader of the free world Barack Obama, ulitmate fighter Mac Danzig, jacked Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn, blockbuster actor Will Smith and James Bond, well the guy who plays him at least.

When Woods enrolled at Stanford University in 1995, he won his first collegiate event for the record, he declared a major in economics and was nicknamed "Urkel" by his college teamates.

Now he is poised to become a billion dollar athlete by 2010, is married to a former Swedish model, is one of the most recognizable men on the planet and has topped all of America's fitness icons by training for golf. "Did I do that?"

Looking back at old photos of Tiger Woods, you couldn't picture that skinny kid with the Stanford hat and oversized red polo shirt turning into the chizzled-granite monster he is today.

I remember watching the final round of the U.S. Open at Oakmont where Woods finished second to Angel Cabrera and Woods was again wearing hsi trademark red but this time his expensive Nike threads could barely contain his burgeoning biceps.

This version of Tiger Woods looks more like an NFL safety than a scrawny collegiate kid fist-pumping his was to three straight U.S. Amateur Championships sporting a straw hat.

The old commerial used to say, "I am Tiger Woods," now it might read more like, "I'm scared of Tiger Woods." 

To check out the complete list of MFM's list of Top 25 Fittest in America, click here .