Tiger Woods, once one of America’s most popular sports figures, is writing a book

It’s been almost 20 years since Tiger Woods overcame a disappointing first round to come back and win the 1997 Masters Tournament, becoming the youngest golfer -- and the first person of color – to do so.

Now the golf legend is telling the story of his remarkable performance in the tournament in his own words. Woods is co-writing a book about that fateful weekend in April with sportswriter Lorne Rubenstein, the Associated Press reported.

In a news release, Woods said — in a bit of an understatement — that his 1997 victory was “one of the most important tournaments in my life for many reasons.”

See the most-read stories in Sports this hour >>

“I think about the hug with my dad and all the events that went on that week,” he said. “A lot of people know generally about that tournament, but this gives me a chance to tell in detail what happened on and off the golf course.”

The AP said Woods’ book, as yet untitled, will also go into “his relationship with his father, Earl Woods” and “dispel misconceptions and reveal stories that have never been told.”

Woods’ victory in the 1997 Masters was just the beginning of a long, brilliant career in golf that made him one of the most celebrated athletes ever to play the sport.

All told, he has had 13 other wins in major golf tournaments, and 79 wins in PGA tour events. He has been named PGA Player of the Year 11 times, most recently in 2013.

Woods went through an extraordinary public fall from grace in 2009, after he sustained injuries in an early morning car crash near his home. Some reports at the time speculated that Woods was being chased by his then-wife, model Elin Nordegren, after an argument, though Woods denied this, saying Nordegren came to his aid after the accident.

Later that year, he confessed to being unfaithful to Nordegren, and several companies, including AT&T and Gatorade, canceled their sponsorship deals with the golfer. Woods took a brief hiatus from golf after the incident; he and Nordegren divorced in 2010.

His first book, “How I Play Golf,” co-written with the editors of Golf Digest, was published in 2001 by Grand Central Publishing, who will also publish his new book.

Woods’ new book is scheduled to be released in March 2017 as a hardcover, with accompanying e-book and audio-book editions.

MORE FROM SPORTS

Jim Mora agrees to two-year contract extension with UCLA

Someone hacked the NFL’s Twitter account to claim Roger Goodell is dead

MMA community remembers Kimbo Slice as a ‘gentle giant’ with a ‘larger-than-life personality’