“The only thing that means a lot to me is winning.”
— Tiger Woods, after missing just the fourth tournament cut of his career back in October, 2005. All was not lost though. Since fellow golfer Vijay Singh also missed the cut that weekend, Woods stole the PGA Tour money title back from him. The quote reveals the mindset that makes Woods, four years later, the $100 Million Man, landing him at No.1 on Sports Illustrated‘s 2009 Fortunate 50 List. That’s down from his total last year of nearly $128 million but if it’s any consolation, SI also predicted that Woods would become the first athlete in history to clear $1 billion, probably by 2011. After losing General Motors as a sponsor, that may take a little longer. But according to Woods, he doesn’t need anyone to show him the money. “If money titles meant anything, I’d play more tournaments.” For more on what makes Woods great, check out our Best Advice package in the current issue of Fortune. –Jessica Shambora