We may never know the extent to which Tiger Woods really values the matching of a record for PGA Tour victories. Whereas now – quite understandably – the haul of 82 as achieved decades earlier by Sam Snead is uppermost in golf’s vernacular it is the figure of 18 – as relating to Jack Nicklaus and major wins – that has always seemed to be Woods’s barometer.
What can be said without fear of contradiction is that Woods’s latest success, achieved by three shots at the Zozo Championship in Japan on Monday morning, adds to his extraordinary year. The 43-year-old indulged in sporting fairytale by winning his 15th major, the Masters, in April, upon return from the depths of physical despair. Woods cut a jaded figure during so many events thereafter, fuelling speculation about to what extent his Augusta glory had impacted both physically and mentally. When news broke of a fifth knee surgery, as undertaken in August, it felt as if Woods’s career was again heading for neutral gear.
Not so. Woods comfortably held off Hideki Matsuyama to claim a trophy from an 11th different country whilst a professional. Snead was 52 when he won his last PGA Tour title.
“I probably thought about the record when I got north of 50, but then unfortunately I went through some rough patches with my back and didn’t play for a number of years, so that record seemed like it was out of reach,” Woods said. “Having had my fourth back procedure and being able to come back and play at a decently high level again, it put the number back in the conversation again. Lo and behold, here we are tied.
“As far as playing until 52, I hope that’s the case. If you would have asked me a few years ago, I would have given you a different answer, but certainly the future looks brighter than it has. The body can’t do what it used to but I can still think my way around the golf course.”
Woods complied rounds of 64, 64, 66 and 67 to reach the 19 under par total sufficient to keep home hero Matsuyama, three shots behind, and the remainder of a stellar field at bay. Rory McIlroy recovered admirably from an opening 72 to share third at 13 under. “Stressful,” was the adjective Woods used to describe his feat; albeit he is still to be overhauled when holding at least a three-shot lead with 18 holes to play.
“This week was a good sign for the future,” Woods added. “Hopefully I can be as consistent as Sam was, well into my 40s and early 50s.
“It’s satisfying to dig my way out of it and figure out a way. There were some hard times trying to figure it out but I’ve come back with different games over the years, moving patterns and this one’s been obviously the most challenging. Then having another procedure a couple months ago and again coming back and winning an event? Not easy to do.”
The PGA Tour’s commercial department will need scraping from the ceiling. The first staging of this tournament, in Chiba, drew massive crowds with even the delayed finish owing to storm disruption not impacting on the topic on everybody’s lips. It helps the Tour in the here and now, of course, to have strong interest in Japan and a global spotlight on Woods making records in the here and now. Tiger remains very good for business, long after so many had written him off. An endearing photo, of Snead signing an autograph for a very young Woods, was circulated via the Tour’s social media channels as the dust settled in Japan.
Effusive analysis arrived from Woods’s fellow players. “His ball striking was a joke; his distance control was something I’ve never seen,” said Gary Woodland, who partnered Woods during rounds one and two. “He looked like the best player in the world. It was impressive to watch.” Woods has actually risen to No 6 in the world rankings.
Woods still has captaincy duties for the US team at the President’s Cup to perform before rounding off his 2019. In what provides a further nod towards the cash register – albeit there is now competitive reasoning – it would be a surprise if he doesn’t name himself as a wildcard pick.
“Once he gets that confidence up, he’s tough to beat,” asserted Woods’s caddie, Joe LaCava. More than five months are still to run before Woods begins his Masters defence. The wait feels like a form of sporting cruelty.