Class of 82: Tiger reaches milestone
Inzai, Japan, Monday
When he turned professional in 1996, Tiger Woods had two landmarks in mind that he knew would occupy him for much of his career. One, of course, was Jack Nicklaus’s total of 18 majors. The other was Sam Snead’s all-time record of 82 victories on the PGA Tour.
After making progress towards the former for the first time in 11 seasons with his 15th major success at the Masters in April, Woods, playing in his first tournament for nine weeks following a fifth bout of surgery on his left knee, signed off this remarkable comeback year by moving alongside Snead with a three-stroke success in the rain affected Zozo Championship, the first PGA Tour event to be staged in Japan.
Snead achieved his 82nd in 1965 at the age of 52. Even after all his injuries, Woods has matched the feat at 43, and will surely now go on to achieve a total that will last at least as long as the one set by the man known as Slammin’ Sam.
Tiger, who began the tournament with three straight bogeys, defeated a stellar leaderboard, with Japanese superstar Hideki Matsuyama his nearest pursuer, followed by Rory McIlroy in third place.
Woods had just seven holes to complete when play resumed Monday morning at 6.30am just outside Tokyo, but that didn’t stop thousands of spectators from getting up early to accompany him on his latest march into history.
There was a moment of alarm when his three-shot lead was instantly reduced with a bogey at the 12th.
Furthermore, Matsuyama had a chance to reduce the deficit still further with a 6ft birdie attempt at the 14tt, but that slipped by, and would prove as close as he got.
A Tiger birdie on the same hole meant he could play smart rather than aggressive golf from there to the clubhouse to close out yet another win, this time by three strokes.
Tiger’s next task will be to put on his captain’s hat for the Presidents Cup and name his four wildcards next week. He’s now certain to expend one of them on himself for the match against Ernie Els’s International team at Royal Melbourne in December. Woods said: “This is big. Hideki made it tight. It was a lot closer than people maybe thought. It is just crazy. It is a lot.” -Dailymail
