Tiger Woods makes history by winning the most PGA Tour events, ties Sam Snead’s record

Tiger Woods made history winning the most PGA tournaments after he defeated  Hideki Matsuyama by three strokes at the Zozo Championship in Japan on Monday.

The win for Woods ties him with the legendary Sam Snead’s 82 tournament victories, set in 1965.

Woods’ next major challenge will come when he serves as Team USA captain at the President’s Cup at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club.

Hideki Matsuyama (pictured) reacts to his loss to Woods by three strokes at the Zozo Championship on Monday

Sam Snead (pictured) playing Jim Demaret in the semi-finals of the PGA Championship on May 30, 1943 at the Seaview Country Club. Woods’ win at Zozo championship matched Snead’s record of most PGA tour wins with 82 victories

When jokingly asked if his victory-making performance in Japan made a good impression for his chances of becoming a captain’s pick, Woods smiled and said, ‘I think the player definitely got the captain’s attention’, reports Golfweek.

It was not exactly smooth sailing for Woods at Zozo, but in the end his closing three-under-par 67 was enough to hold off a challenge from Matsuyama at Narashino Country Club in Inzai, Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo. It was the first PGA Tour event played in Japan. 

Woods, who had to play seven holes on Monday in the weather-affected event, finished at 19-under 261 in his first tournament since undergoing arthroscopic left knee surgery two months ago.

Tiger Woods tees off at the 9th hole during the fourth round of the Zozo Championship golf tournament on Monday

Tiger Woods hits a shot out of a bunker on the 18th hole during the final round of the Zozo Championship on Monday

When he turned professional in 1996,  Woods had two landmarks in mind that he knew would occupy him for much of his career. One, was Jack Nicklaus’s total of 18 majors. 

The other was Snead’s all-time record of 82 victories on the PGA Tour.

After making progress towards the Niklaus record 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 knee – signed off a comeback year by moving alongside Snead.

Golf legend Sam Snead waves to spectators during a special challenge match of past British Open Champions on the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland in July 2000. Snead made his record of most PGA tour wins with 82 victories at age of 52 in 1965

After all his injuries, Woods matched Sam Snead’s record PGA tour wins at age 43, and will likely now go on to achieve a total that will last at least as long as the one set by Sead more than half a century ago

Snead made his record at age of 52. 

After all his injuries, Woods matched his legendary predecessor at age 43, and will likely 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.

As for his greatest performance in history, most players on the green and fans will say Woods showed that off with his 15 stroke victory at the 2000 US Open at Pebble Beach.

‘I actually think I played well enough to win that week, and yet I got lapped,’ said Ernie Els, who played with Woods in the final round and ended up tied for runner’s-up spot with Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez. 

‘Normally, you think you’ve done quite well when you’re second, but it’s kind of embarrassing when you’re 15 shots back.’

‘There’s nothing like a US Open at Pebble Beach,’ said Woods, when he returned to the US Open in June. 

‘When I look back on 2000, I know I didn’t hit every fairway or hit every green but I missed in the correct spots and always gave myself the best angles to recover. And I putted so well.