Tiger Woods equalled the PGA Tour record of 82 tournament wins with victory at the Zozo Championship
Tiger who is 43-year-old world number 10, had seven holes to finish in Japan on Monday as he matched fellow American Sam Snead’s record, set in 1965.
Snead was aged 52 when he won for the final time on the PGA Tour, while Nicklaus was 46 when he lifted the last of his major trophies.
After his record-equalling victory, Woods said: “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. I know how to play and I was able to do that this week. There was a time if I didn’t know if I would play again so I am very appreciative.”
The 15-time major winner said the knee surgery provided the “most challenging” comeback of his career but he eased to a three-shot victory from Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama to win a PGA Tour title in a seventh different country.
He said: “I know some of my friends have made Olympic teams before in the past and they said it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I’ll be 44 and I don’t know if I have many more chances after that.”
Woods stats
- Of players to have made 200 starts, Woods has the highest win percentage in PGA Tour history on 22.8% ahead of Ben Hogan (21.3%), Byron Nelson (18.1%) and Sam Snead (14%)
- Woods reached 82 wins aged 43, Snead was 52
- Woods has won 44 of 46 PGA Tour events (95.6%) where he has held the outright 54-hole lead.
- He has won PGA Tour events in 19 different seasons, beginning in 1996
- Woods has made the cut in 90.8% of his PGA Tour starts
- Woods has won PGA Tour events in Japan, USA, England, Scotland, Spain, Canada and Ireland
