Eighty-two. We are stuck at eighty-two. What’s so special about the number? 82 is the most number of wins by an individual on the PGA Tour. Only two people have achieved this. The great Sam Snead and the Big Cat himself – Tiger Woods. While the debate around Sam Snead’s 82-win validity gains momentum, Woods is one win away from establishing himself as one of the greatest golfers to walk the planet.
But there lies the problem. If Woods is to win, first he has to participate. He has been involved on the PGA Tour very sporadically, especially since his last tour win at the 2019 ZOZO Championship. In the 2021-22 season, he played in three events, which reduced to two in the 2022-23 season. In the 2024 season, he played in 5 events. A far cry from his prime days. This year, he is yet to participate in any PGA Tour event.
But there is good news for fans. He is going to be back on the course. Last season, Woods had only played in five events – the four majors and the Genesis Invitational. This year he has featured in four of the five games for his TGL team, Jupiter Links Golf Club. “Once I start probably feeling a little bit better and start getting into it, I’ll start looking at the schedule.” While the words are optimistic from the California native, the sense is that he will need a bit more time to recover from the mental journey he has gone through since his mother’s passing. It is highly unlikely that he will tee off at the upcoming Players Championship, happening at the TPC Sawgrass.
The 15-time major winner has been away from competitive golf, especially since the passing of his mother Kultida Woods. “I had a really hard time getting here and then reliving all the moments that we’ve had, my mom, how excited she was to have Charlie drive her here. So those are some great moments and great memories,” stated Woods during his earlier appearance at TGL. His second match against Boston Common Golf was the last match of his that his mother saw. So the SoFi Center stage is an emotional one.
Since then, the only other time he has played a round of golf before the last game was with Donald Trump in a private affair. He talked to the media about it after the last match of the TGL regular season. “Not really. This is the third time I’ve touched a club since my mom passed, so I haven’t really gotten into it. My heart is not really into practicing right now,” Woods stated, expressing the anguish inside.
May 13, 2024; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Tiger Woods signs autographs during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at Valhalla Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Tiger Woods has been heavily involved behind the scenes for the PGA Tour. He is a player director and has been constantly participating in talks regarding the possible reunification of golf and a deal being brokered between the PGA and the PIF. The discussions, which include President Donald Trump, have been gaining some momentum but still do not see a resolution. The golfer is keeping himself occupied off the field as well. “I’ve had so many other things to do with the TOUR and trying to do other things.” The flagship event will be another big event Woods will mostly not participate in, but chances are he could be looking at a return at the Masters Tournament happening in late April.
Tiger Woods’s love for the Masters
The Masters hold a special place in Tiger Woods’s career. Woods’s run in the majors started with his impressive victory at the 1997 Masters Tournament where he destroyed the competition, winning by a whopping twelve strokes ahead of Tom Kite. He has since won at the Augusta National Golf Club four more times, making it the major he won the most.
Coincidentally, his most recent major victory also came at the Augusta National Golf Club, when he eked out a victory by 1 stroke against Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, and Xander Schauffele, who were all in their prime. The Masters is also the tournament he has played the most number of times, having teed off 27 times. Since debuting in the tournament, he has missed only four editions.
The Masters Tournament would be the ideal stage for Tiger Woods to come back. Do you think the Big Cat can win one more title on the Tour and overtake Sam Snead finally?
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