WE’RE BUYING

Tiger Woods: Remember when people were writing Tiger’s career obituary after that ugly first round at the Open in July? Even though he had won THE MASTERS just three months before? Whoops. Don’t underestimate this guy. Ever.

Ben Jared

Even after bogeying his first three holes on Thursday, he shot 64. Even after eating and getting stranded at a Domino’s on Friday, he shot 64 on Saturday. And even having to play 29 holes on Sunday, he maintained his lead and closed the deal on Monday for his 82nd career PGA Tour title, tying the great man he met when he was just a young Tiger cub drinking soda and already wearing red:

Aww, that’s adorable. But Tiger is now undefeated in official PGA Tour events since another special encounter:

Just saying …

Tiger Woods with a 54-hole lead: Viewers were more saturated with these stats than Narashino Golf Course after six inches of rain, but they can’t be pointed out enough. Woods is now 46 of 48 when it comes to closing out tournaments in which he holds at least a share of the 54-hole lead. That’s 96 per cent. And his conversion rate is a perfect 25 of 25 when entering the final round at least three shots in the lead. Amazing.

Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images

There are so many staggering stats surrounding Woods’ 82 wins (Here, I made you a handy guide), but his ability to hold a lead might be the most remarkable. Speaking of stats, Woods’ career winning percentage is an absurd 22.8. With three wins in his past 14 starts, though, his winning percentage during that span is 21.4. In other words, he’s still winning at a ridiculous rate, so be careful when writing him off next time.

Narashino Country Club’s drainage system: This was the golf course on Friday:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4CVArrBhWs/?utm_source=ig_embed

And they played the next day! Sure, the par-4 10th was shortened to a par-3 distance, but even Augusta National and its fancy subair system had to be impressed. Like all winners, Woods thanked the grounds crew during the trophy ceremony, but this time, he really meant it. Those guys were miracle workers.

WE’RE SELLING

McCord and Kostis: In a surprising shakeup, CBS didn’t renew the contracts of either Gary McCord and Peter Kostis, letting two longtime broadcasters go (McCord had worked with the network since 1986, Kostis since 1992) rather unceremoniously. “Bottom line, they fired me,” McCord told Golf Digest’s Dave Shedloski. I’m sad to see them go, especially in this manner. Gary once signed a golf ball for me in a parking lot when I was in high school. And Peter, well, just look at him lugging all that equipment around!

He might be the hardest-working man in the golf biz(hub). But seriously, they will be missed.

Trying this Bubba Watson tee shot: To be clear, I’m fine with Bubba going for this. In fact, it’s one of the most creative and impressive shots of the PGA Tour season. Seriously, I can’t stop watching:

This is the CRAZIEST golf shot I have ever seen in my life!! Wait till the end!!!! @bubbawatson giving a new meaning to cutting the corner on the par 5 @zozochamp ? ? pic.twitter.com/UTHf0nfGl6

— Seb Carmichael-Brown (@sebcbrown4) October 27, 2019

But think of the copycats out there doing this at their own munis? Golf courses all over the world should probably think about adding internal out-of-bounds signs to prevent injuries.

Tiger’s win total: As cool as it was to watch Woods tie this longstanding record, in reality, he passed it long ago. As I’ve pointed out before, using the same criteria for Snead’s total (including team wins!), Tiger should now have 96 wins—meaning golf fans should be charged up about him CHASING 100 (sounds cooler, right?) than 82.

Toshifumi Kitamura

Hopefully, someday, a panel of golf historians will gather to comb through Woods’ record and make this adjustment like those assembled in the late 1980s to officially establish Snead’s mark. And if/when they do, I’ll be happy to help.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour heads to Shanghai for the WGC-HSBC Champions, AKA that tournament with a lot of letters in the title. Those not fortunate enough to qualify for the event will be playing in the inaugural Bermuda Championship (or taking the week off altogether like Tiger).

Random tournament fact: Carlos Franco, Joey Sindelar and Paul Stankowski are among those in the Bermuda Championship field. Yes, it’s still 2019.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

—Bubba would try something like that at Augusta National (Maybe on No. 18?): 1 MILLION-to-1 odds

—Tiger Woods is picking himself for the Presidents Cup team: LOCK

—No one in Shanghai or Bermuda will ever threaten Tiger’s 82 wins: Also a LOCK

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

The bizarre scene caused by no spectators allowed on the grounds for Round 2 Saturday in Japan was a no-brainer:

Tiger on the 1st tee with no fans in the grandstands is not something you see often… pic.twitter.com/tufJnEopTB

— Alex Myers (@AlexMyers3) October 26, 2019

Although, this spectator shot is pretty good too …

Interesting gallery East Lake. pic.twitter.com/4cS9ic82xE

— Beth Ann Nichols (@GolfweekNichols) October 28, 2019

Go Deacs!

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

We’ve seen plenty of Tiger golf clinic videos before, but probably never quite the reactions he drew from these Japanese fans:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4C_WV-lqhZ/?utm_source=ig_embed

And how about this video of Tiger nearly being taken out by a microphone?!

Mic check. Testing 1, 2. pic.twitter.com/cm4UHN5xHS

— Skratch (@Skratch) October 24, 2019

To think, he might still be “Chasing 82” if that had hit him a bit harder. Scary stuff. Let’s all promise to handle this guy with a little more care, OK?

QUOTE(S) OF THE WEEK

“I think the player definitely got the captain’s attention.” —Tiger Woods on the prospects of making himself a playing captain. Good answer, but Gary Woodland might have topped it when asked if Tiger should pick himself for Team USA. “If he doesn’t, that’s … dumb.” Good call, Gary.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

https://twitter.com/golf_strange/status/1188906036238999553

A classy, sharp, and self-deprecating tweet from the guy who has been ridiculed through the years for saying “You’ll learn” to a young Tiger Woods during an infamous interview. Well played, Curtis. Of course, I’d expect nothing less from a fellow Wake Forest alum.

THIS WEEK IN CELEBRITY GOLFERS

Golden Tate showed his love of Golf—and Golf Digest!—on his cleats:

Bringing my love for golf to the football field! ? made by: @MACHE275 #gamedaycleats #cleatheat #custom pic.twitter.com/VwIlhnHZDk

— Golden Tate (@ShowtimeTate) October 27, 2019

As if I needed another reason to like this New York Giants wide receiver.

THIS WEEK IN PGA TOUR-WAG PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION (AND HALLOWEEN SPIRIT)

While Woods was winning in Japan, golf’s injured superstars were hanging out at quite the Halloween bash in Jupiter, Fla. Here’s Brooks Koepka invoking a classic Justin Timberlake “SNL” sketch and Jena Sims going with the classic “devil” look (What percentage of women dress as devils or cats? 80? 90? Tiger with a 54-hole lead?):

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4Gvu8BBO3T/?utm_source=ig_embed

And how about Dustin Johnson and Paulina Gretzky with a nod to “Semi-Pro”?

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4Ky6D9nf_w/?utm_source=ig_embed

Austin Johnson and Sam Maddox went as cops:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4LBIrCptyO/?utm_source=ig_embed

And not to be outdone, Tori Slater, went as Julia Roberts from “Pretty Woman” while boyfriend Daniel Berger played in Japan:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4K_UJrg700/?utm_source=ig_embed

Too bad, because Daniel could have pulled off a good Richard Gere:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOnglU7jCZK/?utm_source=ig_embed

I hope that didn’t cost the couple the party’s best costume prize! Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I’m not wearing a Halloween costume for about the 20th consecutive year, but my 19-month-old daughter is dressing up as a dog because she’s obsessed with dogs. So check back next week for photos.

THIS WEEK IN PHIL BEING PHIL

Wait … this can’t be right … Phil hasn’t posted anything on social media in more than a week? Has anyone checked on him lately?

THIS WEEK IN EDDIE BEING EDDIE

Eddie Pepperell is doing everything he can to find Martin Kaymer a girlfriend, including signing him up to appear on a British reality TV show called “First Dates.”

It’s now my life goal to find our Dear Martin the love of his life ? https://t.co/FhdCkgxrjw

— Eddie Pepperell (@PepperellEddie) October 25, 2019

What a great friend.

THIS AND THAT

The United States Postal Service will honour Arnold Palmer with a commemorative stamp in 2020. Considering how much money on postage he is said to have spent responding to fans, no one has ever been more deserving of such an honour. … Congrats to Ha Na Jang, who made a rare LPGA cameo in her home country and won the BMW Ladies Championship. She’s still got it after leaving the LPGA Tour two years ago. Then again, she’s only 27 so her still having “it” isn’t too surprising. … Congrats to Steven Brown, who was on his way to Q School for the seventh time in eight years before stunning the field at the Portugal Masters for his first career European Tour title. But has he done anything to help Martin Kaymer’s love life? … And a special congrats to the 30 PGA Tour pros who made Golf Digest’s latest Nice Guys list. With a top three of Rickie Fowler, Gary Woodland, and Jordan Spieth, who says nice guys finish last?

Stan Badz

Well, Spieth finished pretty far down the board in Japan, but you get the point. …

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Will I ever wear a Halloween costume again?

Who will inherit the Konica Minolta Bizhub Swing Vision Camera?

Seriously, is Phil Mickelson OK?

The post Tiger Woods’ record-tying win, Brooks Koepka’s bold Halloween costume, and the craziest tee shot in PGA Tour history appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

It finished with history.

When the world least expected him to, Tiger Woods won the inaugural Zozo Championship for a staggering 82nd career PGA Tour victory, tying Sam Snead for the all-time record. Woods polished off the win Monday, completing his last seven holes in one under for a final-round 67 and a three-shot victory over home-country hero Hideki Matsuyama.

If he only knew …

The only two with 82. pic.twitter.com/6B4s3oYg5E

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 28, 2019

“It’s about being consistent and doing it for a long period of time,” Woods said of tying a record that once looked patently unattainable. “I’ve been very fortunate to have the career I’ve had so far.”

A birdie at the last for @TigerWoods! ?

He seals win No. 82 @ZOZOCHAMP in style.

This is his third win in his last 14 starts.#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/bWaq3zlZ0t

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 28, 2019

On a brisk but sunny Monday morning at Narashino Country Club, Woods bogeyed his first hole of the day but bounced back with a crucial 15-footer for birdie on the par-5 14th. He added another, his 27th of the week, at the finishing hole. The scene on 18 wasn’t as chaotic as East Lake, not as climatic as Augusta. But that didn’t make it any less historic.

Related: Tiger’s 82 wins, by the numbers

The first win came way back at the 1996 Las Vegas Invitational. The 82nd came halfway across the world, 23 years and too many surgeries later.

“To have won this tournament in Japan—it’s just so ironic because I’ve always been a global player,” Woods said. “I’ve always been all around the world. To tie the record outside of the United States, it’s pretty cool.”

This “W “was as unlikely as any of the 81 prior. Or so it seemed.

The conventional wisdom coming into this week went something like this: Woods was making his first start in over two months. He’d just had surgery on his knee for the fifth time. He’d only been cleared to practice a month ago. He hadn’t had much success at all since winning the Masters. His three previous starts resulted in a missed cut, a withdrawal and a T-37 out of 70 players. He looked shaky in Monday’s Skins game. He was the main attraction at the PGA Tour’s maiden event in Japan, of course, but he wasn’t a realistic threat to win the thing.

Through three holes on Thursday, those doubts seemed justified. Woods’ opening tee shot of the 2019-20 season was a high, spinny 5-wood that hooked into the water. Bogey. He also bogeyed the next two and found himself three-over par as he departed the 12th green, fresh off a three-putt. In his own words: “I hadn’t hit one good shot yet.”

Woods didn’t panic. Neither did those who had seen him grinding away back home in Florida, who knew how huge a difference the knee procedure made.

“His second practice session that I saw, his swing, his ability to practice as long as he did, that was the most impressive thing” said Rob McNamara, vice president for TGR ventures and an ever-present second set of eyes for Woods’ game. “He hit the ball great, but the fact that we were able to practice for four or five hours on his second full day back just showed that—OK, if he’s upright, if he’s able to prepare, he’s as good as anyone.”

Ben Jared

Perhaps something clicked on a long walk through the foliage between the 12th green and 13th tee. Woods fired a short iron right over the flag on the par 3, and while he couldn’t convert the birdie effort, that iron shot was a preview of what was to come the rest of the week.

The putts also started falling, which Woods attributes to a simple tip from McNamara—to move his hands further forward—and, interestingly enough, the knee operation.

“The fact that I could get down and read putts again, it was something I hadn’t been able to do in months. It’s something very subtle and simple like that, but it makes a difference. And then I felt more comfortable with my putter, just because I was able to make a better stance.”

It’s an honor to be tied with Sam Snead for most wins in @PGATOUR history. Thanks Mom and Pop and everyone who helped make this possible. Hideki put up an amazing fight on his home soil, but to do this in Japan is something I’ll never forget. It’s been an awesome year. pic.twitter.com/m9ICuVyJmX

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) October 28, 2019

Armed with his normal arsenal of iron shots and a hot flatstick, Woods was in full flight over the last 14 holes on Thursday, making nine birdies and no bogeys for a most unlikely 64. That delighted the massive, and remarkably respectful, crowds that were overjoyed to see the game’s biggest star return to compete in Japan for the first time since 2006.

Woods have to wait nearly 48 hours to hit another shot as record-setting rainfall cancelled play on Friday. (He saw Joker and ate Domino’s pizza on the off day). After an additional delay to let the course dry on Saturday morning, Woods put together a second-straight 64—this one witnessed only by a select few, as fans weren’t permitted on the waterlogged grounds—and he carried a two-shot lead into the third round. He was halfway home but had a marathon to come.

Woods teed off at 8:30 on Monday morning and shot a ho-hum 66, which resulted in a three-shot lead heading into the final round. That was awful news for his competitors, as Woods entered the week 43 of 45 when carrying a solo lead into the final round, and 24 of 24 when that advantage was at least three shots. There is no one more comfortable sleeping with a lead.

But there would be no sleeping on this lead—after finishing up the third round, Woods took a 45-minute break for lunch and a high-profile shirt change, then headed right back out to the course to squeeze in as many more holes as possible before sunset. He managed to get through 11 and played them in two under, preserving a three-shot cushion heading into the final 7.

It proved anything but routine. Woods bogeyed his first hole of the day, the difficult par-4 12th, then missed an eight-footer for birdie on 13. Playing in the group in front, Matsuyama had a short birdie putt on 14 to close the lead to one.

He missed. Woods birdied that hole to push the lead back to three, and three straight pars from 15-17 meant all he needed to do was avoid disaster on the par-5 18th. A 3-wood found the centre of the fairway, and a second shot into a front bunker allowed Woods to enjoy a walk to victory and a walk to history. He holed a 10-foot birdie putt for 67. And 82.

Weighing golfers’ resumes against each other is a tricky business, particularly so if they’re from different eras. Today’s game bears little resemblance to the one of decades past. The dynamic of professional golf has morphed throughout the years. More emphasis is placed on majors now. Tournaments were smaller then. There are simply too many variables for an apples-to-apples comparison. Judgments are best left to the historians.

We can, however, say this definitively: No one has won more than Tiger Woods. And he has no plans of stopping now.

“Certainly, the future looks brighter than it has” Woods said. “I hope I can be as good as consistent as (Snead) was, well into my 40s and 50s.”

History loves company.

But @TigerWoods doesn’t.

Sights set on 83. pic.twitter.com/ygcbPqgDlX

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 28, 2019

The post Tiger Woods’ 82nd win a celebration of excellence, but patience as well appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By John Strege
Tiger Woods continued to belie the fact he is playing for the first time in nine weeks by expanding his lead to three through 54 holes of the Zozo Championship at Narashino Country Club in Chiba, Japan.

Woods, who began the third round two ahead of Gary Woodland, shot a four-under par 66 in the third round on Sunday. He bogeyed the first hole, made six birdies and a bogey over the final 17 holes.

With 18 holes remaining, Woods was at 16-under par 194, three ahead of Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama, who shot a five-under 65. Woodland shot a two-under 68 and trails by four. Woods has led by three through 54 holes on 24 previous occasions and won them all.

Woods is pursuing his 82nd PGA Tour victory to tie Sam Snead for the all-time lead.

The final round began shortly after completion of the third round, though it won’t be completed until Monday morning, Japan time.

The post Tiger Woods shoots a 66 to increase his Zozo Championship lead to three through 54 holes appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Alex Myers
If you stayed up to watch Tiger Woods’ opening round at the Zozo Championship, it was certainly worth it. Although, many people probably turned their TVs off after the 15-time major champ bogeyed his first three holes at Narashino Country Club, Woods wound up birdieing nine of his final 15 holes to shoot a six-under-par 64 and grab a share of the lead with Gary Woodland. Making the score even more impressive was that Woods was making his first PGA Tour start since undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee nine weeks ago. And it certainly didn’t do anything to hurt Woods’ chances of picking himself to represent the U.S. in December’s Presidents Cup.

But aside from the obvious, the round stood out statistically for several reasons. Here’s a closer look why:

1. Woods’ 64 was his lowest score of the year. Woods’ previous best in 2019 was a third-round 65 at the Genesis Open in February.

2. This was Woods’ first sub-70 round to start a PGA Tour event since he opened the 2018 Tour Championship with a 65. You just might remember what wound up happening that week …

Stan Badz

3. Woods’ 64 was his lowest score to start a PGA Tour season in his career. Yep, in his career. His previous best was a 66 at Torrey Pines in 2007. And yes, he won that week.

4. Woods’ nine birdies were the most he’s made in one round since he also made nine at Doral during the first round of the 2013 WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral. His career best is 10, which he has done twice.

5. Woods hit 14 consecutive greens from holes 12 (he started his round on the back nine) through 7. You could say he was dialed in with the irons, particularly with this final approach on 18 that setup an easy closing birdie:

Tiger carded nine birdies on his way to an opening-round 64 and a share of the lead in Japan. ?pic.twitter.com/J5TyP09qvz

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) October 24, 2019

6. This matched the lowest score Woods has ever shot with three bogeys on his card. Gritty!

7. According to 15th Club’s Justin Ray, Woods’ +7.23 strokes gained total on Thursday is his best since the 2012 Arnold Palmer Invitational. In other words, it’s not like everyone was tearing this place up. And it’s been a long time since Woods outplayed the rest of the field for one day like this.

Another incredible stat involving Woods that was mentioned during Golf Channel’s broadcast is he hasn’t held a solo lead after one round of a PGA Tour event since the 2009 PGA Championship. A couple of late birdies from Woodland kept Woods from snapping that streak, but it’s still surprising that someone with 81 career victories hasn’t had the lead to himself after Day 1 in more than a decade and that he’s done it only 16 times total during his illustrious career.

Not as surprising is the fact Woods has won his first start of the season seven previous times, most recently at Torrey Pines in 2013. We’re pretty sure that changing that to eight—and upping his career wins total to 82—are the only numbers Woods is concerned about these next few days.

The post Tiger Woods’ wild 64 in 7 stats, including one that points to this being his best round since 2012 appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Daniel Rapaport
Japanese fans here have been waiting 13 years to deliver a Tiger roar, so they certainly weren’t bothered by having to wait an extra hour or so.

Woods rewarded their patience with a terrific round of golf that gave them plenty to cheer about.

After bogeying his first three holes, Woods made nine birdies over his last 15 holes to shoot a six-under-par 64, a round that put him alone atop the leader board when he signed his card at Narashino Country Club. At the end of the day, he shared the lead with Gary Woodland. It was still quite the return from a two-month absence and knee surgery.

“When I haven’t played in a while, it’s always interesting when you start out, just trying to find the rhythm of the round,” Woods said. “It took me a lot longer than it should, and I made a few mistakes at the start there.

“But I flipped it. And when it flipped, it flipped big.”

Woods was treated to a hero’s welcome upon arriving at the 10th tee for his first hole of the day. The crowds have been massive all week, and Thursday’s turnout looked more like Sunday at a major than the first round at a new PGA Tour event. They are also some of most supportive and respectful sports fans you’ll find, and they wanted nothing more than for Tiger’s first official tee shot in Japan since 2006—and his first tee shot of the 2019-’20 season—to find the middle of the fairway.

He promptly hit a high, spinny 5-wood into a water hazard down the left.

“Just wasn’t committed to it,” Woods said. He would go on to miss about a seven-footer for par.

Woods missed left again with his second tee shot of the day, a pulled driver that found a fairway bunker and forced a layup. After a solid wedge, he couldn’t get that par effort to drop, either, and he looked destined for a disappointing round after three-putting the 12th.

Perhaps something clicked on the long walk through foliage between the 12th green and the 13th tee, because the player who emerged from the trees looked nothing like the guy who, in his own words, didn’t hit one good shot on the first three holes. Woods floated a short iron right over the flag on the short par-3 13th, and though he couldn’t get the 15-footer to drop, the approach was a sign of things to come. His first birdie of the day, at the par-5 14th started a run—he birdied seven of his next 10.

When he’s at his best, Woods is still the game’s supreme iron player. There is no one who varies shape and trajectory quite like an in-form Tiger, and he flashed his full arsenal Thursday in setting up the nine birdies—a high fade from the right rough to 12, a knockdown middle-iron into the par-3 third, a sky-high long iron to 10 feet on the 505-yard par-4 fourth, a high-draw 8-iron from a flyer lie on 18 that flew 200 yards.

“This is how I’ve been hitting it at home,” Woods said with a smile. “That wasn’t a real big surprise.”

And after a rough start on Narashino’s slopy putting surfaces, Woods looked more comfortable as the round went on. He poured in a 30-footer for birdie on the seventh hole and knocked his five-footer on 18 into the back of the cup.

Are you serious? ?@TigerWoods has taken the outright lead. ?

He's made EIGHT birdies in his last 12 holes. ?#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/TTztLxrxyY

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 24, 2019

The final stats: six of 14 fairways hit, 15 of 18 greens in regulation and 27 putts.

At the beginning of Woods’ return to this golf-enamored country—which has included a promotional tour on Sunday and MGM Resorts The Challenge: Japan Skins on Monday—he faced question after question about two topics: his health, and whether he’d use one of his Presidents Cup captain’s picks on himself. Suddenly the focus has shifted to Woods’ quest for a record-tying 82nd PGA Tour victory. Given the layoff, a subpar finish to last season and an uneven performance in The Challenge, few gave him much of a chance.

Of course, you cannot win a tournament on Thursday, but you also can’t ask for much more than a six-under round on a day where the scoring average finishes over par. This must have felt extra good given Woods’ struggles on Thursdays last season—the last time he shot an opening round in the 60s was the 2018 Tour Championship. He won that week.

“Now I’m in a position where we’re going to have a long, long weekend,” Woods said, referencing ominous forecasts for the rest of the tournament. “Hopefully I can keep it going.”

Woods will tee off his second round at 8:40 a.m. local time Friday/7:40 p.m. EST on Thursday. That’s an hour earlier than originally scheduled, as all tee times were moved up an hour in anticipation of rain.

The post Tiger Woods returns with a flourish, shoots 64 and leads Zozo Championship appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.