Woods picked up his 80th career PGA Tour victory but first since 2013 on Sunday, shooting a one-over 71 to finish at 11 under and win the Tour Championship by two shots over Billy Horschel.
With the victory, Woods will finish second in the FedEx Cup standings behind world No. 1 Justin Rose, who birdied 18 to finish in a tie for fourth and win the $10 million Cup grand prize. Woods will receive $3 million for second place in the season-long points race.
Oh Yes, Tiger Woods wins Tour Championship for first title in more than five years
@TigerWoods
A chaotic celebration that golf hasn’t seen even in the best of times.
Woods delivered the perfect ending to his amazing return from four back surgeries on Sunday with a performance that felt like old times. He left the competition feeling hopeless as he built a five-shot lead early and hung on to win the Tour Championship.
Woods raised both arms over his head after he tapped in for par and a 1-over 71 for a two-shot victory over Billy Horschel, the 80th victory of his PGA Tour career and his first in more than five years.
“It was a grind out there,” Woods said. “I loved every bit of it.”
It felt like a coronation coming down the 18th green after he hit his second shot to the par 5 safely in a bunker in front of the green. The crowd came through the ropes and walked behind him, just like that walk from the left side of the 18th fairway when he won the Masters in 1997, and when the enormous gallery of Chicago followed after him when he won the Western Open that summer.
They chased after any inch of grass they could find to watch the ending.
This felt just as big as a major, maybe better considering where Woods had been.
“I didn’t want to get run over,” Woods said with a laugh.
Only when he was on the green, the last one to putt after Rory McIlroy tapped in for birdie, did it start to sink in.
“All of a sudden it hit me that I was going to win the tournament. I started tearing up a little bit,” Woods said. “I can’t believe I pulled this off.”
He paused as his voice started to crack.
More roars.
Several players, from Zach Johnson to Rickie Fowler to Horschel, waited to greet him. It was Johnson who unveiled red shirts at the Ryder Cup two years ago in the team room that said, “Make Tiger Great Again.”
“They knew what I was struggling with,” Woods said. “It was special to see them.”
One year ago, Woods was still waiting for his lower back to fuse and wasn’t sure he could ever play again. He told stories of being unable to get off the couch to watch his kids play soccer, much less to chip and putt. He said after the second and third back surgeries in the latter end of 2015 that he already has achieved plenty in golf and anything else would be “gravy.”
He was becoming a legend only in video highlights.
Woods brought it all to life over four days at East Lake, and the players who have taken turns at No. 1 during his absence caught the full brunt of it. McIlroy faded early. Justin Rose faded late.
All that was left was the 42-year-old Woods in that Sunday red shirt blazing brighter than ever and a smile he couldn’t shake walking up to collect another trophy.
He finished at 11-under 269 and won $1.62 million, along with a $3 million bonus for finishing second in the FedEx Cup.
Without that birdie, Woods would have won his third FedEx Cup title after starting at No. 20 going into the Tour Championship.
“Congrats, Rosie,” Woods told him. “World No. 1, hell of a season.”
Actually, former world No. 1 for Rose. His four bogeys over the last 10 holes cost him the No. 1 ranking back to Dustin Johnson, who shot 67 and finished third.
But this wasn’t about the FedEx Cup or even the world ranking.
This is Tiger’s big day, and nothing was going to change it.
Woods had never lost when leading by three shots or more going into the final round. That was when he was regularly winning multiple times every season, compiling trophies at a rate never before seen in golf.
Was anything different having gone more than five years without winning?
Rose had said it was a bit more unknown, and “there’s a lot on it for him” as well as everyone else.
No one brings excitement like Woods, even when he plays so good and so smart that he eliminates any potential for drama.
The buzz was endless. A couple of teenagers climbed into a tree to see him made a 10-foot birdie on the first hole. When the putt dropped and cheers died, there was a wild sprint some 200 yards up the hill as fans tried to get into position for the next shot. He tapped in for par, and another stampede ensued to line the third fairway.
On and on it went. No one wanted to miss a shot.
A year ago, there was no guarantee anyone would see much of Woods, much less Woods winning.
He’s back again. This victory, his first since the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone in August 2013 — 1,876 days, to be exact — brought him to No. 13 in the world. Not bad for a 42-year-old with four back surgeries who returned to competition in December at No. 1,199.
The next stop for Woods is to board a plane with the rest of his U.S. teammates for France and the Ryder Cup.
A RECAP OF THE TIGER WOODS TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP WIN
Tiger Tied For The Lead After Round 1 of the Tour Championship
ATLANTA, Ga. – For the second straight tournament, Tiger Woods is on top after the opening round.
Two weeks ago at the BMW Championship, he shot a blistering 62 for the solo lead. Thursday, Woods fashioned a 5-under-par 65 to earn a share of first at the PGA Tour’s regular-season ending Tour Championship at sun-baked East Lake Golf Club. He’s tied with Rickie Fowler in the last of four FedExCup Playoff events.
“This is by far better than the 62 at Aronimink,” said Woods. “Conditions were soft there. This is – it’s hard to get the ball close. There’s so much chase in it. If you drive the ball in the rough, you know you can’t get the ball close.”
It was the second consecutive 65 by Woods, who closed with the same score at the BMW Championship.
Competing at East Lake for the first time since 2013, it was his lowest total since posting a 64 in the second round of the 2007 Tour Championship, which he won. Thursday’s score marked the 30th time in his career he has co-led or led after the first round. Woods has prevailed 14 of 29 times.
His track record at the Tour Championship is strong. In addition to victories in 1999 and 2007, Woods has finished second four times and has eight top-10s.
With temperatures in the low 90’s and only a breath of wind, Woods three-putted the par-4 first hole for a bogey and had nine putts after four holes. Then he settled in.
Paired with Tommy Fleetwood, Woods birdied the fifth and sixth holes, canning a 15-foot slider at the latter, and turned in 1-under 34. On the back nine, he birdied 12 and 14, then saved his best for last.
At the par-5 18th, Woods blistered a 320-yard drive, knocked a 5-wood from 256 yards just outside 27 feet from the pin and poured in the eagle putt. His last eagle on the final hole came in the fourth round in 2013 at The Honda Classic.
“It took forever for that putt to start breaking, grain coming down the left,” Woods said. “But once it snagged it, it was going straight in.”
Woods was patient and conservative. He hit 10 of 14 fairways, 14 of 18 greens and used 28 putts. After a slow start on the greens, he rolled in 112 feet worth of putts with his old, reliable Scotty Cameron.
Of the four greens he missed, Woods saved par on all of them
While Woods needs a lot of help to capture his third FedExCup title, entering the week No. 20 in the point standings, winning would give him a chance. He was projected to place second after Thursday’s round with 54 holes remaining.
“It would enhance the year,” said Woods, when asked what a win would mean this week at the Tour Championship. “To be able to play golf again and earn my way back to this level is something that I was hoping I would do at the beginning of the year, but I didn’t know. And I’ve done it.”
In 17 PGA Tour starts this season, Woods has produced six top-10’s.
“In my eyes, the biggest win for him is just staying healthy and being out here all year,” said Fowler, who will join forces with Woods next week at the Ryder Cup. “Definitely happy for him.”
Woods and Fowler tee off in the final group on Friday at 2 p.m. ET.
ATLANTA, Ga. – Scoring without your best stuff is the name of the game on the PGA Tour. Tiger Woods didn’t have it Friday, but fought his way around toasty East Lake Golf Club to salvage a 2-under-par 68 and remained tied for the lead at the halfway mark of the Tour Championship.
After firing a 65 on Thursday, Woods is knotted with Justin Rose at 7-under 133 in the last of four stops to determine the FedExCup champion. Woods began the week at No. 20 but could capture his third FedExCup title with a win and assistance.
After hitting 10 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens Thursday, his numbers slipped to seven of 14 and 11 of 18.
Leaning on his short game, Woods saved par five-of-seven times and ranks first in scrambling this week, converting nine of 11 opportunities.
“Rounds like today are hard, and they’re hard mentally because you have to grind it out,” said Woods, who struggled during his pre-round warm-up session. “It’s easy to shoot low scores when you’re sharp. It’s a little bit more difficult to post a low number when I’m off. I was able to do that today and kept myself in the tournament.”
Paired in the last group with Rickie Fowler, Woods recorded five birdies, one bogey and a double as temperatures reached 91 degrees. His only bogey was a three-putt at the par-3 ninth.
Like the weather, Woods heated up on the back nine by pouring in four birdies. He earned a two-shot cushion in the 30-player field after draining a 24-foot putt at the par-3 15th hole and his massive gallery was buzzing.
But at the par-4 16th, he pulled his drive into left trees and tried to reach the green with a heroic second shot, the ball plugging in a bunker 30 yards short. Woods departed with a double-bogey.
“In hindsight, I probably should have just pitched out and the worst I would have made is a five,” he said.
Woods finished strong with a birdie at the par-5 18th to catch Rose.
The last time Woods secured a share of the 36-hole lead was at the 2015 Wyndham Championship. It marks the 48th time in his career he has led or co-led after two rounds, Woods going on to win on 43 occasions.
Two of those victories came at the Tour Championship: in 1999 at Champions Golf Club in Houston and in 2007 at East Lake.
Should he collect his 80th PGA Tour title, Woods can claim his third FedExCup crown if: current pacesetter Bryson DeChambeau finishes in a tie for 15th or worse; Rose finishes in a three-way tie for fifth or worse; Tony Finau finishes in a tie for third or worse; Dustin Johnson finishes in a three-way tie for second or worse; Justin Thomas finishes in a three-way tie for second or worse; and Keegan Bradley finishes in a tie for second or worse.
In other words, a lot must go Woods’ way.
He and Rose will start in the final twosome on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET. Woods has thrived in third rounds this year and ranks No. 2 on the PGA Tour in scoring with an average of 68.20, just behind Rory McIlroy (68.15).
His weekend strategy is to limit mistakes.
“This is a tough golf course,” Woods said. “I’m trying to make a bunch of pars and sprinkle in a few birdies here and there. If you get out of position, you just can’t get the ball close.”
ATLANTA, Ga. – Trying to complete one of the biggest comebacks in sports history, Tiger Woods will take a three-stroke advantage into Sunday’s final round of the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club.
Winless since 2013 and having undergone four back surgeries, the 42-year-old looked like his vintage self on Saturday, firing the low round, a 5-under-par 65. Woods birdied six of the first seven holes and soared to a five-shot lead.
“The crowd was electric because of it,” said playing partner Justin Rose. “He was running the tables there.”
Woods has registered five consecutive scores in 60’s, his longest run of the year and the most since 2013.
“Yea, I got off to a nice start,” Woods said, laughing.
Woods owns 79 PGA Tour titles, second to Sam Snead with 82. His last came at the 2013 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, a span of 1,876 days.
Woods heads to Sunday with a 54-hole score of 12-under 198, three shots ahead of Rose and Rory McIlroy.
Historically, Woods has been the best final-round closer ever on PGA the Tour. He’s 53-4 when tied or leading after three rounds and has never lost when armed with a three-stroke or higher cushion.
Woods has prevailed 42 of 44 times with the solo advantage. For perspective, 42 wins on the PGA Tour would rank No. 10 on the all-time list, one behind Phil Mickelson’s career total.
“I would love to win this event,” Woods said. “I’ve got a bunch of guys behind me who are playing well. We’ll see what happens.”
Woods has given himself several chances this season. In 17 previous starts, he has recorded six top-10 finishes and earned the back nine lead at the Open Championship. All that remains is securing a W.
Once again, Saturday brought out the best in Woods. He entered with the second-lowest third-round scoring average on Tour at 68.20 but lowered the figure.
Starting the day tied with Rose at 7-under, Woods birdied the par-4 first hole, then made a key four-foot par save at the second. Then he went off.
Woods followed with four consecutive birdies, the last after finding the left fairway bunker off the tee at the par-4 seventh. He clipped his second shot perfectly, the ball settling seven feet left of the pin and poured in the putt.
It was Woods’ longest birdie streak since 2012 at TPC Boston, when he fashioned six in a row. The last time he started with five straights 3’s on his card was in 2003.
Woods could have turned in in 29, but missed the green at the long, uphill par-3 ninth and was unable to get up-and-down. He settled for a 30.
It was one of the few times Woods hasn’t saved par this week. Through three rounds, he has accomplished it 14-of-18 times, tops in the field.
On the second side, Woods added his seventh birdie at the par-4 12th. He made a clutch save at the dangerous and water-flanked par-3 15th, almost holing out a bunker shot and converting a testy five-foot putt.
Woods did well to only drop one shot at the par-4 16th, then parred in.
“I was hitting it absolutely dead flush,” he said. “If I could have added one more on the back nine, it would have been great.”
Woods is also pacing the field in strokes gained: putting and ranks third in strokes gained: tee to green.
He used only 11 putts on the front nine and finished with 23.
On Sunday, Woods will play with McIlroy for the first time in a final round on the PGA Tour.
“Simple math says that if I play a clean card, that guys behind me have to shoot 67 to force into extra,” said Woods. “That helps. I don’t have to shoot 63 or 64 and hope I get help. That’s a big difference. This is a spot I’d much rather be in than four or five back.”
They start at 2:05 p.m. ET.
There is a lot at stake in the last of four FedExCup playoff events. Woods began the week No. 20 in the points standing but could claim his third crown and the $10 million first prize if he wins and Rose finishes fifth or worse. Rose is currently ranked No. 1 in the world.
Woods previously won the Tour Championship in 1999 at the Champions Club in Houston and at East Lake in 2007.
MORE ON THE GREATEST GOLFER OF ALL-TIME
Eldrick Tont “Tiger” Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer who is among the most successful golfers of all time, and one of the most popular athletes of the 21st century. He has been one of the highest-paid athletes in the world for several years. Woods is generally considered one of the greatest golfers of all time.
Following an outstanding junior, college, and amateur career, Woods was 20 years old when he turned professional at the end of summer in 1996. By the end of April 1997, he had won three PGA Tour events in addition to his first major, the 1997 Masters. Woods won this tournament by 12 strokes in a record-breaking performance and earned $486,000. He first reached the number one position in the world rankings in June 1997, less than a year after turning pro. Throughout the 2000s, Woods was the dominant force in golf—he won the 2000 U.S. Open by a record 15-shot margin. He was the top-ranked golfer in the world from August 1999 to September 2004 (264 weeks) and again from June 2005 to October 2010 (281 weeks).
From 2014-2017, Woods had been unable to recapture his dominant form, undergoing four back surgeries in 2014, 2015 and 2017. By March 29, 2015, Woods had fallen to #104, outside of the top 100 for the first time since 1996. In May 2016, Woods dropped out of the world top 500 for the first time in his professional career. After falling to #1199 in the World Golf Ranking in December 2017, Woods showed signs of making a comeback in 2018, and rose over 1000 places to be ranked #26 in August of that year. On September 23, 2018, Woods broke his 1,867 day winless streak when he won the 2018 Tour Championship. He moved to #13 in the Official World Golf Rankings.
Woods has broken numerous golf records. He has been World Number One for the most consecutive weeks and for the greatest total number of weeks of any golfer. He has been awarded PGA Player of the Year a record eleven times,[20] the Byron Nelson Award for lowest adjusted scoring average a record eight times, and has the record of leading the money list in ten different seasons. He has won 14 professional major golf championships, where he trails only Jack Nicklaus who leads with 18, and 80 PGA Tour events, second all-time behind Sam Snead (82). Woods leads all active golfers in career major wins and career PGA Tour wins. He is the youngest player to achieve the career Grand Slam, and the youngest and fastest to win 50 tournaments on tour. Additionally, Woods is only the second golfer (after Nicklaus) to have achieved a career Grand Slam three times. Woods has won 18 World Golf Championships, and won at least one of those events in each of the first 11 years after they began in 1999. Woods and Rory McIlroy are the only golfers to win both The Silver Medal and The Gold Medal at The Open Championship.
