Tiger Woods chalked up the 82nd PGA Tour win of his career at the Zozo Championship in Japan. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
Tiger Woods secured a record-equalling 82nd PGA Tour title when winning the Zozo Championship in Japan.
Woods, making his first PGA Tour start since undergoing knee surgery in August, held a three-shot lead with seven holes remaining when play was suspended due to darkness on Sunday evening.The former world No.1 returned on Monday morning to close out a three-under-par 67 at Narashino Country Club near Tokyo and end the week on 19 under, keeping him ahead of home favourite Hideki Matsuyama.
Victory is Woods’ first since winning the Masters in April, and moves him alongside Sam Snead’s all-time number of PGA Tour titles, with the win also lifting him to sixth in the world rankings.
Woods got off to a slow start when play resumed at 7.30am, finding the bunker with his approach into the par-four 12th and then failing to get up and down to save par. With the lead cut to two, Woods missed an eight-foot birdie attempt at the 13th, but avoided see his advantage reduced further when Matsuyama – playing in the group ahead – missed his birdie from half that distance at the par-five next.
Woods restored his three-stroke cushion with a 15-foot birdie at 14, only for Matsuyama to respond by draining a 30-footer at the par-three 16th.
Matsuyama missed a 15-foot birdie try at 17, and then found a fairway bunker off the final hole on his way to a closing par, with a three-under 67 setting the clubhouse target at 16 under.
Woods safely negotiated his closing stretch in two-putt pars to retain his two-shot cushion heading to the 18th, where he splashed out of a greenside bunker to eight feet and signed off his victory with a birdie.
“This is big,” Woods said. “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. But it’s just crazy. Eighty-two wins – it’s a lot. I’m just thankful that I’ve been able to be consistent most of my career.”
A birdie-birdie finish saw Rory McIlroy end the week tied third on 13 under alongside Sungjae Im, while a two-putt birdie at the last lifted Gary Woodland in fifth place ahead of Billy Horschel and Corey Conners.
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