When Tiger Woods stepped onto the fourth tee in the course of the opening spherical of the 2019 Zozo Championship, there was little indication of the history-making week forward of him.
The previous world No 1 was returning to motion for the primary time since knee surgical procedure earlier in the summertime, having accomplished solely 17 aggressive rounds within the months following his exceptional success at The Masters.
Woods made a nightmare begin to his newest comeback from damage at Accordia Golf Narashino Nation Membership in Japan, bogeying every of his opening three holes, though responded in model to say a three-stroke victory and record-equalling 82nd PGA Tour title.
5 years on from that victory – the PGA Tour stars on this week’s area replicate on Woods’ most up-to-date worldwide success and take a look at what the long run may maintain for the 15-time main champion…
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Woods introduced ‘main really feel’ to Japan
The 2019 version was the primary time that Japan hosted an official PGA Tour occasion, with over 20,000 followers attending the opening spherical and enormous crowds – except for the Saturday, when spectators had been unable to attend resulting from security issues – had been current all through the event.
“The first day we stepped out here, the fans that lined the range and the first hole, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Collin Morikawa mentioned. “Not only was it for Tiger, but it was for all of us.”
Xander Schauffele added: “I sat on the primary tee with JT [Justin Thomas] and Rory [McIlroy] and I could not consider how many individuals had been simply on the property.
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Enormous crowds adopted Woods throughout his history-making week in Japan
“There’s some very big names here that pull a really big crowd, but Tiger seems to always move the needle the most. It felt like a major almost just for the amount of people, like it was 10 rows deep on the first hole and it was insane.”
Woods arrived as a present main champion, having gained The Masters for a fifth time in that April so as to add to his Tour Championship success the earlier yr, though was teeing it up for the primary time since present process knee surgical procedure in August.
Tiger exhibits ‘finest golf’ after ‘ugly’ begin
Woods bogeyed every of his first three holes on the opening morning earlier than recovering to card a six-under 64, seeing him share the early lead with Gary Woodland, with enjoying accomplice Tommy Fleetwood blown away by his spectacular fightback.
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Woods displays on a formidable fightback to seize a share of the early lead on the Zozo Championship in Japan
“He hit it in the water off the first, hooked a tee shot off the next, and then he bogeyed the next and he was three over,” Fleetwood instructed the PGA Tour. “But from that point on… it probably is the best round of golf I’ve ever watched.
“Simply the way in which he carried out it. The way in which he performed, the management he had of his golf ball. I shook his hand and I used to be like, ‘Tiger that was actually good in the present day’. And he simply appears to be like at me and he went, ‘How about that, huh?’ with that massive grin of his.
“At that point I was like, man, even he knows it was so good!”
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Highlights from Woods’ spectacular opening-round 64 on the inaugural Zozo Championship in Japan
Woods strikes forward within the silence
Friday’s play was postponed resulting from a hurricane bringing round 10 inches of rain and the second spherical was delayed additional on Saturday, the place the course was closed to followers resulting from security issues.
“The day that the course was closed to the fans, we drove in and fans were waiting on the streets with signs, hundreds of people,” Max Homa mentioned. “It was really cool to see.”
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Woods birdied his remaining two holes to card a second-round 64 and seize a two-shot midway lead, then prolonged his result in three photographs regardless of enjoying the final 5 holes of a third-round 66 in a single over.
“This golf course, when you look at it, it suits his typical style,” Homa added. “You could be actually, actually correct along with your irons. I do keep in mind he was driving it very well.
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Highlights from Woods’ third-round 66 on the Zozo Championship, extending his benefit to a few photographs
“He was driving it super straight. From there, it feels pretty – the way he plays this golf course can get pretty redundant. It looks so much easier than it actually is, him hitting six-irons to 18 feet over and over again.”
Tiger completes historic success
Woods retained his three-shot cushion with seven holes to play when unhealthy mild noticed play suspended late on Sunday night, then returned on Monday morning to finish a convincing victory.
The five-time Masters winner recovered from bogeying his twelfth gap to birdie the 14th and safely negotiate the subsequent few holes, with an eight-foot birdie on the final signing off his win in model. Victory moved Woods to world No 6 and stage with Sam Snead’s report of 82 PGA Tour titles, with that historical past not going unnoticed.
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“There’s only so many other athletes in sports that have been able to kind of transcend and build and grow a sport,” Morikawa mentioned. “To have his, his 82nd win, in Japan, just so special.”
Schauffele added: “Him winning was obviously really special, but he definitely brought a different feel in 2019 to the tournament on top of his history that he made.”
Woods leaves legacy behind
Woods completed tied-72nd of the 77 gamers to complete his title defence the next yr and hasn’t returned to the Zozo Championship since, with The previous world No 1 suffering from damage in latest seasons.
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Todd Lewis from the Golf Channel assesses whether or not Woods will proceed to look at main championships after lacking one other lower on the Open Championship
The 48-year-old has solely made 11 aggressive begins since his career-threatening automobile crash in February 2021, lacking the lower in three of the 4 majors in 2024, with Woods presently recovering from present process “successful” surgical procedure to alleviate “back spasms and pain” in September.
There isn’t any timeline on when Woods will return to motion or whether or not he’ll ever be capable of add to his tally of PGA Tour victories, though his win on the 2019 contest – on the time a 3rd victory in 14 begins – can be remembered for years to return.
“Naturally anything that Tiger wins is going to amplify that event,” Thomas mentioned. “I think him having that historic win brought that energy and just gave the tournament the recognition I feel like it deserved, or deserves.”
Watch the Zozo Championship all through the week reside on Sky Sports activities. Stay protection begins on Thursday from 4am on Sky Sports activities Golf or stream with NOW.
