Tiger's 82nd Win As An Excuse To Fine-Tune The PGA Tour Record Book

I’ve been uncomfortable with the belittling of Sam Snead’s 82 wins, because while the record books do credit him with some odd wins, he’s also had many chipped away from his career mark since tied by Tiger Woods.

The bashing also ignores that the war years stripped Snead of opportunities to win at the peak of his powers.

But, that said, MorningRead.com’s Gary Van Sickle penned an interesting look at the various issues Snead had with his record, the changes in his victory total over the years and other PGA Tour marks that are worth examining. Or maybe re-examining. This one was interesting:

The main one worth mentioning is Byron Nelson’s streak of finishing in the money in 113 consecutive tournaments. It was broken by Tiger Woods, who extended his streak to 142 tournaments. Except, Johnson noted, from the 1939 PGA Championship through the 1950 Los Angeles Open, Ben Hogan was in the money 177 events in a row.

Did Hogan maybe miss a cut during that time and therefore not appear in the final tournament results, which happened occasionally? Did he have a missed cut that is unfindable because it didn’t appear in a newspaper box score? Possibly. The same can be said of Nelson’s record, which the Tour accepted on the basis of an Oklahoma golf statistician’s say-so. Neither proposed record is bulletproof.

Video: Morning Drive Tries To Solve Why Tiger Ignored Greg's Note

I’m so glad we did this exclusive extra recording after the show to discuss this complicated, but not complicated story of massive egos. That’s Damon Hack, Anna Whitely, Robert Damron and myself:

Rory: "He makes other guys try to do too much and they make mistakes and more often than not he’s the guy holding the trophy"

Dylan Dethier reports on Rory McIlroy’s SiriusXM radio appearance discussion, among other topics, the surprise factor in Tiger Woods winning the ZOZO Championship after slapping the ball around in Monday’s warm-up Skins Game.

Note the final remark in conversation with show host Brad Faxon:

“Obviously whatever he did, he got it together for a few days and that was some performance, to play that good on that golf course,” McIlroy said. “That was a pretty tough golf course, so to have that control of his ball like that, to shoot 19 under and win pretty easy in the end was awfully impressive.”

McIlroy cited the 2018 Tour Championship, Woods’ first victory in more than five years, as another occasion where Woods had blown him away with a combination of course management and game control.

“When he gets into contention, that’s what he does. He makes other guys try to do too much and they make mistakes and more often than not he’s the guy holding the trophy at the end of the day.”

Exclusive: What Greg Norman’s Unacknowledged Hand-Delivered Note Said To Tiger Woods

Thanks to exclusive recycle-bin scavengers in the greater Jupiter area, I’ve been able to piece together the post-Masters congratulatory note delivered to Tiger Woods by Greg Norman.

Norman admitted in Men’s Health that even after delivering to Woods’ security guard and identifying himself, Tiger has not thanked Norman for the thank you correspondence.

Forensic evidence suggests one of Woods’ staffers used the note to pick up defecation by the family pet, therefore handwriting experts are still working to confirm if the note was penned by Norman. However, several clinical psychiatrists can verify that it suggests the trademark signs of a note penned by a right-handed older male who wears copious amounts of sunscreen, may have once suffered a severe hand-injury trimming shrubs, and exhibits narcissistic tendencies.

Working through some of the pet stains, here is the best possible interpretation of the note:

Mate!

What a performance at the Masters! Congratulations from a fellow gym rat, living brand and member of the Major Club.

Look, I know we’ve had our moments and I’m ready to let bygones by bygones. Like, when I declared you’d never win another major, or when I said that I’d hate to see golf get lost again in that Tiger talk, or how ratings are up because you brought in new fans who really took to all of the young guys, or when you were looking intimidated by Rory, or that I defended Stevie Williams, or that I criticized The Match. All of that was fake news (well, except The Match part. That thing stunk!).

What isn’t fake is that my 285-foot yacht measuring 130 feet longer than yours with a fantastic wine cellar. Kirsten and I would love to have you and the lady friend over some time, maybe share some war stories about finishing off a win or where you see the equities market over the next five years. Guy-to-guy, man-to-man talk about how to be better than the guy you were yesterday.

Reach out any time. I know you have my mobile, or just DM me on Instagram, that’s where I spend most of my time these days,

Shark

PS: I’ve also got a golf cart that’s going to change the game and would love to take you on a spin around my property, which Zillow says it just a bit bigger than yours and way more valuable. Just saying, you have to see for yourself!

Shirtless Shark: I Didn't Get A Thank You For My (Hand Delivered!?) Note To Tiger!

The image of Greg Norman driving up to Tiger Woods’ home and delivering a congratulatory note following the 2019 Masters win is, in itself, kind of funny. The likelihood that Woods’ guard might not have known who it was, is just that much juicier.

Either way, the Shirtless Shark complained to Men’s Health about Tiger not acknowledging his note, even though Norman has not said the nicest things about Woods in recent years.

So much to unpack in this answer to a question about the lack of “bond” between the two:

Yeah, look, I’m happy to clear that up for you. Like, when you ask me a question, I’m going to give you an honest answer. I’m not going to bullshit to you. I’m also going to draw on my experience of the past in terms of what Jack Nicklaus did for me, what Arnold Palmer did for me . . . where there was that respect handed off from the generation before you. It’s a code of conduct in a lot of ways.

Oh boy…

Very few people know this: when Tiger won the Masters this year, I wrote him a handwritten note and drove down my road, maybe a quarter of a mile, and hand-delivered it to his guard at his gate. I said, “Hey, this is Greg Norman here. I’ve got a note for Tiger – can you please hand-deliver it to him?” Well, I never heard a word back from the guy. When I won my first major championship, Jack Nicklaus was the first person to walk down out of the TV tower and congratulate me. I don’t know – maybe Tiger just dislikes me.

I think you’re getting warmer!

I have no idea. I’ve never had a conversation with him about it. I’ve always been respectful about what his father did for him.

Oh?

I played nine holes with him at his father’s and IMG’s request when Tiger was 14 or 15 and I was the No. 1 player in the world, to give an assessment of this kid. So, I have always been willing.

Willing to…capitalize?

Tiger's 82nd By The Numbers And What It Means For More Wins

While there were no ShotLink numbers to validate the supremacy of Tiger’s iron play and putting, some writers have dug up some fun stuff in analyzing Woods’ 82nd PGA Tour win.

PGATour.com’s Sean Martin ponders whether Tiger can win a lot more and offers this:

He has to lean on decades of experience instead of marathon range sessions. He can’t outwork the competition, but he can outthink it. His length no longer separates him from the competition, but his iron game still does.

 He hit 76% of his greens last week, ranking third in the field. He was first in putts per green hit, which shows that he was hitting it close and rolling it well enough to convert.

He’s by far the best iron player of the ShotLink era, gaining +1.1 strokes per round with his approach play throughout his career. Jim Furyk is a distant second, averaging +0.7 strokes gained per round.

 Woods hits his approach shots high and low, and curves them left and right.

Brian Wacker at GolfDigest.com reminds us of two things: Tiger hit 65 percent of his fairways for the week on a pretty tight course in sports and proved he can win without overpowering a course. And, old legends tend to remain legends longer than everyone else:

• Gordie Howe had his first 100-point season in the NHL at age 40 with 44 goals and 59 assists, and played until age 51 when he scored 41 points in 80 games for the Hartford Whalers.

• Brett Favre threw for 4,202 yards and 33 touchdowns at age 40, leading the Minnesota Vikings to the NFC Championship.

• Nolan Ryan, who threw seven no-hitters in his career with the first coming in 1973, threw his final one 18 years later, at age 44.

• Michael Jordan had three 40-plus-point games in the middle of his final season in the NBA for the Washington Wizards, shooting over 50 percent in all of them.

David Dusek looks at Tiger’s equipment through the years and it’s astonishing to see what he started winning with versus what he’s playing now.

As for straight numbers in fun anecdotal fashion, check out Alex Myers’ list at GolfDigest.com and Todd Kelly’s list at Golfweek.com while Golf.com’s Josh Sens narrows things down to nine big numbers.

ZOZO! Tiger Wins 82nd PGA Tour Title Over A Surging Matsuyama

The Monday finish went much faster than the ensuing trophy ceremony, but even though he came out looking a tad tight, Tiger Woods finished off the 2019 ZOZO Championship for his 82nd PGA Tour win. He is now tied with Sam Snead for the all-time tour victory total and did it nine years before Snead recorded his final win.

Steve DiMeglio with the Golfweek game story on Woods holding off Hideki Matsuyama.

Bob Harig noted how a week that seemed about checking off come corporate boxes ended up checking off a big feat box.

The journey to Japan was ostensibly about fulfilling corporate obligations, participating in a made-for-TV exhibition and getting in some reps following knee surgery and physical challenges that dogged Tiger Woods' throughout the summer.

Nobody -- including Woods, if he is honest -- was thinking about a victory, or a record-tying one at that.

Love this from ESPN.com’s Ian O’Connor:

In his healthy prime, Tiger Woods was Mike Tyson in a red shirt and slacks. He arrived at the tee box as if he were stepping through the ropes and into the ring, where cowering, wide-eyed opponents all but prepped themselves for the knockout.

Woods is no longer that heavyweight champ who rules through intimidation. He still has muscles, yes, but they don't look as forbidding on a balding man made vulnerable by age, gravity, surgery and the disclosure of his own personal failings. And yet a diminished Woods can still win golf tournaments.

Michael Bamberger writing for Golf.com:

Tiger rolled in his 10-footer for a closing birdie, the three-shot win, his 82nd title, a closing 67. It was subdued, but it was big. This has been, in ways, one of the most remarkable years of his career. The Masters win, followed by a lot of futility. The win in Japan. The Presidents Cup coming up. The baby steps to a reconfigured life. Amazing. “I know what it’s like to have this game taken away from you,” Woods told Todd Lewis of Golf Channel. Yes, he does.

You know it’s a big win when the big names pop up on Twitter to congratulate Woods, and that was the case after win 82. And Tiger posted this Tweet:

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

It was a great week for the PGA Tour’s first official stop in Japan, and I noted that along with other winners and losers for this Golfweek column. I had to file before the trophy ceremony ended, otherwise it would have been included. Then again, the column would not have been posted until Tuesday if I waited.

Rachel Bleier with a roundup of Tweets about the trophy ceremony that almost never ended. Nothing like some good Twitter snark!

Harig impressively details all 82 wins here for ESPN.com, if you have the time and need the recap.

GC Digital posts Tiger’s 82 vs. Snead’s 82 and actually calls them by the name of the tournament at the time (so no Snead Sentry TOC wins on this list).

David Dusek with Tiger’s clubs for the week.

For his effort, Tiger received this Dyson fan to remember win No. 82:

View this post on Instagram

The trophy case just got heavier. 🏆

A post shared by PGA TOUR (@pgatour) on Oct 27, 2019 at 6:34pm PDT

PGA Tour Entertainment’s highlights:

Bum Knees Unite: Tiger Understands If Brooks Has To Bow Out Of Presidents Cup

The buried lede in Tiger’s comments from Japan: world No. 1 Brooks Koepka is weighing a possible surgery to repair the knee he re-injured last week in the CJ Cup.

The main headline, for now, is Woods leaving things up to Koepka to decide if he’s Presidents Cup worthy, depending on “what his protocols are going forward,” Tiger said.

From Steve DiMeglio’s Golfweek story quoting Tiger on news of Koepka’s injury:

“As of right now, we’re just waiting on what the surgeon says and what Brooks is going to do,” Woods added. “He is getting other opinions on what are his options. You want to go through as many different opinions as you possibly can before you decide what you are going to do.

“I told him to take his time. No hurry. You’re part of the team. You earned your way in the top eight spots. You’re on the team. You have to figure out what is best for your career and your knee and if you decide you can’t play, great. I totally understand. We’ll cross that bridge when it comes.”

Tripp Isenhour and I discussed this run of left knees going back today on Golf Central:

On Tiger: "Four rounds without the troubling signs of the summer should be enough."

Bob Harig at ESPN.com assesses what we’ve seen from Tiger since landing in Japan and revealing how long the surgically repaired knee has been an issue. While Harig sets a low bar, it’s the right one given this being Woods’ first start since August and also likely his last until December’s Hero World Challenge.

He acknowledged Monday that the knee surgery he had in August was something he meant to do a year ago, but put it off after winning the Tour Championship. After capturing the Masters, his knee slowly got worse, to the point that it was difficult for him to squat and read putts.

He said the knee pain and uneasy walking led to other issues with his back. He also withdrew from a tournament with an oblique injury.

Perhaps this is the explanation for Woods looking out of sorts for most of the summer. Why the back stiffness and unsteady gait led to some unseemly scores, especially for the Masters champion. And maybe it is why he seemed so at ease Monday, knowing that things are on the right path.

He did look genuinely at ease walking, swinging and playing the role of entertainer. That certainly was a far cry from the gimpy, bruised-and-battered looking golfer we saw post-Masters. Add it all up and this increases the intrigue around his Presidents Cup captain’s pick status and more importantly, 2020.

"It was like the Skins game version of Between Two Ferns. In that way it was almost endearingly bad."

Almost!

Look, golf on TV is hard to do. The Skins Game succeeded for two decades in part because it was only nine holes per day and tape delayed. And the money meant something back then. So did the timing of Thanksgiving weekend.

The revitalized and much-hyped MGM Grand Resorts The Challenge Japan Skins was played to provide GOLFTV Powered by the PGA Tour content and to kick off the Tour’s first official Japan event was bound to be imperfect. And other than not playing a practice round or taking their warm-up very seriously, leading to some loose golf early on, the players did their part. But the actual event execution was abysmal, from the broadcast production to the brilliant idea of playing a rushed 18 holes (instead of two days of nine holes). A foursome of Trevino, Demaret, Hagen and Palmer couldn’t have come off well with these constraints.

The Golf.com gang’s take, including the Josh Sens line from the headline above:

Michael Bamberger, senior writer: It looked like a practice round on a course that would never be the site for a PGA Tour event, here in the lower 48. I should say I fell asleep before the gents reached the fourth green. It was just guys playing golf and spreading good cheer. They weren’t raising money for war bonds, but it was still a good time and at times a good cause. What’s not to like?

Alan Shipnuck, senior writer (@AlanShipnuck): I didn’t make it to the back nine. The golf was sloppy, the course uninspired, the banter forced and cheesy, the money laughably small. But other than that…

Josh Sens, contributor (@JoshSens): Well, that was one weird show. The production itself was almost local cable access quality — you could hear the players talking and then you couldn’t; the shot tracer worked and then it didn’t; the images glitched and jumped then steadied. It was like the Skins game version of Between Two Ferns. In that way it was almost endearingly bad. I kind of liked how unslick it was.

Maybe the kids today and the adults who put all of the capital into appearance fees instead of the Skins and production will have found this acceptable. But it’s hard to imagine Tiger and friends will want to be associated with a glorified Periscope broadcast, no matter how lavish the appearance fees.

As we discussed on Morning Drive, it’s hard to have fun banter or great Skins moments when you’re in a hurry:

"Tonight’s event, for Woods, really is about GOLFTV. "

While it’s hard to take The Challenge too seriously given that the purse is lower than the original Skins Game (1983) and a third of what Mickelson, Mediate, Choi and Ames played for in 2008 before sending Skins six-feet under.

Still, there should be plenty of things to watch for in the midnight ET event on Golf Channel, which is carrying the event in America while GOLFTV Powered by the PGA Tour beams the Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama and Jason Day exhibition to the rest of the world.

Michael Bamberger at Golf.com thanks Tiger for spicing up what would have been just a nice, average fall night for late night golf viewers. But he also makes clear in this Golf.com column this is about Tiger clocking in and earning some credits on his GOLFTV Powered By The PGA Tour deal.

Tonight’s event, for Woods, really is about GOLFTV. His contract with GOLFTV looms large in his life. Woods has done only one interview about winning his fifth green coat win since leaving Augusta National on Masters Sunday, and that interview was a GOLFTV production. The interview was conducted by Henni Zuel and it lasted 28 minutes, but Woods likely got credit for an even half-hour. It’s an excellent interview, by the way, but too short.

Woods will surely have more to say about that Masters win in his memoir, Back. No publication date has been announced. In the interest of synergy, GOLFTV could film Woods while he is writing his book. That could be interesting.

No one should have to see that, or whoever it is doing the transcribing.

Anyway, as Bamberger correctly notes, the game face will come on later in the week in the inaugural Zozo Championship where we’ll find out the state of Woods’ game.

Tiger Woods Joins The Tiger Woods Book Race, But When?

With the announcement of a new autobiography on the heels of his 1997 Masters retrospective, Tiger Woods is pounding the keys in an apparent effort to close in on two other upcoming books. But without a publication date mentioned, it’s not clear when Back will be on shelves.

What is clear: Tiger seems determined to counteract what he sees as a lot of misinformation either existing or forthcoming. From the press release:

Woods said, “I’ve been in the spotlight for a long time, and because of that, there have been books and articles and TV shows about me, most filled with errors, speculative and wrong. This book is my definitive story. It’s in my words and expresses my thoughts. It describes how I feel and what’s happened in my life. I’ve been working at it steadily, and I’m looking forward to continuing the process and creating a book that people will want to read.”

Besides the recent Armen Keteyian and Jeff Benedict biography, a pair of books appear to be in the can, or appearing soon.

Noted author Curt Sampson’s Roaring Back is set for an October 29, 2019 release from Diversion Books.

The write-up sounds like a warts-and-all work similar to past Sampson books, so we won’t hold this write up from the publisher against him:

Sampson also places Woods’s defeats and triumphs in the context of historic comebacks by other notable golfers like Ben Hogan, Skip Alexander, Aaron Silton, and Charlie Beljan, finding the forty-three-year-old alone on the green for his trajectory of victory against all odds. As this enthralling book reveals, Tiger never doubted the perseverance of the winner in the mirror.

Skip Alexander? Aaron Silton? Charlie Beljan? I know I have a bad memory, but boy do I have some research to do on those historic comebacks.

Then there is Michael Bamberger’s book, slated for a late March, 2020 release date. From the publisher’s teaser:

Michael Bamberger has covered Tiger Woods since the golfer was a teenager and an amateur, and in The Second Life of Tiger Woods he draws upon his deep network of sources inside locker rooms, caddie yards, clubhouses, fitness trailers, and back offices to tell the true and inspiring story of the legend’s return. Packed with new information and graced by insight, Bamberger reveals how this iconic athlete clawed his way back to the top. The Second Life of Tiger Woods is the saga of an exceptional man, but it’s also a celebration of second chances. Being rich and famous had nothing to do with Woods’s return. Instead, readers will see the application of his intelligence, pride, dedication—and his enormous capacity for work—to the problems at hand. Bamberger’s bracingly honest book is about what Tiger Woods did, and about what any of us can do, when we face our demons head-on.

Heavy! I mean, it’s no Charlie Beljan comeback story, but what is.

Ultimately, it’s fantastic that Woods is working on a book and likely to share his story and views as he did with the 1997 book. It is curious that he has chosen to follow up his ‘97 Masters book already and, in theory, with a lot of great days ahead of him. But we’ll take what we can get.

Follow The Money: Investors Flock To Golf...In Modernized Range And Putt-Putt Settings

Every time you hear someone wax on about how the game does not have a slow play problem, just look where the money is going.

Every time someone bellows on about how an expanding golf course footprint has not been damaging the sport, point them to Topgolf’s growth.

And every time someone mocks the two greatest ever to play the game saying distance is getting out of hand, look where Tiger Woods is investing his efforts.

The surprise “Popstroke” news last week revealed Woods’ support of a modernized miniature golf concept, serving as another reminder that elements of our sport remainl attractive to potential customers and investors. The communal and easy-to-understand components to golf (hit a driver, wack a putt) seem attractive enough that capital continues to go toward settings offering food, live sports-viewing and a putt-putt concept with Woods’ backing.

Why is something similar not happening with golf courses?

It’s tough to name a major name in golf wanting to get in the golf course operations business because there haven’t been any in recent times.

Why isn’t anyone pondering how to finally convince municipalities to pump some much needed money into upgrading the amazing green spaces in their cities?

The narrative with existing golf courses tends to be about a fight-for-survival, as big money and increasingly larger audiences turn to things like Topgolf and Popstroke. The sport sits back and hopes those concepts will be gateways to becoming serious golfers. Dream on as long as the normal golf experience seems like something stuck in a time warp: five hours with so-so service and little respect for our time.

Golf has an issue when these two entities promise something a regular golf experience can’t overcome: reduced time, effort and cost required while still delivering a communal, fun experience. Because of their physical scale, these concepts have the advantage of installing modern elements like television screens for sports viewing and food operations that bring in some just for a good meal. The golf component is not excessively taxing or time consuming. The maintenance budget is a fraction of what it costs to keep a golf course going.

So follow the money. It’s going to concepts that take less time and require less space, in modernized environments that welcome a big audience. When it’s Tiger Woods signing on, maybe the decision-makers who keep deferring on the distance issue will take notice that he’s bullish on a future version of the sport requiring less time and way fewer resources.

Popstroke: Tiger Announces Partnership With The Topgolf Of Putt-Putt

Today’s announcement was the first time I’ve ever heard of Popstroke, which already has one Port St. Lucie, Florida location. But by all appearances the concept is pretty simple: a modernized version of putt-putt courses, apparently minus the bad sound systems, windmills and pirate themes.

Essentially, a Topgolf vibe, only with a fun putting course, better food and TV’s to watch sports. Pricing seems reasonable, assuming the technology works and it’s fun.

Given how much Topgolf is thriving, the concept seems pretty smart. Tiger’s backing can’t hurt.

Adam Schupak with some of the details for Golfweek, including the basic structure of the venture and this related to the experience:

The PopStroke experience is enhanced with a technology platform consisting of the soon-to-be released electronic scorekeeping golf ball, the “iPutt” ball. The ball transmits scores electronically to the custom PopStroke app, which can be downloaded in the Apple and Android App stores. Players will be able to compete against each other in a tournament environment while earning “Pop Bucks” through the PopStroke loyalty rewards app program.

Pricing seems reasonable, assuming the technology works and it’s fun.

Schupak also notes that the company board’s initial makeup includes PopStroke founder Greg Bartoli and Pete Bevacqua, former CEO of the PGA of America and president of NBC Sports.

Compared to Topgolf, the footprint needed for one of these appears quite small. From Google Earth:

Tiger Says He Can Resume Full Practice, Lifting

He shared the good news with Michael Stranahan on Good Morning America following a successful inaugural NEXUS Cup, a TGR Foundation fundraiser.

From a Golfweek report:

“I got the clearance last week to start full practice, so I played nine holes the other day,” Woods said of his recovery in an interview this week with Good Morning America’s Michael Strahan. “It’s sore, yeah, but now I can start lifting and getting my muscle back.”