Tiger Woods tied a major record on Monday after he beat Hideki Matsuyama and won his 82nd PGA Tour title at the Zozo Championship in Chiba, Japan.
Woods is now tied with the late Sam Snead, who broke the record in 1965 at 52 years old. So far Woods has won PGA Tour events in Japan, Spain, Ireland, England, Scotland, Canada, as well as the United States.
In a tweet, he thanked his parents after the victory. Woods’ father Earl Woods, who taught him the game of golf, passed away in 2006 from a heart attack.
“It’s an honor to be tied with Sam Snead for most wins in @PGATOUR history,” wrote Woods, who’s now ranked No. 6 in the official World Golf Rankings after the win.
“Thanks Mom and Pop and everyone who helped make this possible,” he added. “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.”
And awesome it has been, because Woods won his fifth Masters title in April by a single stroke after his career was nearly derailed by injuries.
The victory in Japan comes just two months after he had arthroscopic knee surgery and about one month since he’s returned to golf, so it was completely unexpected.
Afterward, Woods talked about the win and the significance of tying Snead.
“Well, it’s a big number,” he said about the 82 PGA Tour Titles. “It’s about consistency and doing it for a long period of time. Sam did it into his 50s, and I’m in my early to mid-40s. So it’s about being consistent and doing it for a very long period of time. I’ve been very fortunate to have had the career I’ve had so far.”
“To have won this tournament in Japan, it’s just so ironic because I’ve always been a global player,” added Woods. “I’ve always played all around the world, and to tie the record outside the United States is pretty cool.”
